Formation and detection of marine algal toxins and their distribution in Chinese coastal waters.

Marine algal toxins, a diverse group of bioactive secondary metabolites produced by harmful algal species, pose significant threats to human health, marine ecosystems, and aquaculture economies. Driven by human activities and climate change, the increasing frequency and scale of harmful algal blooms have expanded the contamination scope of these toxins. This trend underscores an urgent need to better understand their formation and distribution, and to develop more effective methods for their detection and monitoring. This review summarizes recent advances in the formation, detection and monitoring of marine algal toxins, with special emphasis on cases of toxin distribution and pollution in Chinese coastal waters. Notably, advances in genomics and enzymology have begun to decipher the formation mechanism of these toxins, thus laying a fundamental basis for toxin research and risk management. Furthermore, the rapid development of detection technologies and the continuous strengthening of monitoring efforts enable us to track the formation and distribution of toxins in a more timely and accurate manner. Beyond their adverse effects, the unique bioactivities and mechanisms of action of marine algal toxins offer valuable molecular candidates for drug development or scientific research, underscoring the dual role of these natural products. Future research should prioritize the development of rapid, portable detection tools, elucidation of unresolved biosynthetic mechanisms, and exploration of safe therapeutic applications to better mitigate risks and explore the potential of these marine-derived compounds.