Papers by kyarimpa christine
Environmental Science and Engineering. Springer, Singapore, Jul 14, 2024
Consumption of algae has been historically practiced, especially in East Asia and the Pacific reg... more Consumption of algae has been historically practiced, especially in East Asia and the Pacific region cultures. However, sporadic events and empirical studies have suggested that some compounds could be triggering intoxications, allergic reactions and mortalities in humans who consumed algae. This chapter is an effort to explore with in-depth attention the safety, toxicological and allergic reactions following human consumption of algae. Based on retrieved literature, it is clear that toxicities and allergies from ingestion of algae are not a rarity, and to date, at least seventy (70) illnesses, six (6) allergic reactions and fourteen (14) mortalities have been reported globally. Toxicities and mortalities from intake of edible algae has been reported in species of Gracilaria, Caulerpa and Acanthophora genus, and are associated with their bioaccumulation of contaminants such as excess iodine, heavy metals, cyanotoxins or toxic inherent compounds such as caulerpenyne, manauealides A and C, prostaglandin E2, polycavernosides, aplysiatoxins and their derivatives. Allergenicity has been reported in Arthrospira, Chlorella, Chondrus, Eucheuma, Gigartina and Palmaria species, with the sulfated polysaccharide (carrageenan) and the photosynthetic pigment (C-phycocyanin) being the implicated allergens. These allergic reactions are mediated through activation of innate immune pathways of inflammation that trigger NF-kB activation, modification of gut microbiota and thickness of mucus barrier. We contend that appropriate labelling of algae-derived food products, public education, proper cleaning of fresh algae before consumption and profiling of toxic and allergenic algal species and compounds could aid in reducing intoxications and allergic reactions from algae used in food and food products. Future studies should consider examining edible algae for contaminants of emerging concern such as microplastics, cyanotoxins, emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pharmaceutical residues and personal care products.
DISC2023 – 3rd International Student Conference 5th December 2023, 2023
Microplastics (MPs) are microscopic and ubiquitous emerging organic contaminants with marked pote... more Microplastics (MPs) are microscopic and ubiquitous emerging organic contaminants with marked potential to bind, concentrate and act as carriers of other toxic compounds and pathogenic microorganisms. They have been extensively studied in the marine environment, but reliable data on them in freshwater ecosystems especially in developing countries remains scarce. This study investigated the spatiotemporal distribution, characteristics and sources of MPs in Nakivubo catchment which drains into Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa. Surface water was sampled from thirteen (13) different sites (S1 to S13; n = 117) along Nakivubo catchment during the dry and wet seasons as well as on the onset of the rains in 2022. The samples were digested using hydrogen peroxide, extracted using density separation method and subjected to microscopic and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses. The results showed that all the samples had MPs ranging from 1568.59 ± 1473.83 particles/m3 during the dry season to 2140.39 ± 3670.07 particles/m3 during the wet season. The mean output of MPs (microplastic fluxes) from Nakivubo catchment into Lake Victoria was found to be approximately 293.96 million particles/day. The highest mean abundance of MPs (5,466.7 ± 6441.70 particles/m3) was for samples from site S3, which is near market areas, car washing bay and informal settlements. These places are characterized by poor waste management and direct discharge of wastewater into Nakivubo channel. However, the concentration of MPs was relatively lower in wastewater treatment plant effluent (580.56 ± 416.42 particles/m3) than expected possibly due to removal of MPs by Wastewater treatment processes. Filaments (79.7%) and fragments (17.9%) were the most common form of MPs and majorly originated from domestic effluents and surface runoff, while polyethylene (75.4%) and polyethylene-polypropylene (16.0%) were the major polymer types in the sample, explainable by its low density and wide usage in various consumer products. The abundance of MPs (2140.39 particles/m3) was highest during the wet season which could be linked to the lower flow rates of water in the catchment and higher residence times. These data support that MPs remobilization maybe occurring during intense rainfall events in the urban drainage channel of Nakivubo. There is therefore need to institute sustainable plastic waste management practices in the study area to mitigate MPs bioaccumulation, possible trophic transfer and biomagnification in biota and the sedimentary phase of Lake Victoria
African Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry, 2015
Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) ... more Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are toxic and carcinogenic, thus they induce DNA damage. This calls for the need to find alternative antioxidants from natural products. Tagetes minuta (Asteraceae) is an annual herb that belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is used in common medicine and grows in temperate regions of South America, some parts of Africa and Asia. Essential oil from T. minuta was obtained by hydrodistillation while solvent extracts were obtained using ethyl acetate and methanol. Antioxidative compounds of T. minuta were isolated both from the Ethyl acetate extract and the essential oil. It was done by determining the scavenging activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhaydrazyl free radical (DPPH) using thin layer chromatography (TLC). The active compounds were tested quantitatively for their radical scavenging activity using the U-1100 UV-VIS Spectrophotometer. The active fractions were isolated using TLC and High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and later detected using both Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). One pure active compound was obtained from the ethylacetate extract (neophytadene) by a combintion of GC-MS and NMR. The essential oil contained a number of compounds among which are trans-ocimen 15.90%, I-verbanone 15% of limonene 8.02%, tegetone 3.56%, and 2-pinen-4-one 7.84%.
