Microcystin ELISA Kit

Sample

water samples

Detection Method

cELISA

Intended Use

CD's Microcystin ELISA Kit is a competitive assay that can be used for quantification of microcystin in various natural water samples. The assay has a range of 0.027-8 ng/ml (0.027-8 ppb) with a midpoint of approximately 0.658ng/ml(0.658 ppb)(50%B/B₀)and asensitivity(80%B/B₀)of approximately 0.196 ng/ml(0.196 ppb). Often environmental reports involving testing of natural sources such as water samples report numbers in part per billion (ppb) as the unit of concentration. In this kit, we report in ng/ml, since 1 ng/ml equals 1 ppb, the units can be used interchangably.

Storage

This kit will perform as specifed if stored as directed in the Reagents And Materials Provided section and used before the expiration date indicated on the outside of the box.

General Description

Microcystins are cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxins released during the degradation of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, which are found in bodies of marine and freshwater. Cyanobacteria accumulate based on a variety of factors, including nutrient availability, pH, and weather conditions, and form blooms on the water's surface. These cyanobacterial blooms affect the smell and taste of the water, and cyanobacterial degradation releases toxic microcystins that affect the water's safety.
The toxicity of microcystins is due to their direct inhibition of serine/threonine protein phosphatases and the induction of oxidative stress. Acute exposure of mice to purified microcystins induces severe liver damage and death within hours, while chronic sublethal exposure induces hepatic steatosis that can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), as well as lung damage and disruptions in lipid metabolism and the cell cycle, among other effects. Purified microcystins are lethal to mice via intraperitoneal injection and inhalation, with the 50% lethal dose ranging from 50 to >1,200 μug/kg, i.p., in a congener-specifc manner, but oral ingestion is less toxic. Exposure to microcystins affects fish growth and physiological functions, and its accumulation in fish and crustaceans can lead to toxicity in the animals, including humans, that use them as a food source. Furthermore, microcystins can accumulate in food plants irrigated with contaminated water.
The presence of microcystins in drinking water sources is positively correlated with the incidence of colorectal cancer. The microcystin congener microcystin-LR (MC-LR) induces migration and invasion of cancer cells in a mouse xenograft model, and serum MC-LR levels are an independent risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. Microcystin-contaminated water can be treated through a variety of processes to reduce or remove microcystins, including activated carbon adsorption, ozonation, or chlorination. The World Health Organization(WHO) recommends a lifetime safe consumption level for microcystins of 1 μg/L (1.0 part per billion (ppb)). Determining the presence of microcystins in water and other samples is the first step to identifying and eliminating the contamination.