Abstract:
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) and two of its derivatives were detected in two horseshoe
crab specimens that were leftover poisonous food in Vietnam using hydrophilic
interaction liquid chromatography linked to tandem mass spectrometry (HILICMS/MS) analysis. According to the results, TTX accounted for almost 90% of the
total toxicity in both specimens (4.2 and 30.3 g g−1). This was followed by 4,9-
anhydroTTX (anh-TTX) (2.8 and 17.1 g g−1) and 4-epimerTTX (4-TTX) (1.9 and
11.4 g g−1). By the phylogenetic analysis based on COXI, two specimens were subsequently identified to be Carcinoscopius rotundicauda, a horseshoe crab that is
known to be found across Vietnam and occasionally regarded as local seafood in
coastal regions. Together with its strong lethal potency, it was suggested that TTX
was the source of food poisoning in Vietnam brought on by the consumption of
C. rotundicauda. At 146.2 MU g−1, specimen 2′s toxicity was almost seven times
greater than specimen 1′s (20.3 MU g−1). The fact that poisoning symptoms were
only observed in those who consumed specimen 2 could be explained by individual differences in TTX toxicity in this horseshoe crab species. To the best of our
knowledge, TTX caused by eating horseshoe crabs was originally reported in Vietnam. According to the study, TTX in horseshoe crabs poses a threat to seafood
safety in Vietnam.