Comparative Evaluation of Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay and Reference Methods for the Detection of Shellfish Hydrophilic Toxins in Several Presentations of Seafood

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 58; no. 3; pp. 1410 - 1415
• Main Authors: Garet, Elina, González-Fernández, África, Lago, Jorge, Vieites, Juan M, Cabado, Ana G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 10-02-2010
• Subjects: amnesic shellfish poisoning; Analytical Methods; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Assay - methods; detection; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; equipment performance; Fish and seafood industries; food analysis; food composition; food contamination; Food Contamination - analysis; Food industries; food matrix; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; hydrophilic interactions; ichthyotoxins; Marine Toxins - analysis; Methods of analysis, processing and quality control, regulation, standards; Mice; neurotoxins; paralytic shellfish poisoning; reference standards; screening; Seafood - analysis; seafoods; shellfish; Shellfish - analysis; amnesic shellfish poisoning; Paralytic shellfish poisoning; mouse bioassay; ELISA; high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC−UV); Evaluation; Bioassay; Shellfish; Reference; Rodentia; Seafood; Enzyme immunoassay; high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV); Toxin; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Analysis method; Mouse; Control method; Detection; ELISA assay
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf904448z

A comparative study was conducted to determine the feasibility of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the detection of amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) and paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins in nine naturally contaminated species in fresh, frozen, boiled and canned fish and shellfish. PSP and ASP were analyzed in 138 shellfish samples (mussels, clams, barnacles, razor shells, scallops and cockles) and anchovies by mouse bioassay (MBA) and high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC−UV), respectively. Results were compared with toxin concentrations obtained using two commercial competitive ELISAs, saxitoxin and ASP kits. Immunoassays were able to quantify toxins in different matrices showing excellent Pearson’s correlation coefficients (r = 0.974 for saxitoxin ELISA and r = 0.973 for ASP ELISA) and to detect PSP and ASP with a lower limit of detection (LOD), namely, 50 μg saxitoxin equivalent/kg shellfish meat for PSP and 60 μg/kg domoic acid in shellfish flesh for ASP, than the reference methods (350 μg saxitoxin equivalent/kg shellfish meat and 1.6 mg/kg domoic acid in shellfish flesh, respectively). These results suggest that the ELISA method could be used as screening systems in a variety of species without matrix interference.