Article
Food Science & Technology
Penelope A. Ajani, Chowdhury Sarowar, Alison Turnbull, Hazel Farrell, Anthony Zammit, Stuart Helleren, Gustaaf Hallegraeff, Shauna A. Murray
Summary: The rapid detection methods for biotoxins in shellfish can benefit the seafood industry and protect public health. The efficiency of detection methods for Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins (DSTs) generated by species of the dinoflagellate genus Dinophysis has not been systematically determined. LC-MS/MS and LC-MS were able to detect all DSTs in shellfish, but with varying recovery rates depending on toxin concentration levels. Overall, the study found that none of the DST rapid test kits can be relied upon as a standalone quality assurance measure at this time.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Penelope A. Ajani, Hernan F. Henriquez-Nunez, Arjun Verma, Satoshi Nagai, Hajime Uchida, Matthew J. Tesoriero, Hazel Farrell, Anthony Zammit, Steve Brett, Shauna A. Murray
Summary: This article describes a qPCR-based method for detecting species of the marine dinoflagellate Dinophysis that produce diarrhea shellfish toxins. The method is specific, efficient, and sensitive, and shows no cross-reactivity with other phytoplankton taxa.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yujue Wang, Moli Li, Jiarun Lou, Xiaogang Xun, Lirong Chang, Yangrui Wang, Quanqi Zhang, Longfei Lu, Huizhen Wang, Jingjie Hu, Zhenmin Bao, Xiaoli Hu
Summary: This study provides insights into the molecular mechanism of bivalve resistance to paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) by examining the gene set involved in PST accumulation in scallop gills. Transcriptomic analysis revealed different response mechanisms of scallop to PST-producing dinoflagellate at different stages of exposure. The study also found that PST exposure affects nervous system development, xenobiotic metabolism, substance transport, and immune functions, ultimately leading to apoptosis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Zhongcheng Wei, Wei Ding, Moli Li, Jiaoxia Shi, Huizhen Wang, Yangrui Wang, Yubo Li, Yiqiang Xu, Jingjie Hu, Zhenmin Bao, Xiaoli Hu
Summary: This study identified 30 caspase homologues in the genome of the Zhikong scallop and examined their expression dynamics during development and exposure to paralytic shellfish toxins. The results demonstrated the regulation and contribution of these caspase homologues in the Zhikong scallop, with organ-dependent response to shellfish toxins.
Article
Limnology
Aubrey Trapp, Jan Heuschele, Erik Selander
Summary: Harmful algae bloom (HAB) forecasting has advanced rapidly in recent decades, but predicting harmful levels of marine biotoxins in shellfish remains challenging. New research suggests that predator-prey interactions play a significant role in the formation of HABs and that copepods' feeding behavior influences toxin production in harmful algae. Monitoring zooplankton for eavesdropping on predator-prey dynamics could improve the accuracy of HAB forecasting.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Nancy I. Lewis, Rencheng Yu, Cheryl Rafuse, Michael A. Quilliam
Summary: A three-year field study was conducted in a mussel aquaculture site in Ship Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada to detect toxic phytoplankton species and dissolved lipophilic phycotoxins and domoic acid. Plankton monitoring and SPATT techniques were used for analysis. The results showed seasonal changes in toxin composition were related to specific phytoplankton cell concentrations. SPATT samplers deployed within the mussel farm detected lower concentrations of phycotoxins compared to those deployed outside the farm.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Renjin Zheng, Shouer Lin, Yan Yang, Wusheng Fu
Summary: The study analyzed a total of 1338 samples of bivalve mollusks collected from the southeast coast of China from 2017 to 2020, using UPLC-MS/MS to study the toxin profiles. The most abundant toxins found were HomoYTX, YTX, and PTX2, with varying levels of OA, DTX-1, and DTX-2. Different shellfish species showed varying levels of toxin accumulation, with peaks of different toxins observed in different months.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yadong Cao, Jiangbing Qiu, Aifeng Li, Lei Zhang, Guowang Yan, Ying Ji, Jingrui Zhang, Peng Zhao, Xizhen Wu
