Melchiorre Chiara, Varra Michela, Tegola Valeria, Miele Valentina, Dell'Aversano Carmela
Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy.
National Biodiversity Future Center, Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy.
Toxins (Basel). 2025 Jun 6;17(6):286. doi: 10.3390/toxins17060286.
Palytoxins (PLTXs) and ovatoxins (OVTXs) are a group of highly potent marine toxins that pose significant health risks through seafood contamination and environmental exposure. OVTX-producing algae have been linked to dermatitis and respiratory distress in Mediterranean beachgoers, while serious public health concerns are related to PLTX accumulation in seafood. In 2009, the European Food Safety Authority highlighted the need for analytical detection methods of the PLTX group of toxins and for the preparation of reference materials. This study investigates the stability of the palytoxin signal using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MRM-MS) and UV-Vis spectrophotometry under different experimental conditions: three concentrations (10, 1, and 0.5 µg/mL), three methanol-water mixtures (10%, 50%, and 90%), and two temperatures (6 °C and 25 °C). The results showed that the PLTX signal response is significantly influenced by the experimental conditions used. LC-MRM-MS analysis revealed the optimal response of PLTX in 50% and 90% MeOH at 25 °C, with minimal signal loss occurring over 16 h (9% and 6%). UV-Vis data indicated reduced absorbance in 10% MeOH, but a stable spectral intensity over 21 h in all the tested solvent mixtures. These results underscore the necessity of carefully controlled experimental conditions to ensure accurate and reproducible PLTX detection in environmental and food safety monitoring.
岩沙海葵毒素（PLTXs）和 ovatoxins（OVTXs）是一类剧毒的海洋毒素，可通过海产品污染和环境暴露对健康构成重大风险。产生 OVTX 的藻类与地中海海滩游客的皮炎和呼吸窘迫有关，而严重的公共卫生问题则与海产品中 PLTX 的积累有关。2009 年，欧洲食品安全局强调需要 PLTX 类毒素的分析检测方法和参考物质的制备。本研究使用液相色谱串联质谱法（LC-MRM-MS）和紫外可见分光光度法，在不同实验条件下研究岩沙海葵毒素信号的稳定性：三种浓度（10、1 和 0.5 µg/mL）、三种甲醇-水混合物（10%、50% 和 90%）以及两种温度（6 °C 和 25 °C）。结果表明，所使用的实验条件对 PLTX 信号响应有显著影响。LC-MRM-MS 分析表明，PLTX 在 25 °C 下于 50% 和 90% 的甲醇中具有最佳响应，在 16 小时内信号损失最小（9% 和 6%）。紫外可见数据表明，在 10% 的甲醇中吸光度降低，但在所有测试的溶剂混合物中 21 小时内光谱强度稳定。这些结果强调了在环境和食品安全监测中仔细控制实验条件以确保准确和可重复的 PLTX 检测的必要性。
