Distribution of Tetrodotoxin in Wild Pufferfish from the Southeastern Coastal Regions of China.
- 1Key Laboratory of Cultivation and High-Value Utilization of Marine Organisms in Fujian Province, National Research and Development Center for Marine Fish Processing, Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Xiamen 361021, China.
- 2College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
Abstract
Wild pufferfish are abundant in the coastal waters of southeastern China, yet systematic data on their toxicity remain limited. This study collected 1230 specimens from Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan and quantified tetrodotoxin (TTX) in nine tissues (eyes, skin, muscle, ovaries/testis, liver, digestive tract, kidneys, and heart) by ELISA. In total, 10 species were identified (Lagocephalus wheeleri, L. gloveri, L. inermis, L. lunaris, Takifugu xanthopterus, T. ocellatus, T. niphobles, T. poecilonotus, T. bimaculatus, T. oblongus). All tissues of L. wheeleri and L. gloveri contained TTX below the safety limit (2.2 μg/g), whereas the remaining eight species showed varying degrees of toxicity. T. bimaculatus and T. oblongus exhibited lethal-grade toxicity, with ovarian TTX reaching 320 μg/g and 393.56 μg/g, respectively. TTX was predominantly concentrated in the ovaries, liver, skin, and digestive tract, with substantial inter-individual variation. Marked sex-dependent differences and seasonal fluctuations were observed, driven by reproductive activity, water temperature, and prey availability. This study is the first to report that the wild T. bimaculatus from this region is a highly toxic species, and confirms the lethal toxicity of T. oblongus, providing a scientific basis for managing the consumption-related risks of wild pufferfish.
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BibTeX
@article{zhang2026distribution,
title = {{Distribution of Tetrodotoxin in Wild Pufferfish from the Southeastern Coastal Regions of China.}},
author = {Xinxin Zhang and Min Xu and Bei Chen and Shuilin Cai and Qilin Huang and Kun Qiao and Zhiyu Liu},
journal = {Toxins},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/toxins18100458},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42931548},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Distribution of Tetrodotoxin in Wild Pufferfish from the Southeastern Coastal Regions of China.
AU - Xinxin Zhang
AU - Min Xu
AU - Bei Chen
AU - Shuilin Cai
AU - Qilin Huang
AU - Kun Qiao
AU - Zhiyu Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Toxins
DO - 10.3390/toxins18100458
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42931548
AB - Wild pufferfish are abundant in the coastal waters of southeastern China, yet systematic data on their toxicity remain limited. This study collected 1230 specimens from Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan and quantified tetrodotoxin (TTX) in nine tissues (eyes, skin, muscle, ovaries/testis, liver, digestive tract, kidneys, and heart) by ELISA. In total, 10 species were identified (Lagocephalus wheeleri, L. gloveri, L. inermis, L. lunaris, Takifugu xanthopterus, T. ocellatus, T. niphobles, T. poecilonotus, T. bimaculatus, T. oblongus). All tissues of L. wheeleri and L. gloveri contained TTX below the safety limit (2.2 μg/g), whereas the remaining eight species showed varying degrees of toxicity. T. bimaculatus and T. oblongus exhibited lethal-grade toxicity, with ovarian TTX reaching 320 μg/g and 393.56 μg/g, respectively. TTX was predominantly concentrated in the ovaries, liver, skin, and digestive tract, with substantial inter-individual variation. Marked sex-dependent differences and seasonal fluctuations were observed, driven by reproductive activity, water temperature, and prey availability. This study is the first to report that the wild T. bimaculatus from this region is a highly toxic species, and confirms the lethal toxicity of T. oblongus, providing a scientific basis for managing the consumption-related risks of wild pufferfish.
SN - 2072-6651
ER -