Brine Shrimp (Artemia salina L.) Larvae as a Screening System for Fungal Toxins

Abstract

Concentrations resulting in 50% mortality, determined with brine shrimp (Artemia salina L.) larvae exposed to known mycotoxins for 16 hr, were (uzg/ml): aflatoxin GI, 1.3; diacetoxyscirpenol, 0.47; gliotoxin, 3.5; ochratoxin A, 10.1; and sterigmatocystin, 0.54. 4-Acetamido-4-hydroxy-2-butenoic acid y-lactone gave no mortality at 10 ,g/ml. Used as a screening system involving discs saturated with solutions of known mycotoxins, the larvae were relatively sensitive to aflatoxin B1, diacetoxyscirpenol, gliotoxin, kojic acid, ochratoxin A, rubratoxin B, sterigmatocystin, stemphone, and T-2 toxin. Quantities of 0.2 to 2 jig/disc caused detectable mortality. The larvae were only moderately sensitive to citrinin, patulin, penicillic acid, and zearalenone which were detectable at 10 to 20 ,ug/disc. They were relatively insensitive to griseofulvin, luteoskyrin, oxalic acid, and ,8-nitropropionic acid.

Comparative assessment of the specificity of the brine shrimp and microtox assays to hepatotoxic (microcystin‐LR‐containing) cyanobacteria

“…A double dilution series of test extract was set up in 96-well microtiter plates with the highest toxicant concentration being 90 mg dry wt/mL. Suspensions containing 15-25 brine shrimp larvae in 100 p L brine shrimp medium (Harwig and Scott, 1971) were added to each microtiter plate and to this were added either 100 pl of cyanobacterial extracts or 100 p L of brine shrimp medium (controls). The plates were covered, to reduce evaporation, and results noted after 18 h incubation at 25°C under cool fluorescent lights.…”

Isolation of Penicillium strains producing ochratoxin A, citrinin, xanthomegnin, viomellein and vioxanthin from stored cereal grains

“…Other Penicillium spp. isolated either failed to produce mycotoxins for which analytical standards and methods of detection were available or showed little toxicity to brine shrimp larvae (Harwig and Scott 1971) and were not examined further.…”

Novel thiocyanato complexes with potent cytotoxic and antimicrobial properties

“…It is based on the ability to kill laboratory-cultured brine shrimp (Artemia nauplii). The assay is considered a useful tool for preliminary assessment of toxicity (Solis et al 1993) and it has been used for the detection of fungal toxins (Harwig & Scott 1971), plant extract toxicity , heavy metals (Martinez et al 1998), cyanobacterial toxins (Jaki et al 1999), pesticides (Barahona & Sanchez-Fortun 1999), and cytotoxicity testing of dental materials (Pelka et al 2000).…”