Investigation of the Presence and Concentrations of Biotoxins in Four Marine Biota of Latakia Coast (Syria)

Abstract

This article presents a preliminary assessment of biotoxins which have accumulated in the tissues of four marine species which were directly related to phytoplankton, the producers of these toxins.

Samples of mussels Brachidontes pharaonis (P. Fischer, 1870), sea urchin Arbacialixula (Linnaeus, 1758), Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792), and Siganus rivulatus (Forsska, 1775) were collected from various locations along the Latakia coast during 2013. Extraction was performed using reference methods, and the samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Analysis of the samples revealed the ability of these organisms to accumulate four groups of biotoxins: Decarbamoyl, Domiacide, Tetradoxin, and Azaspiracid, at varying concentrations ranging from below the Low Detection (LOD) (67.64 ng/g) for Decarbamoyl, (9.57-45.35 ng/g) for Domiacide, (LOD -9.37 ng/g) for Tetradoxin, and (8.74-15.96 ng/g) for Azaspiracid.