Phycology
Advected cyanobacteria, algal blooms and cyanotoxins have been increasingly detected in freshwate... more Advected cyanobacteria, algal blooms and cyanotoxins have been increasingly detected in freshwater ecosystems. This review gives an insight into the present state of knowledge on the taxonomy, dynamics, toxic effects, human and ecological health implications of cyanobacteria, algal blooms and cyanotoxins in the East African Community lakes. The major toxigenic microalgae in East African lakes include Microcystis, Arthrospira, Dolichospermum, Planktolyngbya and Anabaenopsis species. Anatoxin-a, homoanatoxin-a, microcystins (MCs), cylindrospermopsin and nodularin have been quantified in water from below method detection limits to 81 µg L−1, with peak concentrations characteristically reported for the wet season. In whole fish, gut, liver and muscles, MCs have been found at concentrations of 2.4 to 1479.24 μg kg−1, which can pose human health risks to a daily consumer. While there have been no reported cases of cyanotoxin-related poisoning in humans, MCs and anatoxin-a (up to 0.0514 μg...
Phycology , 2023
Advected cyanobacteria, algal blooms and cyanotoxins have been increasingly detected in freshwate... more Advected cyanobacteria, algal blooms and cyanotoxins have been increasingly detected in freshwater ecosystems. This review gives an insight into the present state of knowledge on the taxonomy, dynamics, toxic effects, human and ecological health implications of cyanobacteria, algal blooms and cyanotoxins in the East African Community lakes. The major toxigenic microalgae in East African lakes include Microcystis, Arthrospira, Dolichospermum, Planktolyngbya and Anabaenopsis species. Anatoxin-a, homoanatoxin-a, microcystins (MCs), cylindrospermopsin and nodularin have been quantified in water from below method detection limits to 81 µg L−1, with peak concentrations characteristically reported for the wet season. In whole fish, gut, liver and muscles, MCs have been found at concentrations of 2.4 to 1479.24 μg kg−1, which can pose human health risks to a daily consumer. While there have been no reported cases of cyanotoxin-related poisoning in humans, MCs and anatoxin-a (up to 0.0514 μg kg−1) have been identified as the proximal cause of indiscriminate fish kills and epornitic mortality of algivorous Phoeniconaias minor (lesser flamingos). With the unequivocal increase in climate change and variability, algal blooms and cyanotoxins will increase in frequency and severity, and this will necessitate swift action towards the mitigation of nutrient-rich pollutants loading into lakes in the region.
Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) ... more Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are toxic and carcinogenic, thus they induce DNA damage. This calls for the need to find alternative antioxidants from natural products. Tagetes minuta (Asteraceae) is an annual herb that belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is used in common medicine and grows in temperate regions of South America, some parts of Africa and Asia. Essential oil from T. minuta was obtained by hydrodistillation while solvent extracts were obtained using ethyl acetate and methanol. Antioxidative compounds of T. minuta were isolated both from the Ethyl acetate extract and the essential oil. It was done by determining the scavenging activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhaydrazyl free radical (DPPH) using thin layer chromatography (TLC). The active compounds were tested quantitatively for their radical scavenging activity using the U-1100 UV-VIS Spectrophotometer. The active fractions were isolated using TLC and...
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Papers by kyarimpa christine