Study of possible combined toxic effects of azaspiracid-1 and okadaic acid in mice via the oral route.

Toxins from the okadaic acid (OA) and azaspiracid (AZA) group cause considerable negative health effects in consumers when present in shellfish above certain levels. The main symptoms, dominated by diarrhoea, are caused by damage to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Even though OA and AZAs exert toxicity via different mechanisms, it is important to find out whether they may enhance the health effects if present together since they act on the same organs and are regulated individually.

Pinnatoxins and spirolides in Norwegian blue mussels and seawater.

Fast-acting cyclic imines belonging to the pinnatoxin and pteriatoxin group of toxins were originally identified in shellfish of the genera Pinna and Pteria in Japan, after food poisoning events in China linked to consumption of Pinna spp. Recently, a range of new and known pinnatoxin analogs has been identified in shellfish, sediment, and seawater samples from Australia and New Zealand. Although the structurally closely-related spirolide toxins are better known, and have a worldwide distribution including Norway and other parts of Europe, the presence of pinnatoxins has not been reported in European waters or shellfish.