Occurrence of tetrodotoxin in red-eye puffers from Balai Ringin, Sarawak

• Main Author: Nik Nor Fathiah, binti Noordin
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, (UNIMAS) 2011
• Subjects: Q Science (General); SH Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/6428/4/Nik%20Nor%20Fathiah%20Binti%20Noordin%20ft.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/6428/

Analysis and quantification the toxin properties were carried out on two species of red-eye puffers, Carinotetraodon borneensis (CB) and Carinotetraodon salivator (CS) from Balai Ringin, Sarawak. Total numbers of 50 individuals of both species were collected by gills nets and morphometrics data (i.e. standard length, total length, body weight) were measured and morphological appearances were described. Two different samples, frozen and fresh were analyzed for toxin properties by using thin layer chromatogram (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC). Fish tissues (i.e. muscle, skin, internal organs) were extracted by mild concentration of 0.1% acetic acid and the extracts were used in both chromatograms analyses. In TLC analysis, two solvent systems were preformed to identify the toxin properties as the results shows that for CB frozen samples – muscle and internal organs gave single fluorescent spot with Rf values identically same as tetrodotoxin (TTX) standard. Meanwhile, in fresh samples the same Rf values of TTX only appeared in skin and internal organs. For CS, muscle and internal organs extracts were identified contained TTX properties in fresh samples, whereas only in muscle tissues of frozen samples gave positive results. The HPLC analyses were conducted to determine toxin properties and concentration based on partially purified toxin extraction of CB and CS tissues. The toxin was characterized as TTX in all samples of both species, with different concentration among the tissues. Toxicity level (MU/g) of CB and CS were determined low in muscle (2.0, 1.5) and skin (5.5, 3.0), and high in internal organs of CS up to 40.3 MU/g. In conclusion, both chromatograms analyses confirmed the occurrence of TTX in both red-eye puffers’ samples from Balai Ringin.