Toxic bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia cuspidata (Bacillariophyceae) and domoic acid contamination of bivalve molluscs in Malaysia Borneo
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-30-2021
Abstract
In March 2018, an algal bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia was detected, for the first time, in a semi-enclosed lagoon in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia Borneo. The plankton samples were collected for cell enumeration and species identification by electron microscopy and molecular characterization. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed to detect and quantify the neurotoxin domoic acid (DA) in both the plankton and shellfish samples. The abundance of Pseudo-nitzschia cells ranged from 5.6 x 10(5) to 3.5 x 10(6) cell L-1 during the bloom event. Morphological observation of the cells by transmission electron microscopy showed that the plankton samples comprised a single Pseudo-nitzschia morphotype resembling P. cuspidata. The ITS2 sequence-structure phylogenetic inference further supported the species identity as Pseudo-nitzschia cuspidata. Low levels of DA were detected in the plankton samples, with cellular DA, particulate DA, and dissolved DA of 257-504 fg DA cell(-1), 676 ng L-1, and 15 ng L-1, respectively. The amount of DA, 8 mu g g(-1) tissue, was found present in the shellfish sample (Magallana sp.) which is below the regulatory limit of 20 mu g DA g(-1) tissue. The study documented, for the first time, DA contamination in shellfish that associated with bloom of P. cuspidata in the Western Pacific region.
Keywords
Amnesic shellfish poisoning, Diatom taxonomy and phylogeny, Harmful algal bloom, New DA record, Pseudo-nitzschia, Shellfish contamination
Divisions
ocean
Funders
Ministry of Education, Singapore[RACER/1/2019/STG03/UNIMAS//1],Universiti Malaysia Sarawak[F07/SGS/1522/2016],Universiti Malaysia Sarawak[I01/SHC/1627/2017]
Publication Title
Toxicon
Volume
202
Publisher
Pergamon-Elsevier Science
Publisher Location
THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND