Oral toxicity in mice of algal toxins from the diarrheic shellfish toxin (DST) complex and associated toxins

Abstract

Mussel samples from four locations along the Norweigian coast were extracted by methods for diarrheic shellfish toxins (DST) and tested by chemical and biological methods, including histopathology. All samples had previously been found to be highly toxic in mice, with symptoms indicating the presence of non-diarrheagenic toxins in the mouse bioassay. Chemical analysis revealed that the DST okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) were present each one in one sample, but only a minor part of the total toxicity could be attributed to these toxions. In the other two samples, OA and DTX1 were absent. Incubation of the mussel extracts from all four samples with freshly prepared hepatocytes indicated the presence of unknown toxin(s) which may not be classified within the DST complex. Purified mussel samples were given to baby mice both via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections and by oral intubation. Oral toxicity was about 25-50 times lower than toxicity obtained by i.p. injections, a result in accordance with acute toxic properties of many toxins. Risk assessment of the unknown toxin(s) requires chemical identification, but the preliminary results obtained indicate a large margin of safety, based on the large amounts of mussel extracts necessary to yield toxic effects in the intestine and liver in experimental animals upon oral exposure versus human intake.