Occurrence of shellfish poisoning in the Frankfurt area (West Germany).
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · PubMed Health
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
In April 1993, a phytoplankton dinoflagellate was isolated from Hiroshima Bay, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, and unambiguously identified as Alexandrium tamarense on the basis of the morphological characteristics. The dinoflagellates, cultures in modified SW-2 medium at 15 degrees C for 15 days, showed a specific toxicity of 30.7 x 10-6 MU/cell. HPLC analysis demonstrated that the toxin was composed mainly of gonyautoxin-4 (GTX4) and protogonyautoxin-2 (PX2 or GTX8)(27.6 and 37.0 mole%, respectively). Total toxin concentration of this strain was 39.5 fmole/cell. Short-necked clams, mussels, and oysters contaminated by the dinoflagellate showed a more complicated composition, with GTX1 as the major component (61.8 mole% for short-necked clams, 60.5 mole% for mussels, 42.5 mole% for oysters), and PX2 was only present in trace amounts.
Paralytic toxicity was detected by tetrodotoxin (TTX) bioassay in all 15 specimens of the xanthid crab Lophozozymus pictor collected from northern Taiwan in 1993. The average toxicity of crab specimens was 921 +/- 231 (mean +/- S.E.) mouse units. The toxin of crab was partially purified and then identified. It was found that the crab toxin contained TTX and gonyautoxin. The ratio of TTX to gonyautoxin for crab toxin was about 9:1.
Lipid-soluble polyether marine toxins were isolated from 80% methanol extract of oysters, Crassostrea gigas, harvested in 1993 at Tiki Road, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand, by chromatography on columns of LH-20 and ODS (C18), followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. They were identified as known brevetoxins, PbTx-2 and 3. PbTx-3 was also isolated from oysters collected at Rangaunu Harbour in February 1994 and June 1995, followed by the above procedures.
The syndrome of immediate type I food hypersensitivity, mediated by tissue-bound IgE antibody and mast cell histamine release, is well recorded in the medical literature. This case study represents a previously undescribed late food hypersensitivity, induced only by strenuous exercise. Identification of this new syndrome illustrates classical epidemiologic analysis, improves medical advice for the allergic and athletically inclined, and raises new questions in the areas of allergy and immunology.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Bacillus cereus QQ308 produced antifungal hydrolytic enzymes, comprising chitinase, chitosanase and protease, when grown in a medium containing shrimp and crab shell powder (SCSP) produced from marine waste. The growth of the plant-pathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and Pythium ultimum were considerably affected by the presence of the QQ308 culture supernatant. The supernatant inhibited spore germination and germ tube elongation of F. oxysporum, F. solani, and P. ultimum. The increase in the growth time of the fungal culture was associated with a gradual decrease in inhibition. Besides antifungal activity, QQ308 enhanced growth of Chinese cabbage. These characteristics were unique among known strains of B. cereus. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the antifungal and Chinese cabbage growth enhancing compounds produced by B. cereus.
An HPLC-FLD method, involving pre-chromatographic oxidation of the PSP toxins with hydrogen peroxide and periodate, has been AOAC validated through a collaborative trial and adopted as AOAC Official Method. This method could be a candidate for replacing the mouse bioassay (MBA) for the Official Control of PSP toxins at European level, once accepted by the legislation. An interlaboratory exercise has been organized by the CRLMB to evaluate its "fitness for purpose" for the Official Control of PSP toxins in the EU laboratories. Eighteen EU laboratories took part in the study and had to analyze six bivalve mollusc samples with several PSP toxic profiles. The performance of the participant laboratories in the application of this method was compared with that obtained at the collaborative trial. Information on problems/drawbacks encountered by participants in the application of this method was also sought. The HPLC validated method is only applicable for Official PSP Control for certain samples. This depends on sample PSP toxic profile. Results obtained for samples where only GTX2,3 and STX were present were satisfactory and in agreement with MBA results. Results obtained for a sample with a toxic profile dominated by GTX6 and suspected to contain also C1,2 and C3,4 were not satisfactory. GTX5 and dc-STX could be quantified, although the results achieved (total toxicity) were lower than those obtained by MBA. It can be also useful as a screening method, complementary to MBA, helping in the reduction of the animals used. However, the lack of several PSP standards, the fact that the method is not validated for all the PSP toxins, and several drawbacks found in its application are a handicap to fully implement it for Official PSP Control as a viable replacement for bioassay.
The occurrence of the hemolysin genes, tdh and trh, in Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains isolated from environmental samples collected in two French coastal areas, clinical samples, and seafood products imported into France was studied. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with two sets of primers was used to detect the hemolysin genes. Most of the clinical isolates (91%) and 1.5% of the isolates from seafood possessed the hemolysin genes. Three and fifteen percent, respectively, of the two groups of environmental strains carried the hemolysin genes depending on the geographic site. The tdh and trh genes play important roles in virulence. Thus, our results indicate that pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus isolates are present in French coastal areas and in seafood imported into France. Furthermore, they may also be present in French seafood products.
An approach involving chemical and biological techniques was taken for the detection and quantification of the marine toxin okadaic acid (OA) in mussels from Thermaikos Gulf, Greece, during a 4-month DSP episode that occurred in 2002. Samples were analyzed using the mouse bioassay, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorimetric detection and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Okadaic acid was quantifiable at three different sites of Thermaikos Gulf reaching a maximum concentration of 36 microg/g hepatopancreas. High correlation was revealed between results derived from HPLC and ELISA (R2=0.998), while 91% consistency between HPLC and the mouse bioassay results was observed.
44,55-Dihydroxyyessotoxin (1) was isolated from extracts of Protoceratium reticulatum and identified by analysis of its one- and two-dimensional NMR and mass spectra. In addition, LC-MS methods revealed the presence of compounds tentatively identified as (44-R,S)-44,55-dihydroxy-41a-homoyessotoxin (2) and (44-R,S)-44,55-dihydroxy-9-methyl-41a-homoyessotoxin (3). LC-MS analyses indicate that 1 is a constituent of P. reticulatum in New Zealand and Norway, and it was present in three species of mussels from New Zealand, Norway, and Canada.
The effect of pH on the oxidation of individual PSP toxins using both periodate and peroxide oxidations was studied. It was found that the optimum pH for individual toxins varied considerably. For periodate oxidations, pH 8.2 produced the maximum yield of fluorescent products for neosaxitoxin and GTX1/GTX4 while the non-hydroxylated toxins (saxitoxin, GTX2/GTX3, decarbamoyl saxitoxin, GTX5) showed optimum pHs from about pH 10-11.5. Neosaxitoxin and GTX1/GTX4 did not produce significant fluorescent oxidation products with peroxide oxidation at any of the pHs studied (pH 8.2-12.8). The non-hydroxylated toxins all showed optimum pHs above pH 12 with peroxide oxidation. Yields of fluorescent products of these toxins decreased substantially at pHs below pH 12. Neosaxitoxin and GTX1/GTX4 each produced three product peaks at pH 8.2 with periodate oxidation. There was no pH where these toxins produced predominantly a single oxidation product. Decarbamoyl saxitoxin always produced two oxidation products with both oxidation reactions at the pHs studied. However, the relative yields of the products changed with pH. At low pH the second eluting product predominated, while at higher pH values the first eluting product predominated. This pattern was observed for both oxidation reactions. The other non-hydroxylated toxins produced mainly single unique products with both oxidation reactions over the pH range studied. No single pH was found optimum for the oxidation of both hydroxylated and non-hydroxylated toxins without a significant compromise in yield of oxidation products. This has implications for the post column oxidation liquid chromatographic methods, since small changes in pH of the post column oxidant can both positively and negatively affect the yields of oxidation products of toxin mixtures leading to increased error in the subsequent quantitation of these compounds.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
A benthic toxic dinoflagellate identified as Prorocentrum lima (Syn. Exuviaella lima), and designated as strain PRL-1, was isolated from the coast of El Pardito (Coyote) Island in Baja California Sur, Mexico, after a fisherman poisoning incident involving consumption of liver from Lutjanus colorado, and Mycteroperca prionura fish. Purification and culturing was done in ES-Si medium, under 12:12 light/dark cycle (4 x 20 W cool-white fluorescent lamps), at 22 degrees C and constant stirring during 28 days. Whole cells were toxic to Artemia franciscana and its methanolic extract to mouse and to the marine yeast Debaryomyces hansenii. Chromatographic analysis (TLC and HPLC-MS) of such extract indicated an unusual proportion (1:2) okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1). Estimated total toxin content by mouse bioassay (based on OA toxicity) was 19 pg/cell, a value significantly higher than that found by HPLC-MS (about 5.2 pg/cell, taking into account OA and DTX-1 only), suggesting that additional toxic components of unidentified nature are detected with the bioassay. This is the first report of a successful isolation and culturing of a toxic dinoflagellate from the Gulf of California, Mexico.