Abstract
Diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs) are among the most prevalent marine toxins in Europe’s and in other temperate coastal regions. These toxins are produced by several dinoflagellate species; however, the contamination of the marine trophic chain is often attributed to species of the genus Dinophysis. This group of toxins, constituted by okadaic acid (OA) and analogous molecules (dinophysistoxins, DTXs), are highly harmful to humans, causing severe poisoning symptoms caused by the ingestion of contaminated seafood. Knowledge on the mode of action and toxicology of OA and the chemical characterization and accumulation of DSTs in seafood species (bivalves, gastropods and crustaceans) has significantly contributed to understand the impacts of these toxins in humans. Considerable information is however missing, particularly at the molecular and metabolic levels involving toxin uptake, distribution, compartmentalization and biotransformation and the interaction of DSTs with aquatic organisms. Recent contributions to the knowledge of DSTs arise from transcriptomics and proteomics research. Indeed, OMICs constitute a research field dedicated to the systematic analysis on the organisms’ metabolisms. The methodologies used in OMICs are also highly effective to identify critical metabolic pathways affecting the physiology of the organisms. In this review, we analyze the main contributions provided so far by OMICs to DSTs research and discuss the prospects of OMICs with regard to the DSTs toxicology and the significance of these toxins to public health, food safety and aquaculture.
Highlights
Diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs) are frequently the most abundant and recurrent toxins derived from harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Europe (North Atlantic) [1], as well as other temperate regions of the world such as Asia or South America
We aim to discuss future avenues of OMICs research in the fields of marine biotoxins and human health, ecotoxicology and food safety
Recent studies have shown that the bioaccessibility of DSTs is species-dependent, and it is permanently less than 100%, which means that the human exposure to these contaminants is lower than the concentration presented in raw food [16,110]
Summary
Diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs) are frequently the most abundant and recurrent toxins derived from harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Europe (North Atlantic) [1], as well as other temperate regions of the world such as Asia or South America. In Portugal, for example, outbreaks of harmful algae occur every year, between April and October [2] having as one of the main consequences the banning of shellfish harvest and trade. DSTs are a broad group of molecules that include okadaic acid (OA) and analogous molecules named dinophysistoxins (DTX-1, -2 and -3) [3]. These toxins have lipophilic properties and tend to accumulate in the adipose tissues, being difficult to metabolize and eliminate [4]. The main route of transmission of DSTs to humans is the consumption of contaminated seafood, and among seafood, shellfish are known to accumulate the highest toxin levels
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