A Feasibility Study into the Production of a Mussel Matrix Reference Material for the Cyanobacterial Toxins Microcystins and Nodularins

Abstract

Microcystins and nodularins, produced naturally by certain species of cyanobacteria, have been found to accumulate in aquatic foodstuffs such as fish and shellfish, resulting in a risk to the health of the seafood consumer. Monitoring of toxins in such organisms for risk management purposes requires the availability of certified matrix reference materials to aid method development, validation and routine quality assurance. This study consequently targeted the preparation of a mussel tissue reference material incurred with a range of microcystin analogues and nodularins. Nine targeted analogues were incorporated into the material as confirmed through liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), with an additional 15 analogues detected using LC coupled to non-targeted high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Toxins in the reference material and additional source tissues were quantified using LC-MS/MS, two different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods and with an oxidative-cleavage method quantifying 3-methoxy-2-methyl-4-phenylbutyric acid (MMPB). Correlations between the concentrations quantified using the different methods were variable, likely relating to differences in assay cross-reactivities and differences in the abilities of each method to detect bound toxins. A consensus concentration of total soluble toxins determined from the four independent test methods was 2425 ± 575 µg/kg wet weight. A mean 43 ± 9% of bound toxins were present in addition to the freely extractable soluble form (57 ± 9%). The reference material produced was homogenous and stable when stored in the freezer for six months without any post-production stabilization applied. Consequently, a cyanotoxin shellfish reference material has been produced which demonstrates the feasibility of developing certified seafood matrix reference materials for a large range of cyanotoxins and could provide a valuable future resource for cyanotoxin risk monitoring, management and mitigation.

A survey into the current fitness testing practices of elite male soccer practitioners: from assessment to communicating results

“…Finally, only one-third of practitioners conducted in-house test-retest reliability to determine their selected tests and metrics, possibly due to time constraints within elite soccer. In-house test-retest reliability helps identify the measurement error, which informs future test selection, selected outcome variables, analysis methods, and interpretation of results ( Hopkins, 2000 ; Turner, 2022 ). However, an inability to administer in-house reliability analysis can present limitations since within-day and between-day test reliability is not always the same owing to biological variations ( Hopkins, 2000 ; Altmann et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Finally, only one-third of practitioners conducted in-house test-retest reliability to determine their selected tests and metrics, possibly due to time constraints within elite soccer. In-house test-retest reliability helps identify the measurement error, which informs future test selection, selected outcome variables, analysis methods, and interpretation of results (Hopkins, 2000;Turner, 2022).…”

“…The selected fitness testing battery will likely result in vast amounts of data requiring in-depth analysis for teams and individual players ( Turner et al, 2021 ; Turner, 2022 ). Therefore, practitioners require advanced data analysis skills to distinguish the ‘signal’ from the ‘noise’ ( Hopkins, 2000 ).…”

Paralympic Versus Olympic Canoe Sprint: Comprehension of the Development Trajectory of the Kayak 200 Meters

“…Information about performance variability across a sport can be used to interpret the growth or advancement of the sport (Park & Judd, 1990). Similarly, the variability of final Olympic canoe or Para canoe race times demonstrates athletic consistency (Turner, 2022) and supports the interpretation of disparities in athlete training and physical disability.…”

Understanding the Risks of Diffusion of Cyanobacteria Toxins in Rivers, Lakes, and Potable Water

“…Nodularin exposure can happen when a person consumes tainted water, comes into contact with it while touching their skin, or breathes in water droplets that have been aerosolized and contain the toxin [ 151 , 152 , 153 , 154 ]. Nodularin in drinking water has a provisional guideline value of 0.2 µg/L, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) [ 155 , 156 , 157 , 158 ].…”