Abstract
Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) has become increasingly important as a freshwater algal toxin, showing cytotoxic effects. This toxin is able to bioaccumulate in freshwater food webs, representing a serious human health problem. Normally, fish is cooked before consumption, and CYN concentration can be altered. For the first time, the effects of microwaving and broiling for 1 and 2 min on CYN concentration and its decomposition products in fish muscle (Oreochromis niloticus) contaminated in the laboratory were investigated, using UPLC-MS/MS and Orbitrap. The results show that cooking the fish reduced unconjugated CYN levels by 11, 10 and 15% after microwaving for 1 and 2 min, and broiling for 2 min, respectively, compared to control fish. Different CYN decomposition products with m/z 416.1234 (7-epi-CYN) and m/z 336.16663 (diasteroisomers C-3A, C-3C, C-3D, C-3E, C-3F) are generated in fish samples submitted to cooking. Based on the relative abundance of the decomposition products, the possible degradation pathways taking place by microwaving may be through the formation of 7-epi-CYN and m/z 336.16663 compounds, whereas in the case of broiling the last route is the only one observed in this study. The influence of cooking and the toxicity characterization of the degradation products generated in CYN-contaminated fish are of importance for more realistic risk evaluation related to their consumption.
Highlights
Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) has become one of the most important cyanotoxins in fresh waters worldwide due to its frequency of occurrence, different toxicity targets, and impacts on health [1]
For an accurate estimation of contaminant intake, it is important to take into account the fact that fish is normally cooked before consumption, and the effects of these treatments which could alter the availability of different contaminants in food should be taken into account [25]
Analysis of the available data by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) indicates that additional efforts should be made to elucidate the levels of human exposure to cyanotoxins under different scenarios
Summary
Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) has become one of the most important cyanotoxins in fresh waters worldwide due to its frequency of occurrence, different toxicity targets, and impacts on health [1]. There are at least five natural alkaloid toxins recognized as CYNs (CYN, 7-epiCYN, 7-deoxy-CYN, 7-deoxy-desulfo-CYN and 7-deoxy-desulfo-12-acetyl-CYN) [2] produced by Anabaena sp., Aphanizomenon sp., Chrysosporum sp., Cylindrospermopsis sp., Lyngbya sp., Raphidiopsis sp. CYN is an alkaloid, a tricyclic guanidine moiety with a hydroxymethyluracil group, weighting 415 daltons [4]. Its zwitterionic structure makes the toxin highly water-soluble [5], and it has been reported to be stable to temperature, light and pH changes [6]. The identification of CYN as a human health hazard was first noticed in an incident which occurred in Palm Island, Australia (1979); the illness included headache, fever, anorexia, vomiting, abdominal
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