First detection of brevetoxin in imported shellfish in South Korea

초록

Brevetoxins (PbTxs) are a group of neurotoxic shellfish toxins primarily produced by certain marine plankton species, particularly dinoflagellates belonging to the genus Karenia (e.g., K. brevis). They can cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP). In this study, four PbTxs (PbTx-1, PbTx-2, PbTx-3, and PbTx-3–42-carboxylic acid) were analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) and PbTx contamination in imported shellfish was monitored. Shellfish were collected between 2020 and 2023, and high-fat and low-fat matrix-matched standards were utilized to establish the limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs), respectively. The analysis was performed in compliance with the AOAC ISO 17025 guidelines. Among the 467 samples obtained from 15 shellfish species, PbTx-3–42-carboxylic acid was detected in only one scallop sample at a concentration of 25.4 ng/g. In previous studies, PbTxs were typically associated with shellfish species, such as mussels (Mytilus edulis), oysters (Crassostrea gigas), and clams, which are filter-feeding molluscan shellfish known to accumulate PbTxs in their digestive glands (hepatopancreas). It is important to note that PbTxs are not regulated in South Korea but are managed in the European Union. Our study contributes to the database of marine toxins in South Korean shellfish and underscores the need for continued monitoring and management of PbTxs in imported shellfish.

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