First identification of azaspiracid and spirolides in Mesodesma donacium and Mulinia edulis from Northern Chile.

In an attempt to evaluate the risk for human consumption associated to the accumulation of lipophilic toxins by two commercially important bivalves: macha (Mesodesma donacium) and clam (Mulinia edulis) in Coquimbo Bay (Chile), monitoring of these species was carried out from March to September 2008. The samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to detect okadaic acid, dinophysistoxins, pectenotoxins, azaspiracids, yessotoxins and spirolides. Low levels of Azaspiracid-1 and 13-desmethyl C spirolide were found in both species.