The detection o
f paralytic shell
fish poisoning (PSP) toxinsin contaminated shell
fish is essential
for human healthpreservation. Ethical and technical reasons have promptedthe search
for new detection procedures as an alternativeto the mouse bioassay. On the basis o
f the detection o
fmolecular interactions by sur
face plasmon resonance(SPR) biosensors, an inhibition assay was developedusing an anti-GTX2/3 antibody (GT13-A) and a saxitoxin-CM5 chip. This assay allowed
for quanti
fication o
f saxitoxin (STX), decarbamoyl saxitoxin (dcSTX), gonyautoxin2,3 (GTX2/3), decarbamoyl gonyautoxin 2,3 (dcGTX2/3), gonyautoxin 5 (GTX5), and C 1,2 (C1/2) at concentrations
from 2 to 50 ng/mL. The inter
ference o
f five shell
fishmatrixes with the inhibition assay was analyzed. Mussels,clams, cockles, scallops, and oysters were extracted with
five published methods. Ethanol extracts and acetic acid/heat extracts (AOAC Lawrence method) per
formed adequately in terms o
f sur
face regeneration and baselineinter
ference, did not inhibit antibody binding to the chipsur
face signi
ficantly, and presented STX calibration curvessimilar to bu
ffer controls in all matrixes tested. Hydrochloric acid/heat extracts (AOAC mouse bioassay method)presented sur
face regeneration problems, and althoughethanol-acetic acid/dichloromethane extracts per
formedwell, they were considered too laborious
for routinesample testing. Overall the best results were obtained withthe ethanol extraction method with calibration curvesprepared in
blank matrix extracts. STX recovery rate withthe ethanol extraction method was 60.52 ± 3.72%, withvariations among species. The per
formance o
f this biosensor assay in natural samples, compared to two AOACmethods
for PSP toxin quanti
fication (mouse bioassay andHPLC), suggests that this technology can be use
ful as aPSP screening assay. In summary, the GT13-A-STX chipinhibition assay is capable o
f PSP toxin detection inethanol shell
fish extracts, with su
fficient sensitivity toquanti
fy the toxin in the range o
f the European regulatorylimit o
f 80
![](/images/entities/mgr.gi<font color=)
f">g/100 g o
f shell
fish meat.