Publications by authors named "J M Leao-Martins"
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a marine biotoxin whose biosynthesis is associated with the pufferfish. Its distribution is primarily focused in Asian and tropical marine areas. Currently, this group of toxins is classified as emerging in Europe, and its presence could be related to climate change.
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- The Selvagens Islands, a marine protected area in Portugal, have been linked to fish containing harmful ciguatoxins (CTX) associated with ciguatera fish poisoning.
- A sampling campaign in September 2018 found high toxicity levels in fish, particularly intermediate species like zebra seabream and barred hogfish, reaching up to 0.75 µg CTX1B equivalent per kg.
- The research revealed that while C-CTX1 was the primary toxin, inconsistencies between cell-based assays and advanced mass spectrometry in top predator species indicate the presence of unknown metabolic products, highlighting the potential risks for fisheries and the need for better environmental management in the area.*
Article Synopsis
- Dinoflagellates from certain genera are known to produce toxic compounds like ciguatoxins and maitotoxins, with many species still poorly studied in areas like the western Mediterranean Sea.
- A strain from the Balearic Islands was previously analyzed and found to produce compounds such as 44-methyl gambierone and gambieric acids C and D but lacked the typical MTX1 found in Pacific strains.
- This study identified a new MTX analogue, MTX5, in the Mediterranean strain, demonstrating that it produces different toxins compared to Pacific strains and highlighting the challenges in identifying ciguatoxin precursors in this region.
Article Synopsis
- Recent research has advanced understanding of dinoflagellate taxonomy and distribution, particularly focusing on their bioactive compounds related to ciguatera poisoning (CP).
- Ciguatoxins and maitotoxins, notably maitotoxin-4, are highly toxic metabolites linked to CP and have been increasingly identified in various regions, including the Canary Islands and Madeira archipelago.
- This study emphasizes the importance of characterizing toxin profiles across different species and geographic areas, revealing that these profiles may vary significantly by species and location.
Ciguatera poisoning (CP) is a common seafood intoxication mainly caused by the consumption of fish contaminated by ciguatoxins. Recent studies showed that Caribbean ciguatoxin-1 (C-CTX1) is the main toxin causing CP through fish caught in the Northeast Atlantic, e.g.
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