Ciguatera poisoning (CP) is a severe seafood-borne disease, caused by the consumption of reef fish contaminated with Caribbean ciguatoxins (C-CTXs) in and tropical Atlantic. However, C-CTXs have not been identified from their presumed algal source, so relationship to CTXs causing illness remains unknown. This has hindered development detection methods, diagnostics, monitoring programs, limited fundamental knowledge on environmental factors that regulate C-CTX production. In this study, vitro...

Benthic dinoflagellates in the genus Gambierdiscus produce ciguatoxin precursors responsible for occurrence of ciguatera toxicity. The prevalence toxins fish has been linked to presence and distribution toxin-producing species coral reef ecosystems, which is largely determined by suitable benthic habitat environmental conditions favorable growth. Here using single factor experiments, we examined effects salinity, irradiance, temperature on growth 17 strains representing eight...

Abstract This study is the first report of saxitoxin in cyanobacterial blooms Finland. Bloom samples ( n = 50) were collected from Finnish freshwater sites during summer months 2002 and 2003. These screened for presence paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) using Jellett rapid PSP screening test. Samples testing positive PSTs 7) further analyzed with saxiphilin‐ voltage‐gated sodium channel [ 3 H]‐STX–binding radioreceptor assays liquid chromatography fluorescence mass spectrometric analysis....

The marine dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum has been associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) outbreaks in Portuguese waters for many years. PSP syndrome is caused by consumption of seafood contaminated toxins (PSTs), a suite potent neurotoxins. was frequently reported along the coast throughout late 1980s and early 1990s, but absent between 1995 2005. Since this time, G. blooms have recurrent, causing contamination fishery resources Atlantic Portugal. aim study to evaluate...

Ciguatera poisoning is linked to the ingestion of seafood that contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs). The structural variability these polyether toxins in nature remains poorly understood due low concentrations present even highly toxic fish, which makes isolation and chemical characterization difficult. We studied mass spectrometric fragmentation Caribbean CTXs, i.e., epimers C-CTX-1 -2 (1 2), using a sensitive UHPLC-HRMS/MS approach order identify product ions diagnostic value. found...

Three people in England consumed fish steaks labeled as Red Snapper (Lutjanus bohar) originating from the Indian Ocean. Within 12 h, all three experienced sickness including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, well myalgia and paresthesia. a single package of obtained grocery store were consumed, leaving one uneaten, which was submitted for analysis. Cytotoxicity testing via mouse neuroblastoma assay confirmed presence sodium channel specific activity consistent with ciguatoxin standard, levels...

Invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans) have rapidly expanded in the Western Atlantic over past decade and had a significant negative impact on reef fish biodiversity, habitat, community structure, with out-competing native predators for resources. In an effort to reduce this population explosion, been promoted human consumption greater Caribbean region. This study examined whether geographical expansion of into known ciguatera-endemic region can pose health threat ciguatera...

Abstract Ciguatera fish poisoning is a seafood‐toxin illness resulting from consumption of contaminated with ciguatoxins. Managing ciguatera complex. It made easier, however, by local fishers endemic areas reporting regional predictability for species’ risk, which the present study then tested. We investigated prevalence ciguatoxins in 4 commonly marketed and consumed species (Balistes vetula, Haemulon plumierii, Ocyurus chrysurus, Epinephelus guttatus) across an oceanic gradient (north,...

The tropics possess some of the world's richest marine environments, most notably coral reefs. Concealed within these ecosystems are a group potent neurotoxins called paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), famous which is saxitoxin. Thirty years ago, PSTs were recognized as major danger to seafood consumers in tropics. tropical dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense biosynthesizes and its contamination has caused more illnesses deaths than any other PST-producing microalga. Apart from this...

Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning is a gastrointestinal illness caused by consumption of bivalves contaminated with dinophysistoxins. We report an cluster in the United States which toxins were confirmed from commercial harvest area, leading to product recall. Ongoing surveillance needed prevent similar outbreaks.

Ciguatera poisoning (CP) poses a significant threat to ecosystem services and fishery resources in coastal communities. The CP-causative ciguatoxins (CTXs) are produced by benthic dinoflagellates including Gambierdiscus Fukuyoa spp., enter reef food webs via grazing on macroalgal substrates. In this study, we report 3-year monthly time series St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands where spp. abundance Caribbean-CTX toxicity samples were compared key environmental factors, temperature, salinity,...

Modeling ciguatoxin (CTX) trophic transfer in marine food webs has significant implications for the management of ciguatera poisoning, a circumtropical disease caused by human consumption CTX-contaminated seafood. Current models associated with CP risk rely on modeling abundance/presence CTX-producing epi-benthic dinoflagellates, e.g., Gambierdiscus spp., and are based studies showing that toxin production is site specific occurs pulses driven environmental factors. However, web not yet...

Domoic acid (DA)-producing harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been present at unprecedented geographic extent and duration in recent years causing an increase contamination of seafood by this common environmental neurotoxin. The toxin is responsible for the neurotoxic illness, amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), that characterized gastro-intestinal distress, seizures, memory loss, death. Established safety regulatory limits 20 μg DA/g relatively successful protecting human consumers from...

Ciguatoxins (CTX) are potent marine neurotoxins, which can bioaccumulate in seafood, causing a severe and prevalent human illness known as ciguatera poisoning (CP). Despite the worldwide impact of ciguatera, effective disease management is hindered by lack knowledge regarding movement biotransformation CTX congeners food webs, particularly Caribbean Western Atlantic. In this study we investigated hepatic C-CTX across several fish mammalian species through series vitro metabolism assays...

Brevetoxins (BTX) are a group of marine neurotoxins produced by the harmful alga Karenia brevis. Numerous studies have shown that BTX rapidly accumulated and metabolized in shellfish mammals. However, there only limited data on metabolism fish, despite growing evidence fish serve as vectors for transfer food webs. In this study, we aimed to investigate vitro biotransformation BTX-2, major constituent profiles K. brevis, several species northern Gulf Mexico fish. Metabolism assays were...