Identification of Tetrodotoxin and Paralytic Shellfish Toxins in Marine Gastropods Implicated in Food Poisoning

Abstract

Attempts were made to elucidate the responsible toxins in the gastropod Niotha clathrata and Zeux-isscalaris which recently caused food poisoning incidents in South Taiwan. The remained (cooked) and captured (live) specimens of both gastropods were assayed for toxicity (as tetrodotoxin=TTX). The average toxicity of cooked and live specimens was 150±126 (mean±S.D.) and 345±192 mouse unit (MU) in N. clathrata, and 13±9 and 98±46 MU in Z. scalaris, respectively. The toxin was partially purified from the methanolic extract of the gastropod by ultrafiltration and Bio-Gel P-2 column chromatography. Cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis, TLC, and HPLC analyses demonstrated that the toxin consisted mainly of TTX (about 80%), along with minor paralytic shellfish poison (PSP, about 20%). The PSP components were identified as gonyautoxin 1-4 and neosaxitoxin in both gastropods. It was concluded from these results that the causative agents of the above food poisoning were TTX and PSP. © 1995, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. All rights reserved.