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) in the coastal waters of Qinhuangdao. Multiple PST components were detected in seawater, sediment, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and various marine organisms. All bivalve shellfish samples contained PSTs, posing a serious threat to human health.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiao Chen, Baiqiang Huang, Qionghui Zhao, Zhou Wang, Wei Liu, Jianying Zhang, Yan Zhou, Qian Sun, Haiyan Huang, Xinfeng Huang, Tianjiu Jiang, Jianjun Liu
Summary: The study evaluated the potential acute and chronic exposure of Shenzhen residents to lipophilic shellfish toxins (LSTs) through shellfish consumption by measuring multiple LSTs levels in shellfish samples from the principal wholesale seafood market in Shenzhen. Most shellfish samples had lower levels of LST contamination than regulatory limits, and estimated acute and chronic exposure levels of LSTs were found to be within acceptable ranges.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sem Likumahua, M. Karin de Boer, Bernd Krock, Willem M. Tatipatta, Malik S. Abdul, Anita G. J. Buma
Summary: This study aims to understand the variability of Dinophysis spp. and their toxins in Ambon Bay. It found a strong correlation between the PTX2sa toxin and the abundance of D. miles cells, as well as a positive correlation between temperature and toxin levels. Dissolved nitrate concentration was also found to play a major role in regulating cell abundance and toxin levels.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Anouska Panton, Duncan A. Purdie
Summary: This study investigates potential drivers for Dinophysis species causing toxic events, and finds that wind direction and air temperature are associated with blooms and toxicity in shellfish flesh. The use of real-time data can help predict future toxic events and minimize financial loss.
Review
Engineering, Marine
Mauro Corriere, Lucia Solino, Pedro Reis Costa
Summary: The proliferation of toxin-producing microorganisms in marine and freshwater environments leads to water and seafood contamination, with harmful algal blooms increasing in frequency and intensity due to global climate change. Specifically, okadaic acid and dinophysistoxins are commonly found in EU waters, causing diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. Fish are also exposed to these toxins, but further research is needed to understand the ecological and food safety risks related to contamination with DSP toxins.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ignacio Leyva-Valencia, Jesus Ernestina Hernandez-Castro, Christine J. Band-Schmidt, Andrew D. Turner, Alison O'Neill, Erick J. Nunez-Vazquez, David J. Lopez-Cortes, Jose J. Bustillos-Guzman, Francisco E. Hernandez-Sandoval
Summary: This study examined the lipophilic toxins in bivalves from the Gulf of California in Mexico, finding interspecific differences in toxin types and concentrations at the same sampling sites. However, overall, the levels of toxins in bivalves were within human consumption standards.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Soledad Garrido, Pilar Riobo, Pilar Rial, Francisco Rodriguez
Summary: The objective of this study was to investigate the biological interactions among the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans and the toxic dinoflagellates Dinophysis acuminata and Alexandrium minutum. The results showed that there were negative allelopathic effects between N. scintillans and D. acuminata and A. minutum, leading to inhibition of the growth of the toxic dinoflagellates.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Renjin Zheng, Yafang Yang, Wenting Zhang, Yongyou Hua
