Table 1.

Principal groups of cyanotoxins, their producing genera, and the toxicities associated with them (Information compiled from [3,14,16,21]).

Toxin	Producing Genera	Primary Toxicity	Mode of Action	Toxic Effects
Microcystin	Microcystis, Anabaena, Nostoc, Planktothrix, Hapalosiphon, Phormidium	Hepatotoxicity	Inhibition of protein phosphatases	Liver and kidney damage, gastroenteritis, tumor promotion, reduced DNA repair, and reproductive toxicity
Nodularins	Nodularia	Hepatotoxicity	Inhibition of protein phosphatases	Liver and kidney damage, gastroenteritis, tumor promotion, reduced DNA repair, and reproductive toxicity, carcinogenic
Cylindrospermopsins	Cylindrospermopsis, Anabaena, Raphidiopsis, Aphanizomenon, Chrysosporum, Umezakia	Hepatotoxicity	Inhibition of protein phosphatases	Liver, kidney, spleen, lungs and intestinal damage, genotoxicity
Anatoxin-a	Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Cuspidothrix, Dolichospermum, Oscillatoria, Phormidium	Neurotoxicity	Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists	Muscular paralysis, respiratory failure
Anatoxin-a(s)	Dolichospermum, Anabaena	Neurotoxicity	Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase	Muscular weakness, dyspnea, convulsions
Saxitoxins	Aphanizomenon, Cuspidothrix, Cylindrospermopsis, Dolichospermum	Neurotoxicity	Blocking of sodium channels	Convulsions, paralysis, respiratory failure
BMAA (β-Methylamino-L-alanine)	Microcystis, Nostoc, Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Nodularia	Neurotoxicity	Excessive stimulation of glutamate receptors in neurons	Neurodegenerative syndrome
Aplysiatoxin	Lyngbya, Schizothrix, Oscillatoria	Dermatoxicity	Activation of protein kinase C	Tumor promotion, skin irritation, asthma
Lyngbyatoxins	Lyngbya, Schizothrix, Oscillatoria	Dermatoxicity	Activation of protein kinase C	Tumor promotion, skin and eye irritation, respiratory problems
Lipopolysaccharide	All cyanobacteria	Dermatoxicity	Activation of toll-like receptors	Skin and eye irritation, fever, gastrointestinal upset