title: Comparison of sample preparation methods, validation of an UPLC-MS/MS procedure for the quantification of tetrodotoxin present in marine gastropods and analysis of pufferfish.
abstract: Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is one of the most potent marine neurotoxins reported. The global distribution of this toxin is spreading with the European Atlantic coastline now being affected. Climate change and increasing pollution have been suggested as underlying causes for this. In the present study, two different sample preparation techniques were used to extract TTX from Trumpet shells and pufferfish samples. Both extraction procedures (accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and a simple solvent extraction) were shown to provide good recoveries (80-92%). A UPLC-MS/MS method was developed for the analysis of TTX and validated following the guidelines contained in the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC for chemical contaminant analysis. The performance of this procedure was demonstrated to be fit for purpose. This study is the first report on the use of ASE as a mean for TTX extraction, the use of UPLC-MS/MS for TTX analysis, and the validation of this method for TTX in gastropods.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5AG, UK. jk.nzoughet@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: Judith Kouassi
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Nzoughet
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Olivier P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Chevallier
authors.forename: Christopher T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D053000:Analytic Sample Preparation Methods / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D049851:Gastropoda; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D023721:Tetraodontiformes; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D013779:Tetrodotoxin