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Human risk associated with palytoxin exposure.

Jonathan R Deeds¹, Michael D Schwartz

¹US Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, HFS-707, College Park, MD 20740, USA. jonathan.deeds@fda.hhs.gov

Toxicon : Official Journal of the International Society on Toxinology

|June 10, 2009

Summary

Palytoxin (PTX) is a potent marine toxin found in various organisms, posing risks through seafood and the aquarium trade. Further research is needed to understand its distribution and human health impacts.

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Area of Science:

Marine Biology
Toxicology
Ecotoxicology

Background:

Palytoxin (PTX) was initially isolated from the zoanthid Palythoa toxica.
PTX and related compounds are now identified in diverse marine taxa, including dinoflagellates, sea anemones, and red algae.

Observation:

PTX exhibits high toxicity via intravenous, intraperitoneal, and intratracheal routes in animal models.
Non-lethal effects are observed with dermal and ocular exposure.
PTX is present in reef food webs, contaminating fish and crabs that cause human poisonings.

Findings:

Organisms containing PTX are prevalent in the home aquarium trade, leading to documented human poisonings.
Assessing PTX risk in seafood is complicated by its co-occurrence with other marine toxins like ciguatoxins and saxitoxins.
Human exposure through inhalation and dermal contact is increasingly recognized.

Implications:

Continued investigation into PTX and PTX-like compounds in seafood and aquarium organisms is crucial.
Understanding PTX distribution is vital for public health and risk management strategies.
Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the scope of PTX contamination and its impact on human health and marine ecosystems.