Evaluation of rapid methods for the determination of okadaic acid in mussels.
OBJECTIVE
Two different screening methods, a Buffalo Green Monkey cytotoxicity test and a biosensor test, have been considered to replace the official mouse bioassay in monitoring for okadaic acid (OA) levels in mussels.


RESULTS
Diarrhoetic shellfish poison-contaminated mussels from the Adriatic Sea were assayed in parallel by means of the mouse bioassay and both alternative methods. Both the cytotoxicity test and the biosensor test showed high sensitivity (OA 0.01 mg g-1 hepatopancreas and 0.002 mg g-1 hepatopancreas, respectively) and a high correlation with the mouse bioassay (r=0.932, P < 0.001 and r=- 0.850, P < 0.001, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Both methods are efficacious, quick, inexpensive and provide data on the amount of toxin present in mussels.


CONCLUSIONS
Both methods, besides allowing the simultaneous assay of a great number of samples, comply with the ethical need to reduce the use of animals in the laboratory.
Croci
L
L
Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Laboratorio Alimenti, Università degli Studi di Roma 'La Sapienza, Facoltà di Farmacia', Dipartimento sostanze biologicamente attive, Rome, Italy. l.croci@iss.it
Stacchini
A
A
Cozzi
L
L
Ciccaglioni
G
G
Mazzei
F
F
Botrè
F
F
Toti
L
L
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000826:Animal Testing Alternatives; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002138:Calibration; D005949:Glucose Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D000882:Haplorhini; D051379:Mice; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D019319:Okadaic Acid / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*
D019319:Okadaic Acid; D005949:Glucose Oxidase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase