The contaminant responsible for the atypical toxicity reported in mussels from Bizerte Lagoon (Northern Tunisia) during the last decade has been characterized as C17-sphinganine analog mycotoxin (C17-SAMT). This neurotoxin showed common mouse toxic symptoms, including flaccid paralysis and severe dyspnea, followed by rapid death. For hazard assessment on human health, in this work we aimed to evaluate the in vivo genotoxic effects of this marine biotoxin using the classical alkaline and modified Fpg comet assays performed to detect DNA breaks and alkali-labile sites as well as oxidized bases. The micronucleus assay was used on bone marrow to detect chromosome and genome damage. C17-SAMT induces a statistically insignificant increase in DNA tail intensity at all doses in the duodenum, and in the spleen contrary to the liver, the percentage of tail DNA increased significantly at the mid dose of 300 µg/kg b.w/d. C17-SAMT did not affect the number of micronuclei in the bone marrow. Microscopic observations of the liver showed an increase in the number of mitosis and hepatocytes’ cytoplasm clarification. At this level of study, we confirm that C17-SAMT induced DNA damage in the liver but there was no evidence of effects causing DNA oxidation or chromosome and genome damage.
As part of the routine control of the Tunisian network for the monitoring of the most problematic microalgae species Karenia selliformis and Alexandrium minutum and for the study of hydrophilic and lipophilic marine biotoxin profiles, clams and seawater samples from Boughrara lagoon were analysed during the past decade. The results showed that the abundance of Karenia selliformis and Alexandrium minutum in the Boughrara lagoon exhibited significant variability at annual scales. K. selliformis was recorded in all sampling years with interannual variability. Among the nine sampled years, 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2017 were, respectively, the most significant in terms of mean abundance (2.85, 2.42, 1.38, 1.69) ∙ 105 cells L–1. A. minutum species were observed in the water column during all investigated years except in 2013, 2016 and 2017, but in low concentrations compared to K. selliformis (≤ 7.4 ∙ 102 cells L–1). Using LC-FLD, traces of paralytic toxins (C1 and GTX-2) were detected in some clam samples. Their concentrations were largely below the regulatory limit. For the first time, N-sulfocarbamoyl gonyautoxin-2 (C-1) and gonyautoxin 2 (GTX-2) were detected in some clam samples from this region. LC-MS/MS analysis confirmed the presence of gymnodimines in some samples. The main peak corresponds to the GYM-A with high concentrations generally above 1 mg kg–1 of clams meat, which confirms the persistence of this neurotoxin in Boughrara lagoon.
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