title: Multiple toxins in a specimen of the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus commersoni.
abstract: Ciguatoxin-like, scaritoxin-like and other unidentified lipid-soluble toxins were detected in a specimen of Scomberomorus commersoni captured in sub-tropical Queensland. The fish was from a batch that had been involved in human poisonings. The ciguatoxin-like substance made a greater contribution to the total toxicity than did the scaritoxin-like substance. Water-soluble toxins were also present. The most important of these in terms of contribution to total toxicity was unidentified toxic material present in fractions eluted from a silicic acid column with 100% methanol or methanol:water (1:1). After TLC this material yielded a spot positive for alkaloids. Maitotoxin was also detected among the water-soluble toxins. The lethal potency of the fish flesh approximated 27.3 MU/100 g of flesh with water-soluble toxins contributing to a greater extent than the lipid-soluble toxins. (A MU is defined as the minimum amount of toxic material expressed in g required to kill a 20 g mouse within 24 hr after i.p. injection.) The 15 kg fish studied contained a total of approximately 4095 MU. The presence of several water-soluble and lipid-soluble toxins in the fish has implications for the detection of such ciguateric fishes and for the diagnosis and treatment of poisonings stemming from ingestion of these fishes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Endean
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Robins
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Monks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D002922:Ciguatoxins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004588:Electrophoresis, Cellulose Acetate; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D035964:Oxocins; D012995:Solubility; D000095702:Polyether Toxins
chemical_list: D002922:Ciguatoxins; D008387:Marine Toxins; D035964:Oxocins; C034200:scaritoxin; C020394:maitotoxin; D000095702:Polyether Toxins