Phycotoxins in marine organisms - a potential threat to consumer safety

Fikotoksini predstavljaju skupinu prirodnih kemijskih kontaminanata u koje spadaju azaspiracidi (AZA), okadaična kiselina (OA) i njeni derivati, pektenotoksini (PTX), jesotoksini (YTX), ciklički imini (CI), domoična kiselina (DA), saksitoksini (STX), brevetoxini (BTX), ciguatoksini (CTX) i palitoksini (PlTX). Rezultati dosadašnjih istraživanja ukazuju na učestalu pojavnost fikotoksina u morskim organizmima, a poznato je da ove tvari mogu imati štetan učinak na okoliš i zdravlje ljudi, budući da su pored akutne toksičnosti pojedini ujedno i tumor promotori, odnosno da već i u malim koncentracijama pokazuju mutageno i toksično djelovanje u organizmu. Stoga su s ciljem zaštite zdravlja potrošača zakonodavstvom određene najveće dopuštene količine (NDK) fikotoksina u školjkaša, bodljikaša, plaštenjaka i morskih puževa (EZ 853/2004; EU 786/2013), iako neki od njih, poput cikličkih imina, još nisu uključeni u programe monitoringa, odnosno za njih legislativom nije određena NDK. U daljnjim istraživanjima, uz primjenu potvrdnih visokospecifičnih analitičkih metoda u ispitivanjima pojavnosti fikotoksina, potrebno je ispitati njihove učinke na osjetljiviji dio populacije te zbog mogućeg sinergičkog učinka u organizmu ustvrditi i supojavnost, kao i provesti procjenu izloženosti potrošača zbog prisustnosti ovih toksičnih tvari u različitim morskim organizmima namijenjenih konzumaciji. U ovom radu dan je pregled literaturnih spoznaja o svojstvima najznačajnijih predstavnika fikotoksina, njihovim toksičnim učincima u organizmu i pojavnosti u različitim vrstama morskih organizama.Phycotoxins are natural chemical con- taminants that include azaspiracids (AZAs), okadaic acid (OAs), pectenotoxins (PTXs), yessotoxins (YTXs), cyclic imines (CIs), domoic acid (DA), saxitoxins (STXs) breve- toxins (BTXs), ciguatoxins (CTXs) and palyt- oxins (PlTX). The results of previous research have indicated the frequent occurrence of phycotoxins in marine organisms, and it is known that these substances can have a det- rimental effect on both the environment and human health, since in addition to acute tox- icity, some are tumour promoters, i.e., they show mutagenic and toxic effects in the body even when present in low concentrations. Therefore, in order to protect consumers, the legislation has set maximum levels (MLs) for phycotoxins in bivalve molluscs, echino- derms, tunicates and marine gastropods (EC 853/2004; EU 786/2013), although some, such as cyclic imines, have not yet been included in monitoring programmes and MLs have not yet been determined by the legislation. In further research, using confirmatory highly specific analytical methods to test for the oc- currence of these substances, it is necessary to examine their effects on a more sensitive part of the population due to possible syn- ergistic effects in the body to determine co-occurrence, and to assess consumer exposure due to the presence of these toxic substances intended for consumption. This paper pro- vides an overview of the literature on the properties of the most important representa- tives of phycotoxins, their toxic effects in the body and their occurrence in different types of marine organisms