Toxicity and Toxin Profile of Scavenging and Carnivorous Gastropods from the Coastal Waters of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

a total of 64 gastropod specimens of 15 species were collected from the coastal waters of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and examined for toxicity by means of mouse bioassay. Among the specimens tested, 5 species, Nassarius glans, Nassarius coronatus, Oliva annulata, Oliva concavospira and Zeuxis sp., were toxic. The toxicity scores of N. glans were very high; 39.6-461 MU/g in muscle, and 98.6-189 MU/g in viscera including digestive gland, followed by Zeuxis sp. 12.7 MU/g in whole body , N. coronatus 5.64-11.1 MU/g in whole body , O. annulata 10.8 MU/g in the whole body , O. concavospira 6.65 MU/g in the muscle . Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry LC-MS revealed that the major toxic component was tetrodotoxin TTX , which accounting for 13-82 of the total toxicity. As for the remaining toxicity in the case of N. glans, 4,9-anhydroTTX, 4-epiTTX and 11-oxoTTX were contributors. Moreover, Niotha albescens showed no toxicity less than 10 MU/g in mouse bioassay, but TTX 5.08 MU/g was detected by LC-MS. Paralytic shellfish poison was not detected in any of the specimens by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorometric detection HPLC-FLD .

An Overview of the Anatomical Distribution of Tetrodotoxin in Animals

“…In 1981, a substance with a neuroparalytic effect and physicochemical properties similar to TTX was isolated from the digestive glands of the sea snails, Charonia lampas (Charonia sauliae) and Babylonia japonica [99,100]. Further studies revealed TTX in sea snails Tutufa bufo (Tutufa lissostoma) [101], Buccinum undatum [102], Patella depressa, and Nucella lapillus [103], as well as in some members of the families Naticidae [104,105], Trochidae [106,107], Nassariidae [108][109][110][111][112][113][114][115][116][117], and Olividae [118,119]. In most studies, TTX has been detected in the digestive glands.…”

First Report of a Direct Surface Plasmon Resonance Immunosensor for a Small Molecule Seafood Toxin

“…TTX poisonings mainly have been associated with consumption of Indo-Pacific Ocean puffer fish (i.e., fugu ); however, poisonings have also occurred from puffer fish obtained from the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Gulf of California . TTX has also been found in other vectors including xanthid crabs, marine gastropods, and goby fish . In addition to waters traditionally known to harbor TTX-containing organisms, there is concern that rising water temperatures and increasing marine life diversity may allow this toxin to emerge in nontraditional areas .…”