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Determination of Lipophilic Marine
Biotoxins in Molluscs by LC-MS/MS
using Offline Extraction
Francesca G. Bellagambi, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy
Cláudia P. B. Martins, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Barcelona, Spain
Michal Godula, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Prague, Czech Republic
Alessio Ceccarini, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy
Application Note 63552
Key Words
TSQ Quantum Ultra, Food Safety, Marine Biotoxins
Introduction
In recent years many countries have had to deal with the
consequences of toxic microalgal blooms in both marine
and fresh water, such as the deaths of wild animals and
domestic livestock.
Several cases of poisoning in humans have been associated
with the direct consumption of shellfish, fish, or water
contaminated by algal toxins. People may also come into
contact with toxins during recreational activities along sea
coasts affected by episodes of algal blooms. Depending
on the type of toxin involved, there are forms of mild
and usually self-limiting symptoms, characterized by
gastrointestinal disorders or allergic-like episodes. Much
more severe symptoms of the neurological type can lead
to death.
The foods most frequently involved in episodes of
human poisoning are represented by bivalve molluscs.
These shellfish can accumulate and concentrate any
biotoxins present in the plankton they ingest through
filtering large quantities of water for trophical reasons.
It is not possible to evaluate shellfish edibility by an
organoleptic examination alone. While human ingestion
of contaminated food with biotoxins can lead to the
onset of different clinical symptoms, in shellfish it usually
has only marginal effects. An important risk factor lies
in the thermostability of such molecules which are not
completely inactivated by common physical treatments for
fish products (cooking, smoking, salting, freezing, housing),
but remain virtually unchanged in the finished product.
There are a series of regulations issued by the European
Union (EU) that relate to marine biotoxins. One is
Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 which concerns the
control of lipophilic toxins, establishing maximum levels
for lipophilic toxins in bivalve molluscs destined for
human consumption:
1
•
For okadaic acid, dinophysistoxins, and pectenotoxins
together – 160 micrograms of okadaic acid equivalents
per kilogram
•
For yessotoxin – 1 milligram of yessotoxin equivalent
per kilogram
•
For azaspiracids – 160 micrograms of azaspiracid
equivalents per kilogram