
- Cyanobacteria
- © FG Umweltmikrobiologie
Cyanobacteria are able to synthesize a couple of metabolites of toxicological concern. One of these cyanotoxins is cylindrospermopsin (CYN), a hepatotoxic alkaloid. Beside of the liver, heart, kidney, spleen, thymus and intestine are also affected. The first documented incidence of human intoxication occurred on Palm Island (Australia) in 1979, where children and adults suffered from hepatoenteritis. Cylindrospermopsin also occurred in German lakes.
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