About this Research Topic
Human exposure is related to consumption of contaminated seafood, skin contact with contaminated water and/or inhalation of aerosolized biotoxins. Marine biotoxins can cause different poisoning syndromes which vary in symptomatology and severity depending on the compound involved and individual sensitivity. Currently, the main common foodborne diseases that can occur after ingestion of contaminated shellfish or fishery products are paralytic, neurotoxic, amnesic, diarrhetic and azaspiracid shellfish poisoning, but also, ciguatera fish poisoning. Further potential seafood contamination with pectenotoxins, yessotoxins, cyclic imines and palytoxin is also considered.
The objective of this Research Topic is the description of global circulation of harmful algal blooms and correlated marine biotoxins in relation to climate change and environmental pollution. Various modifications in terms of frequency, seasonal window, location of hotspots, and causative species have been described, and there has been a rapid expansion in the diversity of microalgae over time, from a limited number of species of dinoflagellates and diatoms in the past, to a greater diversity of new emerging species. The latest data on harmful algal blooms ecology and distribution offer an opportunity to analyze future trends and scenarios of their evolution. The existence of genetic differences between bivalves in the capacity to ingest toxic phytoplankton has been recently documented, and new studies involved in this topic are particularly welcome. Reducing the accumulation of toxic phytoplankton by changing the balance between toxin uptake and detoxification processes in mussels may be a valid strategy to overcome this problem. The importance of continuous and active surveillance is also emphasized, since less severe episodes are reported in those countries where monitoring programs and good healthcare systems are available. The liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry allows effective food control and monitoring of phytoplankton and marine biotoxins levels in compliance with international legislation.
This Research Topic welcomes the contribution of Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, Opinions, Methods, and Perspective articles on toxic algae and related metabolites of public health concern. Subjects of particular interest encompass innovative approaches in investigating the occurrence of harmful algal blooms and marine biotoxins in aquatic environments and their toxic effects on marine organisms and humans.
Keywords: diatoms, dinoflagellates, saxitoxin, domoic acid, okadaic acid, yessotoxin, azaspiracid, brevetoxin, palytoxin, algal bloom, biotoxins
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