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Analysis of Neurotoxic Amino Acids from Marine Waters, Microbial Mats, and Seafood Destined for Human Consumption in the Arabian Gulf

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Abstract

Human health risks associated with exposure to algal and cyanobacterial toxins (phycotoxins) have been largely concerned with aquatic habitats. People inhabiting desert environments may be exposed to phycotoxins present in terrestrial environments, where cyanobacterial crusts dominate. Seafood comprises a significant portion of the human diet in desert environments proximal to an ocean or sea. Consequently, in addition to terrestrial exposure to cyanotoxins, the potential exists that seafood may be an important exposure route for cyanotoxins in desert regions. Understanding the possible risk of exposure from seafood will help create cyanotoxin health guidelines for people living in environments that rely on seafood. Commonly-consumed local seafood products destined for human consumption were purchased from a fish market in Doha, Qatar. Organs were excised, extracted, and analyzed for the neurotoxic amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and the isomers 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (DAB) and N-2(aminoethyl)glycine (AEG). The presence and concentration of neurotoxic amino acids were investigated in organisms from various trophic levels to examine the potential for biomagnification. Although BMAA and isomers were detected in marine microbial mats, as well as in marine plankton net trawls associated with diatoms and dinoflagellates, in seafood, only AEG and DAB were present at low concentrations in various trophic levels. The findings of this study suggest that exposure to neurotoxic amino acids through seafood in the Arabian Gulf may be minor, yet the presence of BMAA in phytoplankton confirms the need for further monitoring of marine waters and seafood to protect human health.

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Acknowledgements

This publication was made possible by NPRP grant 4-775-1-116 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors. We wish to acknowledge that Figs. 1 and 3 of this manuscript were created by Ms. Jenine Davidson. We thank Dr. Rodrigo Riera for his advice on the choice of marine species to be analyzed, and Drs. Moncef Ladjimi, Ali Sultan, Anthony Hay, and Michel Louge for providing funding and support to ADC.

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Author notes

  1. Aspassia D. Chatziefthimiou

    Present address: Richer Environments, Environmental Consulting, PO Box 20895, Doha, Qatar

  2. Aspassia D. Chatziefthimiou and Eric J. Deitch contributed equally to the study

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, Education City, PO Box 24144, Doha, Qatar

    Aspassia D. Chatziefthimiou & Eric J. Deitch

  2. Richer Environments, Environmental Consulting, PO Box 20895, Doha, Qatar

    Renee A. Richer

  3. Brain Chemistry Labs, Institute for Ethnomedicine, Box 3464, Jackson, WY, 83001, USA

    William B. Glover, James T. Powell, Sandra Anne Banack, Paul A. Cox & James S. Metcalf

  4. University of Wisconsin Marinette, Marinette, WI, 54143, USA

    Renee A. Richer

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  1. Aspassia D. Chatziefthimiou
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  2. Eric J. Deitch
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Correspondence to James S. Metcalf.

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Chatziefthimiou, A.D., Deitch, E.J., Glover, W.B. et al. Analysis of Neurotoxic Amino Acids from Marine Waters, Microbial Mats, and Seafood Destined for Human Consumption in the Arabian Gulf. Neurotox Res 33, 143–152 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-017-9772-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12640-017-9772-3

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