Toxicity and toxin profile of tetrodotoxin detected in the scavenging gastropod nassarius (Alectrion) glans "kinshibai"

Abstract

From September 2007 to January 2008, a total of 66 specimens of 7 gastropod species, Nassarius {Alectrion) glans (n = 22), Bufonaria rana (n=11), Ficus subintermedia (n=10), Stellaria (Onustus) exutus (n = 8), Tonna luteostoma (n = 7), Hemifusus tuba (n = 4) and Semicassis bisulcata persimilis (n=4), were collected from Tachibana Bay, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, and their toxicity was determined by mouse bioassay. Among the gastropods tested, all N. glans specimens were toxic, whereas no other species showed toxicity of more than 5 MU/g. The toxicity scores of N. glans were very high; 48-2,730 MU/g (775±615 MU/g) in the muscle, and 16-10,200 MU/g (1,490 ±2,530 MU/g) in the viscera, including digestive gland. Interestingly, toxin was localized in the muscle in 13 of 22 specimens, where the total toxicity of the muscle (725-9,860 MU/individual) was 5.9-110 times higher than that of the viscera. LC/MS analysis demonstrated that the toxin of N. glans consisted mainly of TTX, which accounting for about 60-65% of the total toxicity. As for the remaining toxicity, participation of 11-oxoTTX was suggested. No paralytic shellfish poison was detected in HPLC-FLD analysis.