Abstract
Ciguatoxins (CTXs) are a group of neurotoxins responsible for the syndrome ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) as a result of the consumption of contaminated fish. The presence of these toxins has been detected around the Pacific, Caribbean and Indian coasts. Recent reports indicate the emergence of CFP in other geographic areas, in particular in European coasts, of the Canary Islands (Spain) and Madeira (Portugal). A neuroblastoma cell line of murine origin (N2a) has been applied to assay different groups of neurotoxins, acting on voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) of excitable cells, N2a-MTT. The great potential of N2a-MTT as a sensitive tool for the CTXs screening is clearly recognized, notably because it allows the detection of these toxins at levels below recommended as security levels. However, the complexity of the matrix is a critical point on the application of N2a-MTT, which needs to be evaluated. The aim of this work is to provide recommendations for an implemented N2a-MTT method for CTXs determination in fish that avoids matrix effects, particularly those related to high lipid content.
Highlights
IntroductionCTXs are ladder-like cyclic polyethers, lipophilic and are stable to pH and temperature; which are produced by fish metabolization of its algal precursors [3,4]
Ciguatera poisoning (CP) is a non-bacterial food intoxication endemic in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and caused by the consumption of fish contaminated with ciguatoxins (CTXs) [1,2].CTXs are ladder-like cyclic polyethers, lipophilic and are stable to pH and temperature; which are produced by fish metabolization of its algal precursors [3,4]
P-CTXs are widely distributed in the Pacific and some regions of the Indian Ocean, I-CTXs are not yet elucidated and seem to be present in the Indian Ocean and C-CTXs are detected in fish from the Caribbean Sea and have recently emerged in Macaronesia (Northeast Atlantic), in the Canary Islands (Spain) and Madeira (Portugal) [12,13,14]
Summary
CTXs are ladder-like cyclic polyethers, lipophilic and are stable to pH and temperature; which are produced by fish metabolization of its algal precursors [3,4]. There is uncertainty about their algal precursors but different benthic dinoflagellates such as Gambierdiscus spp. CTXs are classified depending on the geographical region they appear as Pacific, Indian and Caribbean Ciguatoxins P-CTXs are widely distributed in the Pacific and some regions of the Indian Ocean, I-CTXs are not yet elucidated and seem to be present in the Indian Ocean and C-CTXs are detected in fish from the Caribbean Sea and have recently emerged in Macaronesia (Northeast Atlantic), in the Canary Islands (Spain) and Madeira (Portugal) [12,13,14]. There are no regulatory limits in Europe, where the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a scientific
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