Prior to leaving for spring break I read the following article about mussels and the risk of acute poisoning due to accumulated algal toxins which made me think twice before ordering some one night at dinner, but I still ordered them.
An algal toxin that accumulates in mussels has been synthesized by Zurich chemists. Mussels are considered as particularly “dangerous” because they feed on plankton which they filter from the water. Toxins that eventually accumulate in the mussels and might be fatal for whoever eats them, are produced by some of the organisms that comprise plankton, mainly algae. Symptoms of mussel poisonings are often severe and vary from tingling lips to paralysis of the respiratory muscles, potentially leading to death.
The first ever complete laboratory synthesis of a natural product from the chlorosulpholipids class was carried out by professor Erick M. Carreira and its team and its structure was also confirmed. The synthesized lipid was first isolated from the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis which is found in the Adriatic Sea. This compound prepared in the laboratory which has shown to have cytotoxic properties could be partly responsible for food poisoning caused by mussels. Dinoflagellate, a tiny algal species might be the origin of the chlorosulpholipid, the product being studied. The synthesis of this product opens up new opportunities for biochemical, toxicological and medical studies. Professor Carreira explained that this may help develop a method to detect the toxin in these molluscs before they are served up for human consumption.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090220124910.htm
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