title: Tetrodotoxin detection and species identification of pufferfish in retail roasted fish fillet by DNA barcoding in China.
abstract: This study identifies the pufferfish species and detects tetrodotoxin (TTX) in roasted fish fillet samples collected in Beijing, Qingdao and Xiamen, China. The cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene was used as the target gene for identification of the pufferfish species in the samples. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) screened the TTX levels in samples that had been detected as containing pufferfish by DNA barcode. A total of 125 samples were identified by DNA barcodes; 32 (26%) samples contained pufferfish composition and, among them, 26 (81%) were the highly toxic species Lagocephalus lunaris. All 32 samples containing the pufferfish composition were positive for TTX with levels ranging from 100 to 63,800 ng g(-1). Most of the 32 samples contained the highly toxic L. lunaris. Based on the results, we suggest that the monitoring of roasted fish fillet should be strengthened and the processing procedures should be standardised to minimise TTX poisoning caused by pufferfish.
authors.affiliation: a Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Ministry of Health , China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: b Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, the Medical College , Qingdao University , Qingdao , China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: a Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Ministry of Health , China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Jiahui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: a Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Ministry of Health , China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Chunhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: a Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Ministry of Health , China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: a Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Ministry of Health , China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Fengqin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, Ministry of Health , China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D003296:Cooking; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005396:Fish Products / Q000032:analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D011042:Poisons / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D023721:Tetraodontiformes / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D011042:Poisons; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D004247:DNA; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV
keywords: DNA barcode; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); pufferfish; roasted fish fillet; tetrodotoxin (TTX)