Content -- Preface -- Summary in English -- 1. Introduction -- 2. A historical perspective on the link between BMAA exposure and degenerative neurological disease -- 2.1 Conclusions on cycad and BMAA exposure and degenerative neurological disease -- 3. Case reports on animals, toxicological studies on cycad materials and preparations -- 3.1 Case reports on animals -- 3.2 Studies on primates fed preparations from Cycas circinalis -- 3.3 Studies on rodents fed preparations from Cycas circinalis -- 3.4 Rodent studies on other cycad species than C. circinalis -- 3.5 Conclusions on case reports and toxicological studies performed with cycad preparations. -- 4. BMAA as a natural toxicant in cycads and studies on BMAA toxicity -- 4.1 Biosynthesis -- 4.2 Effects in plants - a possible mechanism of action -- 4.3 Toxicokinetics -- 4.4 In vivo studies -- 4.5 Studies on infusion of BMAA directly into brain or brain ventricles -- 4.6 In vitro studies -- 4.7 Conclusions on BMAA as a natural toxicant in cycads and on studies of BMAA toxicity -- 5. Identity and physical and chemical properties of BMAA, and its chemical analysis -- 5.1 Identity -- 5.2 Physical and chemical properties -- 5.3 Carbamates -- 5.4 Bound BMAA -- 5.5 Methods of analysis -- 5.6 Development of an LC-MS/MS method and analysis of BMAA in cycads and cyanobacteria -- 5.7 Analysis of cyanobacteria with HPLC and the ninhydrin reaction -- 5.8 Conclusion on physical and chemical properties of BMAA and methods of analysis -- 6. Occurrence of BMAA i cycads -- 6.1 Cycad plants from the genus Cycas -- 6.2 Cycad flour -- 6.3 Conclusions on occurrence of BMAA in cycads -- 7. The theory of biomagnification and identification of BMAA in human tissues -- 7.1 Flying foxes -- 7.2 Brain material and other tissues from control individuals and patients with degenerative neurological disease.

7.3 Conclusion on the theory of biomagnification of BMAA and identification of BMAA in human tissues -- 8. Is BMAA produced by cyanobacteria -- Conclusion on possible production of BMAA by cyanobacteria -- 9. Conclusions -- 10. Recommendations -- Sammanfattning (Summary in Swedish) -- 11. References -- Annex 1 -- Summaries of epidemiological studies -- Annex 2 -- Table 1. In vivo studies on cycad preparations -- Table 2. In vivo studies on BMAA.