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Screening of Cyanobacterial Peptide Toxin, Microcystins in Hyperscum Water Samples from an Inland Sub Saharan Drinking Freshwater Reservoir

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Abstract

A study which probed the occurrence and quantitative variations hepatotoxic microcystin in a Sub Saharan drinking freshwater reservoir was carried out between November 2014 and March 2015. Results reveal the presence of MCYST-YR, MCYST-LR, MCYST-RR, MCYST-LA and MCYST-LF variants either in cells collected directly from bloom or toxic isolates cultured under laboratory conditions. Two minor microcystin congeners (MCYST-(H4)YR) and (D-Asp3, Dha7) MCYST-RR) were identified, but not quantified. Variants dominance were in the order MCYST-LR > MCYST-RR > MCYST-YR > MCYST-LA > MCYST-LF across sampling sites. Maximum and minimum concentrations of quantified MCYSTs congeners were (489.25, 50.95 µg toxin/g DW), (98.92, 9.11 µg toxin/g DW), (140.25, 12.07 µg toxin/g DW), (56.99, 6.20 µg toxin/g DW) and (50.46, 3.65 µg toxin/g DW) for MCYST-LR, MCYST-YR, MCYST-RR, MCYST-LA and MCYST-LF, respectively. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed there was a high significant difference between mean microcystin concentrations across sampling sites (p < 0.05).

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their thanks to the NRF/DST Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship (Grant UID 95470) awarded to Dr. Kennedy Eguzozie. We are grateful to the University of Johannesburg for financial support from the Biopharmaceutics & Bioprocess Research Group in the department of Biotechnology & Food Technology. We also would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers and editor whose generous views and comments on the original draft manuscript helped us shape this final documents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg “Doornfontein Campus”, Doornfontein, Johannesburg, 2028, South Africa

    Kennedy Uchenna Eguzozie, Vuyo Mavumengwana & Eugenie Kayitesi

  2. Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg “Doornfontein Campus”, Doornfontein, Johannesburg, 2028, South Africa

    Duduzile Nkosi

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa “Florida Campus”, Florida, Johannesburg, 1709, South Africa

    Emmanuella Chioma Nnabuo-Eguzozie

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  1. Kennedy Uchenna Eguzozie
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  2. Vuyo Mavumengwana
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  3. Duduzile Nkosi
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  4. Eugenie Kayitesi
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  5. Emmanuella Chioma Nnabuo-Eguzozie
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Correspondence to Kennedy Uchenna Eguzozie.

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Eguzozie, K.U., Mavumengwana, V., Nkosi, D. et al. Screening of Cyanobacterial Peptide Toxin, Microcystins in Hyperscum Water Samples from an Inland Sub Saharan Drinking Freshwater Reservoir. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 97, 728–736 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-1916-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-1916-2

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