Summary: Harmful algal blooms, specifically dinoflagellates producing PSTs, pose a threat to animal and human health in aquatic ecosystems. A study analyzed 2355 shellfish samples from Southeastern China using UPLC-MS/MS, detecting PSTs in 10.91% of the samples, with the highest detection rate in Perna viridis. The predominant PSTs detected were GTX5, neoSTX, and dcGTX2. This research highlights the risks of PSTs to shellfish consumers and provides valuable information for future monitoring and protection of seafood consumers' health in China.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Chao Liu, Jiangbing Qiu, Zhixuan Tang, Hong Hu, Fanping Meng, Aifeng Li
Summary: The study found that high concentrations of microplastics significantly inhibited the growth of Alexandrium pacificum, while concentrations below 100 mg/L had no significant effect on cell toxin quota. Additionally, exposure to microplastics resulted in varying degrees of increase in chlorophyll a content and significant inhibition of photosynthetic activity.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chao Liu, Ying Ji, Lei Zhang, Jiangbing Qiu, Zhaohui Wang, Lei Liu, Yunyun Zhuang, Tianying Chen, Yang Li, Biaobiao Niu, Aifeng Li
Summary: This study investigates the spatial distribution and source of diverse phycotoxins in the South China Sea, with PTX2, hYTX, and DA toxins showing high concentrations in the Pearl River Estuary and Guangdong coast, representing the first reported findings in the SCS.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Lei Zhang, Jiangbing Qiu, Hong Hu, Fanping Meng, Aifeng Li
Summary: This study compared the performance of different extraction protocols for PSTs from scallop tissues, finding that MSPD technique effectively reduced matrix interference but had lower recoveries. Heating was found to cause chemical conversion of C1/2 and GTX2/3, while long-term storage resulted in degradation and transformation of PSTs in scallop tissues.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Yubo Liang, Aifeng Li, Junhui Chen, Zhijun Tan, Mengmeng Tong, Zhao Liu, Jiangbing Qiu, Rencheng Yu
Summary: Marine toxins associated with shellfish poisoning have been investigated and monitored along the coast of China. Traditional monitoring methods have been replaced by new techniques, leading to the discovery of many new marine toxins. The most serious marine toxin in Chinese coastal waters is paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), but other toxins such as diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), palytoxin (PLTX), and neurotoxin beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) are also present.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ying Ji, Guowang Yan, Guixiang Wang, Jianwei Liu, Zhixuan Tang, Yeju Yan, Jiangbing Qiu, Lei Zhang, Wanyu Pan, Yilei Fu, Tianshen Li, Xin Luo, Wenlu Lan, Zhaohui Wang, Weiguo Li, Aifeng Li
Summary: This study systematically analyzed the toxin profiles and spatial-temporal distribution of various toxins in bivalve mollusks in Beibu Gulf. Domoic acid and cyclic imines were identified as the main toxins, with varying levels observed in different seasons and bays. The presence and levels of toxins were influenced by both seasonal and spatial factors.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Zhixuan Tang, Jiangbing Qiu, Guixiang Wang, Ying Ji, Philipp Hess, Aifeng Li
Summary: This study compared various liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) treatments to optimize the harvesting of GYM-A from Karenia selliformis cultures, highlighting the effectiveness of LLE over filtration and centrifugation methods. It was found that GYM-A degraded significantly in alkaline culture media but remained stable in acidic conditions, demonstrating the importance of pH in toxin stability. The developed LLE method allows for efficient extraction of GYM-A from large-volume cultures, providing a valuable technique for harvesting toxins from GYM-producing microalgae.
Article
Limnology
Jian Zou, Qun Li, Hui Liu, Ying Liu, Lifen Huang, Haiyan Wu, Jiangbing Qiu, Hua Zhang, Songhui Lu
Summary: The study on benthic Prorocentrum in the Xisha Islands revealed a diversity of species, including some that were newly recorded in Chinese waters. Analysis of their toxin profiles showed that some of these species produced toxins that could pose a potential risk of diarrheic shellfish poisoning in the area.
