Arsenosugar phosphate extracted from seaweed: Isolation, quantification, characterization, and in vitro toxicological...

Area of Science:

• Marine biotechnology
• Environmental toxicology
• Food safety

Background:

• Seaweed is a growing source for food and feed, raising concerns about toxic arsenic (As) species.
• Organic arsenosugars in seaweed have unknown toxicity, despite being a primary As form in nori (Porphyra spp.).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro toxicity of arsenosugar-phosphate (As-Sug-PO4), a major arsenic species in nori.
• To assess the impact of As-Sug-PO4 on cellular functions, including cytotoxicity and gene expression related to lipid biosynthesis, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of As-Sug-PO4 from nori using solid-phase extraction (SPE).
• In vitro toxicity assessment in primary salmon hepatocytes exposed to As-Sug-PO4, As(III), and DMA(V).
• Analysis of cytotoxicity, gene expression via RT-qPCR, and arsenic speciation using HPLC-ICP-MS.

Main Results:

• High concentrations of As-Sug-PO4 induced cytotoxicity and mitochondrial damage.
• Lower concentrations of As-Sug-PO4 impacted triglyceride biosynthesis, suggesting impaired lipid deposition.
• Arsenite (As(III)) was the most toxic species; As-Sug-PO4 and DMA(V) did not alter arsenic speciation profiles after 48h exposure.

Conclusions:

• As-Sug-PO4 exhibits toxicity and affects lipid metabolism in vitro, necessitating further investigation.
• In vivo studies are required to validate these findings and establish regulatory limits for As-Sug-PO4 in food and feed.