Suchergebnisse

One of the major challenges currently faced is to develop systematic ways of addressing chemical mixtures in environmental assessment. With this purpose, a simple, rapid, and sensitive method for the detection and quantification of a mixture of relevant contaminants in molluscs has been developed. The method is based on QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) and Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). It includes a mixture of 23 compounds formed by pesticides, endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals (metolachlor, simazine, desethylatrazine, atrazine, thiabendazole, diazinon, malathion, bentazone, MCPA, propanil, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, caffeine, bisphenol A, triclosan, triclocarban, methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, 1H-benzotriazole, sulfamethoxazole, venlafaxine and carbamazepine). The method was developed and validated in 4 different types of shellfish of high commercial interest such as mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), oyster (Crassostrea gigas), cockle (Cerastoderma edule) and razor shell (Solen marginatus). The mean percentage of recoveries obtained for all the compounds in each mollusc type (intra-specie) ranged from 96% to 107% showing the good performance of the method developed. The relative standard deviation was under 10% for the intra-day and 17% inter-day analyses. Method detection limits and method quantification limits were below 10 ng/g dry weight for all the species and compounds targeted. Finally, the method was applied to aquaculture samples, oysters and cockles, from Ebro Delta (Spain), after some episodes of mortality occurred in 2017. A high level of bisphenol A was detected in C. edule which may explain the mortality suffered by this organism. C. gigas presented low levels of metolachlor, bentazone, acetamiprid, and methylparaben. © 2019 ; This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness , State Research Agency, and by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund through the project XENOMETABOLOMIC (CTM2015-73179-JIN) (AEI/FEDER/UE). N. Carrasco acknowledges the support of the project EMERGER (INIA E-IRTA2015-00004-00-00). IRTA members acknowledge the support from CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. Bekolut is acknowledged for the gift of the QuEChERS kits. This work has also received funding from the Government of Catalonia (2017 SGR 01404) and the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no. 603437. It reflects only the author's views. The Community is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. Appendix A ; Peer reviewed

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that is receiving increasing interest in the European Union because it has been found in different fishery products (fish, bivalves and gastropods) captured in European waters. Since available information is scarce, further analytical data regarding the incidence of this toxin in European fishery products is needed in order to perform an appropriate risk assessment devoted to protecting consumers' health. Hence, samples of bivalves and gastropods were collected at different points of the Spanish coast and analyzed by high-performance hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) to evaluate the presence of TTX. None of the analyzed samples showed TTX above an internal threshold of 10 µg/kg or even showed a peak under it. Our results on TTX occurrence obtained in bivalve molluscs and gastropods did not show, at least in the studied areas, a risk for public health. However, taking into account previous positive results obtained by other research groups, and since we did not detect TTX in our samples, a more completed study increasing sampling frequency is needed to ensure proper risk evaluation towards the food safety of these products.

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin that is receiving increasing interest in the European Union because it has been found in different fishery products (fish, bivalves and gastropods) captured in European waters. Since available information is scarce, further analytical data regarding the incidence of this toxin in European fishery products is needed in order to perform an appropriate risk assessment devoted to protecting consumers' health. Hence, samples of bivalves and gastropods were collected at different points of the Spanish coast and analyzed by high-performance hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) to evaluate the presence of TTX. None of the analyzed samples showed TTX above an internal threshold of 10 µg/kg or even showed a peak under it. Our results on TTX occurrence obtained in bivalve molluscs and gastropods did not show, at least in the studied areas, a risk for public health. However, taking into account previous positive results obtained by other research groups, and since we did not detect TTX in our samples, a more completed study increasing sampling frequency is needed to ensure proper risk evaluation towards the food safety of these products. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) episodes cause important economic impacts due to closure of shellfish production areas in order to protect human health. These closures, if are frequent and persistent, can seriously affect shellfish producers and the seafood industry, among others. In this study, we have developed an alternative processing method for bivalves with PSP content above the legal limit, which allows reducing toxicity to acceptable levels. A modification of the PSP detoxifying procedure stablished by Decision 96/77/EC of the European Union in Acanthocardia tuberculata, was developed and implemented for PSP elimination in other bivalves species. The procedure was applied to 6 batches of mussels, 2 batches of clams and 2 batches of scallops, achieving detoxification rates of around 85%. A viable industrial protocol which allows the transformation of a product at risk into a safe product was developed. Although a significant reduction was obtained, in a sample circa 9000 μg STX diHCl equiv/kg, the final toxin level in these highly toxic mussels did not fall below the European limit. The processing protocol described may be applied efficiently to mussels, clams and scallops and it may be a major solution to counteract the closure of shellfish harvesting areas, especially if persistent.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) episodes cause important economic impacts due to closure of shellfish production areas in order to protect human health. These closures, if are frequent and persistent, can seriously affect shellfish producers and the seafood industry, among others. In this study, we have developed an alternative processing method for bivalves with PSP content above the legal limit, which allows reducing toxicity to acceptable levels. A modification of the PSP detoxifying procedure stablished by Decision 96/77/EC of the European Union in Acanthocardia tuberculatum, was developed and implemented for PSP elimination in other bivalves species. The procedure was applied to 6 batches of mussels, 2 batches of clams and 2 batches of scallops, achieving detoxification rates of around 85%. A viable industrial protocol which allows the transformation of a product at risk into a safe product was developed. Although a significant reduction was obtained, in a sample circa 9000 μg STX diHCl equiv/kg, the final toxin level in these highly toxic mussels did not fall below the European limit. The processing protocol described may be applied efficiently to mussels, clams and scallops and it may be a major solution to counteract the closure of shellfish harvesting areas, especially if persistent. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

Ciguatera Poisoning (CP) is caused by consumption of fish or invertebrates contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs). Presently CP is a public concern in some temperate regions, such as Macaronesia (North-Eastern Atlantic Ocean). Toxicity analysis was performed to characterize the fish species that can accumulate CTXs and improve understanding of the ciguatera risk in this area. For that, seventeen fish specimens comprising nine species were captured from coastal waters inMadeira and Selvagens Archipelagos. Toxicity was analysed by screening CTX-like toxicity with the neuroblastoma cell-based assay (neuro-2a CBA). Afterwards, the four most toxic samples were analysed with liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Thirteen fish specimens presented CTX-like toxicity in their liver, but only four of these in their muscle. The liver of one specimen of Muraena augusti presented the highest CTX-like toxicity (0.270 ± 0.121 µg of CTX1B equiv·kg-1). Moreover, CTX analogues were detected with LC-HRMS, for M. augusti and Gymnothorax unicolor. The presence of three CTX analogues was identified: C-CTX1, which had been previously described in the area; dihydro-CTX2, which is reported in the area for the first time; a putative new CTX m/z 1127.6023 ([M+NH4]+) named as putative C-CTX-1109, and gambieric acid A. ; The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under the ECsafeSEAFOOD project (grant agreement n° 311820). À.T. acknowledges IRTA-URV-Banco Santander for the Ph.D. grant (2016 PMF-PIPF-74). ; Peer reviewed

This study aimed to assess the bioaccessibility of different marine biotoxins in naturally contaminated shellfish and fish gonads using an in vitro digestion methodology. In general, hydrophilic toxins (domoic acid, paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins and tetrodotoxins) showed higher bioaccessibility than lipophilic ones (okadaic acid and azaspiracids). The bioaccessibility of toxins from the okadaic acid group ranged from 69% (raw European razor clams) to 74% (raw donax clams). Regarding azaspiracids, 47% of the initial content was bioaccessible in steamed blue mussel. As for hydrophilic toxins, 100% of the initial content was bioaccessible after digestion in raw shellfish and puffer fish gonads. The total tetrodotoxin bioaccessibility in puffer fish gonads decreased significantly after steaming. The profile of tetrodotoxins changed during the digestion process: TTX and 11-norTTX-6S-ol analogues decreased significantly after digestion, but the 5,6,11-trideoxy TTX analogue increased in both raw and steamed puffer fish gonads. These preliminary findings confirm the need to consider bioaccessibility data in future seafood risk assessment, as such information enables a more accurate and realistic estimation of potential seafood hazards, particularly in what concerns lipophilic toxins, therefore, constituting a crucial tool in the refinement of regulatory limits for the presence of biotoxins in seafood. ; The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under the ECsafeSEAFOOD project (grant agreement n° 311820) and through the European Regional Development Fund. IRTA members acknowledge support from CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. L.R. acknowledges a scholarship from the ECsafeSEAFOOD project. Ana C. Braga has a Doctoral Grant (PD/BD/113484/2015) from the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT), whereas Antonio Marques and Pedro R. Costa are supported through the FCT Investigator program (IF). Lagocephalus sceleratus was kindly provided by Andrés Izquierdo-Muñoz from Centro de Investigación Marina de Santa Pola (CIMA) (Spain).

