Accumulation of gliotoxin, a cytotoxic mycotoxin from Aspergillus fumigatus, in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis)

Toxicon. 2003 Sep;42(3):297-300. doi: 10.1016/s0041-0101(03)00146-6.

Abstract

A strain of Aspergillus fumigatus has been isolated from sediments of a mussel bed. When cultured in hyper saline conditions (with sea-water), it produces a cytotoxic and immunosuppressive toxin, gliotoxin, which is excreted in an exudate. In order to know if this toxin could represent a risk for shellfish consumers, an experiment of bioaccumulation of gliotoxin in mussel has been carried out. After 6 days of contamination, toxin was accumulated in the meat of the mussels, at a level up to 2.9 microg/mg of extract weight, with a mode of contamination different to the classical digestive process described for a majority of marine toxins, but similar to the contamination mode of domoic acid.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / isolation & purification*
  • Bivalvia / chemistry
  • Bivalvia / metabolism*
  • Environmental Exposure / analysis*
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Food Contamination
  • Geologic Sediments / microbiology
  • Gliotoxin / analysis
  • Gliotoxin / metabolism
  • Gliotoxin / pharmacokinetics*
  • Marine Toxins / analysis
  • Marine Toxins / pharmacokinetics*
  • Seafood
  • Seawater
  • Water Pollutants / analysis*

Substances

  • Marine Toxins
  • Water Pollutants
  • Gliotoxin