bassianolide and Ciguatera-Poisoning

Ciguatoxins (CTXs) are marine neurotoxins that cause ciguatera poisoning (CP), mainly through the consumption of fish. The distribution of CTXs in fish is known to be unequal. Studies have shown that viscera accumulate more toxins than muscle, but little has been conducted on toxicity distribution in the flesh, which is the main edible part of fish, and the caudal muscle is also most commonly targeted for the monitoring of CTXs in the Canary Islands. At present, whether this sample is representative of the toxicity of an individual is undisclosed. This study aims to assess the distribution of CTXs in fish, considering different muscle samples, the liver, and gonads. To this end, tissues from four amberjacks (Seriola spp.) and four dusky groupers (Epinephelus marginatus), over 16.5 kg and captured in the Canary Islands, were analyzed by neuroblastoma-2a cell-based assay. Flesh samples were collected from the extraocular region (EM), head (HM), and different areas from the fillet (A-D). In the amberjack, the EM was the most toxic muscle (1.510 CTX1B Eq·g

Topics: Animals; Bass; Ciguatera Poisoning; Ciguatoxins; Fishes; Liver; Seafood

Topics: Animals; Bass; Chromatography, Liquid; Ciguatera Poisoning; Ciguatoxins; Ecosystem; Fisheries; Fishes; Hawaii; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Topics: Animals; Bass; Chromatography, Liquid; Ciguatera Poisoning; Ciguatoxins; Fishes; Mice; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Topics: Animals; Bass; Ciguatera Poisoning; Ciguatoxins; Coral Reefs; Fishes; Polynesia; Seafood

Ciguatera poisoning (CP) is one of the most abundant seafood poisonings in the world. CP frequently occurred in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. In Japan, CP cases have been reported annually, from the subtropical regions, including Okinawa Prefecture and Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture. The principal toxins, named ciguatoxins (CTXs), are bio-synthesized by benthic dinoflagellate of genera Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa. They are bio-transferred herbivorous animals to carnivorous fishes via the food chain.The Ogasawara Islands comprise more than 30 islands, Mukojima Islands, Chichijima (Bonin) Islands, Hahajima Islands, Iwo Islands, Nishinoshima, Minamitorishima, and Okinotorishima, which locate in the tropical to subtropical regions. The Mukojima Islands, Chichijima Islands, and Hahajima Islands locate approximately the same latitude as Okinawa. The distance from Tokyo is approximately 1,000 km for Chichijima, 1,700 km for Okinotorishima (the southernmost tip of Japan), and 1,900 km for Minamitorishima (the easternmost tip of Japan). These islands exist in a wide range of waters, latitudes from 20°25' to 27°44' North and longitudes from 136°04' to 153° 59' East. We collected 65 specimens of a grouper, Variola louti, the most frequent species implicated in CP in Japan, from the waters around the Chichijima, Mukojima, and Hahajima islands. The fish flesh specimens were analyzed CTXs using the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). While the peak whose retention time is almost identical to that of CTX1B was detected in all specimens on our routine protocol, no 52-epi-54-deoxyCTX1B nor 54-deoxyCTX1B was detected. The peak retention time was quite different from that of CTX1B when re-analyzing by changing the analytical column. Thus, the CTXs in the specimens in the waters of these islands seemed to be undetectable levels.

Topics: Animals; Bass; Chromatography, Liquid; Ciguatera Poisoning; Ciguatoxins; Fishes; Islands; Japan; Smallpox; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Ciguatera poisoning has caused illnesses in New Zealand through the consumption of contaminated reef fish imported from Pacific Islands. In May 2020 five people became ill and one was hospitalised following the consumption of Fiji Kawakawa (camouflage grouper; Epinephelus polyphekadion). The fish was purchased in New Zealand but imported from Fiji. The meal remnants were analysed for ciguatoxins, the causative compounds of ciguatera poisoning, and showed the presence of the three main toxic fish metabolites. Other fish tested from the same shipment did not contain detectable levels of ciguatoxins, indicating they were likely not toxic.

Topics: Adult; Animals; Bass; Ciguatera Poisoning; Ciguatoxins; Fiji; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; New Zealand; Seafood; Young Adult

In the tropic sea there are carnivore fishes, e.g. the "peak bass", that incorporate toxin producing seaweed and can cause the ciguatera intoxication. Due to the frequent tourism to tropic regions even more cases of ciguatera intoxication can be seen in Europe. The late phase of ciguatera intoxication has hardly been recognized due to its different unspecific symptoms. In some cases ciguatera intoxication can even grow a vital threatening.. Four patients from a travel group addressed us 4 and 14 days after breaking off their holidays in the Dominican republic. They presented complex neurological symptoms including paraesthesia, nervousness, inverse temperature perception, muscle cramps, headache and dizziness. The physical and apparative investigation of the patients, whose age ranked between 22 and 31 years, was totally unobtrusive. Essential for the diagnosis of ciguatera intoxication was the clue to the symptom causing dinner at their holiday location existing of "peak bass and lemon sauce". First symptoms in all members of the travel group were diarrhea, sickness and sweating. In this late phase only a symptomatic therapy could be offered.. The here described cases show the importance of a comprehensive information for tropic travellers as for physicians accounted to in the acute phase of ciguatera intoxication, because recognized early enough (within the first 24 hours) the total symptomatology of ciguatera intoxication can be prevented effectively by intravenous infusions of mannitol.

Topics: Adult; Animals; Bass; Ciguatera Poisoning; Diagnosis, Differential; Dominican Republic; Female; Foodborne Diseases; Humans; Male; Travel

Serranidae and Labridae fish caught in 1993 at Alijos Rocks, 300 miles off East Magdalena Bay, Southern Baja California, caused severe illness of a fishing boat crew. The described symptoms resembled those of ciguatera. The presence of ciguatera-like toxins was confirmed on extracts from these fish using the mouse bioassay procedure, showing activities between 220 to 390 mouse units (M.U.). The founding of ciguatoxin at Alijos Rocks 24 degrees 57' N, 115 degrees 45' W) extends to the northeast its geographical distribution in the Pacific and locates the outbreak near the continental coastline.

Topics: Adult; Animals; Bass; Biological Assay; Ciguatera Poisoning; Ciguatoxins; Humans; Mexico; Mice; Pacific Islands; Poisoning; Seafood