title: A comparison of the mouse bioassay with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for the detection of lipophilic toxins in shellfish from Scottish waters.
abstract: Some lipophilic shellfish toxins (LSTs) can cause human illness due to eating shellfish that have become naturally contaminated following filter feeding on toxin producing algae. A mouse bioassay (MBA) is widely used to detect LSTs in regulatory monitoring of shellfish. However, the MBA is imprecise giving only a positive or negative result and is prone to interference from other compounds. In this study, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was compared to the MBA, with the aim of substituting the in vivo assay for monitoring shellfish from Scottish waters. Overall, it was not feasible to demonstrate equivalence of LC-MS with the MBA, but due to the detection of a range of LSTs, it is considered that LC-MS methods capable of detecting multiple analogues are accepted by international markets of shellfish to assure consumer protection.
authors.affiliation: Fisheries Research Services, Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 101, Victoria Road, Aberdeen AB11 9DB, UK. turrelle@marlab.ac.uk
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Turrell
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stobo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012606:Scotland; D012758:Shellfish / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins