Are Cyanotoxins the Only Toxic Compound Potentially Present in Microalgae Supplements? Results from a Study of Ecological and Non-Ecological Products

Overview

Journal Toxins (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Toxicology

Date 2020 Sep 3

PMID 32872271

Citations 9

Authors

Elisabet Sanchez-Parra

Soumia Boutarfa

Marina Aboal

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Food supplements with microalgae are becoming increasingly abundant and can be easily found anywhere. The most popular products are based on cyanophytes, such as , and , or on chlorophytes, such as or Although they are all advertised as being very beneficial for health, these products might be harmful because they may contain cyanotoxins and other contaminants, and no information on production methods or strain origins is usually provided. While legislation on the presence of microcystins in waters for different uses is clear, toxicological analyses are not compulsory for food supplements, nor for analyzing anatoxins. Given the potential risk of eating contaminated food, cyanotoxins, heavy metals and the presence of other contaminant organisms were analyzed in 10 microalgae food supplements. Microcystin-LR and anatoxin-a were detected in three analyzed products, and in both cyanophyte- and chlorophyte-based products. The light microscope study revealed the presence of different potentially harmful microbial contaminants. The ICP (OES) analyses detected high concentrations of some heavy metals, especially Pb. The results emphasize the need to promote the better control of food products containing microalgae, and to develop standard methodologies to analyze cyanotoxins and potential toxic compounds to protect consumer health.

Citing Articles

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