Seasonal variation in tetramine content in Korean marine gastropods Neptunea arthritica and Neptunea eulimata

초록

Tetramine is a toxin that is primarily found in the salivary glands of carnivorous marine gastropods. Countries, such as South Korea and Japan, where marine gastropods are commonly consumed, continue to report annual cases of tetramine poisoning. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the seasonal variations in tetramine content in these species. In this study, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed to analyze the monthly variations in tetramine content across various tissues of Neptunea arthritica and Neptunea eulimata collected over a one-year period (September 2023 to August 2024) from the East Coast of Korea. The condition indices of both species were calculated to estimate their spawning seasons. Compared to other tissues (i.e., the foot and midgut gland), the highest tetramine content was consistently found in the salivary glands across all seasons and species. The tetramine content in the salivary glands peaked in November 2023 (4 580.05 mg/kg for N. arthritica and 7 762.16 mg/kg for N. eulimata) and declined to the lowest value in February 2024 (568.10 mg/kg for N. arthritica and 679.35 mg/kg for N. eulimata). After the spawning season, the increased feeding activity may result in elevated tetramine levels, potentially contributing to prey capture. Therefore, removing the salivary glands of these species, particularly in November, is critical to mitigate the risk of tetramine poisoning. Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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