| The epi-benthic dinoflagellates Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa produce ciguatoxins (CTXs) and maitotoxins (MTXs), which are among the most potent marine toxins known. CTXs are bio-accumulated and bio-transformed along the marine food chain and cause Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP), the most common non-bacterial foodborne intoxication worldwide. Recently, CFP has been reported from areas previously not considered endemic, namely the Canary Islands, and an increasing number of species has been discovered in these genera. Little is known about the relative toxicity between different species and the toxin congeners produced by these dinoflagellates, especially by strains outside the Pacific Ocean. Several strains of Gambierdiscus and Fukuyoa were screened for their... |