Severe food poisoning events after the consumption of sharks have been reported since the 1940s; however, there has been no clear understanding of their cause. Herein, we report for the first time the presence of ciguatoxins (CTXs) in sharks. The identification by mass spectrometry of CTXs, including two new analogues, in a bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) that was consumed by humans, causing the poisoning and death of 11 people in Madagascar in 2013 is described. Typical neurotoxic ciguatera symptoms were recorded in patients, and toxicological assays on extracts of the shark demonstrated CTX-like activity. These results confirm this episode as a ciguatera poisoning event and expand the range of pelagic fish species that are involved in ciguatera in the Indian Ocean. Additionally, gambieric acid D, a molecule originally described in CTX-producing microalgae, was identified for the first time in fish. This finding can contribute to a better understanding of trophic relations within food webs. The present work confirms that consumption of sharks from the Indian Ocean should be considered a ciguatera risk, and actions should be taken to evaluate its magnitude and risk in order to manage shark fisheries. © 2017 The Author(s). ; We kindly acknowledge Dr. Bernard Reche, the veterinarian in charge of the shark autopsies in La Réunion and who confirmed the viscera sample was stomach, and also Erwan Lagadec (CRVOI) for performing the DNA extraction. We also thank the World Health Organization (WHO) for facilitating the transfer of samples from Madagascar to Reunion Island. The authors acknowledge Dr. Chris Rodgers for his critical review of the manuscript and Dr. Melissa Dunkle for assistance with the English. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under the ECsafeSEAFOOD project (grant agreement no. 311820) and from CERCA/Generalitat de Catalunya program. ; Peer reviewed

Cyclic imines constitute a quite recently discovered group of marine biotoxins that act on neural receptors and that bioaccumulate in seafood. They are grouped together due to the imino group functioning as their common pharmacore, responsible for acute neurotoxicity in mice. Cyclic imines (CIs) have not been linked yet to human poisoning and are not regulated in the European Union (EU), although the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requires more data to perform conclusive risk assessment for consumers. Several commercial samples of bivalves including raw and processed samples from eight countries (Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands and Denmark) were obtained over 2 years. Emerging cyclic imine concentrations in all the samples were analysed on a LC-3200QTRAP and LC-HRMS QExactive mass spectrometer. In shellfish, two CIs, pinnatoxin G (PnTX-G) and 13-desmethylspirolide C (SPX-1) were found at low concentrations (0.1–12 µg/kg PnTX-G and 26–66 µg/kg SPX-1), while gymnodimines and pteriatoxins were not detected in commercial (raw and processed) samples. In summary, SPX-1 (n: 47) and PnTX-G (n: 96) were detected in 9.4% and 4.2% of the samples, respectively, at concentrations higher than the limit of quantification (LOQ), and in 7.3% and 31.2% of the samples at concentrations lower than the LOQ (25 µg/kg for SPX-1 and 3 µg/kg for PnTX-G), respectively. For the detected cyclic imines, the average exposure and the 95th percentile were calculated. The results obtained indicate that it is unlikely that a potential health risk exists through the seafood diet for CIs in the EU. However, further information about CIs is necessary in order to perform a conclusive risk assessment.

Cyclic imines constitute a quite recently discovered group of marine biotoxins that act on neural receptors and that bioaccumulate in seafood. They are grouped together due to the imino group functioning as their common pharmacore, responsible for acute neurotoxicity in mice. Cyclic imines (CIs) have not been linked yet to human poisoning and are not regulated in the European Union (EU), although the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requires more data to perform conclusive risk assessment for consumers. Several commercial samples of bivalves including raw and processed samples from eight countries (Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands and Denmark) were obtained over 2 years. Emerging cyclic imine concentrations in all the samples were analysed on a LC-3200QTRAP and LC-HRMS QExactive mass spectrometer. In shellfish, two CIs, pinnatoxin G (PnTX-G) and 13-desmethylspirolide C (SPX-1) were found at low concentrations (0.1–12 µg/kg PnTX-G and 26–66 µg/kg SPX-1), while gymnodimines and pteriatoxins were not detected in commercial (raw and processed) samples. In summary, SPX-1 (n: 47) and PnTX-G (n: 96) were detected in 9.4% and 4.2% of the samples, respectively, at concentrations higher than the limit of quantification (LOQ), and in 7.3% and 31.2% of the samples at concentrations lower than the LOQ (25 µg/kg for SPX-1 and 3 µg/kg for PnTX-G), respectively. For the detected cyclic imines, the average exposure and the 95th percentile were calculated. The results obtained indicate that it is unlikely that a potential health risk exists through the seafood diet for CIs in the EU. However, further information about CIs is necessary in order to perform a conclusive risk assessment. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion