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Toxicity Studies with the Blue-Green Alga Oscillatoria Agardhii from two Eutrophic Norwegian Lakes

Toksisitetsforsøk med blågrønnalgen Oscillatoria agardhii fra to eutrofe norske innsjøer

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 26, pages 363–373 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

Extracts of the blue-green alga Oscillatoria agardhii were tested for acute toxicity on laboratory mice and rats. Material originating from lake Gjersjøen proved to be toxic to the animals, samples from the nearby lake Årungen did not. Clinical symptoms culminated in the development of a fatal shock due to decrease in circulating blood volume. Pathological examination revealed heavy pooling of blood in the liver and severe damage to the organ. Blood analyses also indicated liver damage. Effects were the same with extracts from a laboratory clone culture as from a natural water bloom, but the toxin content was higher in the bloom material. Toxicity was not affected by heat, acid or alkali treatment.

Sammendrag

Ekstrakter av blågrønnalgen Oscillatoria agardhii ble undersøkt m. h. p. akutt toksisitet overfor laboratoriemus og rotter. Materiale som stammet fra Gjersjøen var giftig for dyrene, prøver fra den nærliggende Årungen var det ikke. Kliniske symptomer viste utvikling av et irreversibelt sjokk fremkalt av et redusert sirkulerende blodvolum. Patologiske undersøkeiser avslørte kraftig blodstuvning i leveren, og alvorlig skade på organet. Blodanalyser indikerte også leverskade. Virkningen var den samme med ekstrakter fra en laboratoriedyrket kultur som fra en naturlig vannblomst, men toksininnholdet var høyere i vannblomstmaterialet. Giftigheten ble ikke påvirket av varme-, syreeller basebehandling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Hygiene and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine, P. O. Box 8146, Dep. N-0033, Oslo 1, Norway

    Kjetil Berg & Nils Eivind Søli

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  1. Kjetil Berg
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  2. Nils Eivind Søli
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Berg, K., Søli, N.E. Toxicity Studies with the Blue-Green Alga Oscillatoria Agardhii from two Eutrophic Norwegian Lakes. Acta Vet Scand 26, 363–373 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03546536

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147