Occurrence of Tetrodotoxin Poisoning in Nassarius Papillosus Alectrion and Nassarius Gruneri Niotha

FANG-MING LIU, YOU-MING FU AND DANIEL YANG-CHIH SHIH*

Bureau of Food and Drug Analysis, Department of Health, Executive Yuan, 161-2 Kunyang St., Nangang District, Taipei City 115, Taiwan, R.O.C.

(Received: July 28, 2003; Accepted: March 31, 2004)

ABSTRACT

   On May 15, 2002, a food poisoning case caused by consumption of unknown gastropods was reported. Symptoms included vomiting, diarrhea and other neurological symptoms developed 2 hr after ingestion of gastropods. The unknown species of gastropod were later identified to be Nassarius Papillosus Alectrion and Nassarius Gruneri Niotha. Using a tetrodotoxin bioassay, the two samples showed toxicity of 320 and 386 mouse units per gram (MU/g) in Nassarius Papillosus and Nassarius Gruneri. The result of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on the purified toxin indicated that the causative toxic agents were tetrodotoxin and
its derivative anhydrotetrodotoxin.

Key words: gastropod, Nassarius Papillosus Alectrion, Nassarius Gruneri Niotha, tetrodotoxin, anhydrotetrodotoxin