JOURNAL OF OCEANOLOGY AND LIMNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Wanyu Pan, Ying Ji, Jiangbing Qiu, Guixiang Wang, Zhixuan Tang, Aifeng Li
Summary: Lipophilic phycotoxins like GYM-A can be accumulated by bivalves through the filtering process and esterified with free fatty acids (FFAs). GYM-A and its esters mainly distribute in the gills of shellfish, with the highest concentration found in mussels. The binding capacity of GYM-A and FFAs varies, leading to different metabolites. The accumulation and metabolism of GYM-A affect the biosynthesis of FFAs in bivalves.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Peng Zhao, Jiangbing Qiu, Aifeng Li, Guowang Yan, Min Li, Ying Ji
Summary: This study found that the extraction ratio has a significant impact on the accuracy of BMAA analyzed in different biological samples, recommending the best extraction ratios for different matrices. The comparison enhances the performance of solid-phase extraction (SPE) purification protocol and the accuracy of LC-MS/MS analysis of BMAA.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Jiangbing Qiu, Lei Zhang, Yadong Cao, Peng Zhao, Jingrui Zhang, Aifeng Li
Summary: This study assessed the bioaccessibility of PSTs in cooked shellfish using an in vitro human digestion model. The results showed that different cooking methods reduced the content of PSTs in shellfish, but did not significantly impact their bioaccessibility. Transformation or degradation of PSTs occurred during the simulated digestion process.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yadong Cao, Jiangbing Qiu, Aifeng Li, Lei Zhang, Guowang Yan, Ying Ji, Jingrui Zhang, Peng Zhao, Xizhen Wu
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) in the coastal waters of Qinhuangdao. Multiple PST components were detected in seawater, sediment, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and various marine organisms. All bivalve shellfish samples contained PSTs, posing a serious threat to human health.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiangbing Qiu, Jingrui Zhang, Aifeng Li
Summary: This review summarizes the application of the Caco-2 cell monolayer model in assessing the uptake and damage of phycotoxins in the intestine. Previous studies have shown that different groups of phycotoxins exhibit varying cytotoxicity and transport mechanisms in Caco-2 cells, suggesting the need for the development of multicellular intestinal models for comprehensive toxicity and absorption studies.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Aifeng Li, Yeju Yan, Jiangbing Qiu, Guowang Yan, Peng Zhao, Min Li, Ying Ji, Guixiang Wang, Fanping Meng, Yang Li, James S. Metcalf, Sandra A. Banack
Summary: This study demonstrates that marine diatoms Thalassiosira minima are capable of producing BMAA-containing proteins in axenic culture and in co-culture with Cyanobacterium aponinum. The biosynthesis of BMAA-containing proteins in diatoms is influenced by factors such as cell-cell interactions and nitrogen deprivation. Transcriptome analysis reveals the pathways and genes associated with diatom metabolism and cellular functions that are affected by BMAA biosynthesis.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yilei Fu, Aifeng Li, Jiangbing Qiu, Wenhui Yan, Chen Yan, Lei Zhang, Min Li
Summary: The present study reveals the inhibitory effects of BMAA on the embryonic development of marine bivalves and medaka. BMAA concentrations above certain thresholds significantly hindered the development of mussel and oyster embryos, as well as the shell growth of mussel embryos. Marine medaka embryos also exhibited a sustained and dose-dependent decrease in heart rate following BMAA exposure. However, there was no noticeable effect on ATP concentration in these embryos. Further research on the long-term effects of BMAA on the early development of marine organisms is necessary to establish seawater quality criteria for their protection.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aifeng Li, Jianwei Liu, Jiangbing Qiu, Guixiang Wang, Xianyao Zheng, Ying Ji, Guowang Yan, Peng Zhao, Xizhen Wu, Wenhui Yan, Lei Zhang, Min Li, Yilei Fu
Summary: This study reveals that BMAA can inhibit the growth of marine microalgae, limit the production of ammonia and glutamate through down-regulation of specific genes, and affect gene expression related to photosynthesis and protein synthesis, resulting in cell cycle arrest and accumulation of misfolded proteins.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Mohammadhossein Movassaghghazani, Nazanin Shabansalmani
Summary: The study revealed high levels of AFM1 in both breast milk and powdered milk samples in Tehran, with some samples exceeding the established limits. Therefore, monitoring and regulating toxin levels in these products is crucial for maternal and infant health.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Defeng Wen, Wantong Han, Quan Chen, Guanhui Qi, Mengling Gao, Pu Guo, Yu Liu, Zhongyuan Wu, Shulin Fu, Qirong Lu, Yinsheng Qiu
Summary: Luteolin can inhibit FB1-induced intestinal inflammatory injury by inhibiting the activation of NF-kappa B and ERK signaling pathways, according to network pharmacology and in vitro experiments.
