Intraperitonial administration of 10 µL of Nosloc muscorum Ag. ex Born. et Flah. crude extract was sufficient enough for the death of male AKR strain mice at 4h of exposure. Body weight, behavioral and histological observations (necrosis of hepatic cells), and biochemical tests (protein phosphatase inhibition) indicated for the presence of microcystines in the crude extract. Since, the cyanobacterium was airborne, the very doses were also administered intranasally into mice. A dose of 10 µL of the crude extract resulted in severe morphological alterations of nasal mucosa at 6 h of exposures, but not beyond nasal cavity. Though, presence of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A in the tracheal tissues confirmed the susceptibility of the upper respiratory tissues against microcystins. However, due to the deposition of insufficient amount of toxins postnasal cavity respiratory tissues exhibited no response. This indicated that the route of exposure plays an important role in conferring toxicity.

Keywords: airborne algae, hepatotoxic, inhalation, intraperitoneal, intranasal, Nostoc musconim, protein phosphatases

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