Toxicological studies of Karlodinium micrum (Dinophyceae) isolated from East China Sea

Karlodinium micrum (Strain NMBjah047) was isolated from the water samples of East China Sea (ECS). The hemolytic, ichthyotoxic, and cytotoxic activities of the algae was characterized. Embryotoxicity of both intra and extracellular extracts were also tested on a local sea urchin species. The algal intracellular hemolytic toxicity averaged about 87.5% at different algal growth phases. However, extracellular hemolytic activity depended on the population growth phase. The toxicity increased with the increase in the population size, reaching the highest hemolytic activity during the stationary phase, and maintained a relatively high activity even when the population declined. Time and density dependent ichthyotoxicity to Lateolabrax maculates juveniles was also detected. The LD₅₀ in 24 h was 1.1 × 10⁵ cells/mL. Inhibition of the fertilized egg hatching was also observed and estimated the IC₅₀ in 40 h with 3.5 × 10⁴ cells/mL. Extracellular extracts of K. micrum dense culture also showed significant cytotoxic activity on HUVEC (IC₅₀ = 70.8 μg/mL). A dose dependent acute toxicity to embryos of sea urchin was also determined. The algal intracellular and extracellular extracts delayed or even restricted the embryological development of the sea urchin, illustrating the potential toxicity of K. micrum not only to vertebrates, but also to marine invertebrates. The hemolytic compounds in the ECS strain were extracted and analyzed. At least two fractions had significant hemolytic activities. A lipid-like compound, named Digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), was suggested to be responsible for the hemolytic activity in one of these fractions. From the results of the present studies, this strain of K. micrum isolated from the East China Sea might be considered a toxic strain with hemolytic activity, ichthyotoxicity, cytotoxicity and embryotoxicity.