Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxin profile of shellfish from Southern Atlantic coasts of Morocco

Abstract

During the monitoring program of phycotoxins conducted in 2005 and 2006, lipophilic shell fish toxins (LSTs) are involved in shellfish toxicity phenomena in the South Atlantic Moroccan coasts (Dakhla region). Toxicity was assessed by the traditional mouse bioassay (MBA); the content and the nature of the toxic components were established through Liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). The ‘traditional’ DSP toxins group, okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysitoxins (DTXs) and their associated esters were exclusives contaminants of Dakhla’s shellfish (mussels, cockles, oysters and solen). Pectenotoxins, yessotoxins, and azaspiracids were not detected during this study. A survey of the phytoplankton community in the surrounding seawater revealed the presence of several potentially toxic species from the Dinophysis genus.