Acute toxicity of pinnatoxins E, F and G to mice.
The acute toxicities to mice of pinnatoxins E, F and G, members of the cyclic imine group of phycotoxins, by intraperitoneal injection and/or oral administration, have been determined. These substances were all very toxic by intraperitoneal injection, with LD(50) values between 12.7 and 57 μg/kg. Pinnatoxin E was much less toxic by oral administration than by intraperitoneal injection, but this was not the case for pinnatoxin F. The median lethal doses of the latter substance by gavage and by voluntary intake were only 2 and 4 times higher than that by injection. The high oral toxicity of pinnatoxin F raises concerns as to the possibility of adverse effects of this substance in shellfish consumers, although it should be noted that no toxic effects in humans have been recorded with pinnatoxins or with any other compound of the cyclic imine group.
AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton, New Zealand. rex.munday@agresearch.co.nz
Rex
R
Munday
Andrew I
AI
Selwood
Lesley
L
Rhodes
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000470:Alkaloids / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007097:Imines / Q000633:toxicity; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D051379:Mice; D058086:Microalgae / Q000737:chemistry; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis; D012758:Shellfish / Q000382:microbiology; D013141:Spiro Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute
D000470:Alkaloids; D007097:Imines; D013141:Spiro Compounds; C552838:pinnatoxin E; C552839:pinnatoxin F; C552840:pinnatoxin G