Detection of Tetrodotoxin in the Xanthid Crab <i>Atergatis floridus</i> (Linnaeus, 1767) Collected from Jeju Island off the South Coast of Korea, Using Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (cELISA)

Abstract

Tropical and subtropical xanthid crabs are known for containing potent neurotoxins, such as paralytic shellfish poison and tetrodotoxin (TTX), which can cause human intoxication. Although the toxic xanthid crab Atergatis floridus is known to be distributed on Jeju Island on the south coast of Korea, information about TTX in this crab is yet to be available. In this study, we used a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) to screen for TTX levels in A. floridus and A. integerrimus, a member of the family Xanthidae recently collected from the southern coast of Jeju Island. The cELISA assay indicated A. floridus contained weak to moderate toxic levels of TTX in their tissues; the walking leg muscle showed the highest TTX concentration, followed by the gonad, hepatopancreas, chelipeds muscle, stomach, gills, and cephalothorax muscle, with the TTX contents per individual ranging from 29.64 to 109.06 mu g. In contrast, the ELISA revealed that TTX levels in all A. integerrimus tissues analyzed were below the detection limit. This study first reports TTX toxin in the xanthid crab A. floridus, and the findings provide fundamental information for monitoring the toxicity of the xanthid crabs on the coast of Jeju Island.