• Login
    View Item 
    •   Repository
    • Journal Articles
    • Articles: Department of Biological Sciences
    • View Item
    •   Repository
    • Journal Articles
    • Articles: Department of Biological Sciences
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Cyanobacteria and cyanobacterial toxins in the alkaline crater lakes Sonachi and Simbi, Kenya

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Abstract (9.966Kb)
    Date
    2005-01
    Author
    Ballot, A.
    Krienitz, L.
    Kotut, Kiplagat
    Wiegand, C.
    Pflugmacher, S.
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    The phytoplankton communities and the production of cyanobacterial toxins were investigated in two alkaline Kenyan crater lakes, Lake Sonachi and Lake Simbi. Lake Sonachi was mainly dominated by the cyanobacterium Arthrospira fusiformis, Lake Simbi by A. fusiformis and Anabaenopsis abijatae. The phytoplankton biomasses measured were high, reaching up to 3159 mg l−1 in L. Sonachi and up to 348 mg l−1 in L. Simbi. Using HPLC techniques, one structural variant of the hepatotoxin microcystin (microcystin-RR) was found in L. Sonachi and four variants (microcystin-LR, -RR, -LA and -YR) were identified in L. Simbi. The neurotoxin anatoxin-a was found in both lakes. To our knowledge this is the first evidence of cyanobacterial toxins in L. Sonachi and L. Simbi. Total microcystin concentrations varied from 1.6 to 12.0 μg microcystin-LR equivalents g−1 DW in L. Sonachi and from 19.7 to 39.0 μg microcystin-LR equivalents g−1 DW in L. Simbi. Anatoxin-a concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 μg g−1 DW in L. Sonachi and from 0 to 1.4 μg g−1 DW in L. Simbi. In a monocyanobacterial strain of A. fusiformis, isolated from L. Sonachi, microcystin-YR and anatoxin-a were produced. The concentrations found were 2.2 μg microcystin g−1 DW and 0.3 μg anatoxin-a g−1 DW. This is the first study showing A. fusiformis as producer of microcystins and anatoxin-a. Since A. fusiformis occurs in mass developments in both lakes, a health risk for wildlife can be expected.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/220
    Collections
    • Articles: Department of Biological Sciences [285]

    University of Embu©
    Contact Us |
    Designed by 
    Atmire NV
     

     

    Browse

    All of RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    University of Embu©
    Contact Us |
    Designed by 
    Atmire NV