Mutagenic and genotoxic potential of pure Cylindrospermopsin by a battery of in vitro tests

Abstract

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a cyanobacterial toxin with an increasing world-wide occurrence. The main route of human exposure is through the ingestion of contaminated food and water. The European Food Safety Authority has identified the need to further characterize the toxicological profile of cyanotoxins and in this regard the genotoxicity is a key toxicological effect. The data available in the scientific literature show contradictory results. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the mutagenic and genotoxic effects of pure CYN using a battery of different in vitro assays including: the bacterial reverse-mutation assay in Salmonella typhimurium (Ames test) (0–10 μg/mL), the mammalian cell micronucleus (MN) test (0–1.35 μg/mL and 0–2 μg/mL in absence or presence of S9 fraction, respectively) and the mouse lymphoma thymidine-kinase assay (MLA) (0–0.675 μg/mL) on L5178YTk ± cells, and the standard and enzyme-modified comet assays (0–2.5 μg/mL) on Caco-2 cells. Positive results were obtained only when the metabolic fraction S9 was employed in the MN test, suggesting pro-genotoxic properties of CYN. Also, DNA damage was not mediated by oxidative stress as CYN did not induced changes in the modified comet assay. These data could contribute to a better risk assessment of this cyanotoxin.