Abstract

Lipophilic toxins associated with diarrhoeic toxins were found in Mytilus chilensis (Blue mussels) and Aulacomya ater (Ribbed mussels). These shellfish samples were collected from Chiloe Island, Southern Chile. The samples were tested by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). After the analysis, four toxins were found: DTX-1, DTX-3, YTX and PTX. All toxins were identified by comparing their HPLC retention times with those of analytical standards and confirmed by LC-MS/MS. Dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX-1) and dinophysistoxin-3 (DTX-3) toxins were the major components within the mussel extracts. Nevertheless, the percentages of these toxins differed depending on the area they were collected from and/or the sampling date. The levels detected in Butacheuques Island for okadaic acid (OA) was 267 ± 3.5 µg OA eq kg(-1) (p < 0.05) and for DTX-3 was 183.4 ± 7.5 µg kg(-1) in ribbed mussels. Pectenotoxin (PTX) and yessotoxin (YTX) were the toxins detected in minor proportions in the toxic profile of the bivalves. The maximum concentration of YTX detected in ribbed mussels was 85.2 ± 2.8 µg kg(-1) in Mechuque Island, whereas the PTX-2 level in ribbed mussels was 82.0 ± 2.4 µg kg(-1) in Cailin Island. Analogues of YTX and PTX-2 were not detected in any of the analysed mussels, which did not support the supposed presence of isomers of toxins as a result of the enzymatic metabolism of bivalves. This study found evidence proving co-occurrence of lipophilic toxins - like PTX and YTX - with diarrhoeic toxin in samples collected in Southern Chile, which is, to date, the more complex mix of lipophilic toxins ever found in mussels samples from Southern Chile.