Marine invertebrates poisons

The present report is devoted to recent developments in many natural products derived from marine invertebrates, with emphasis given to those metabolites which show biological activity. As it is impossible to decide whether a newly described substance for which no activity is mentioned is inactive or whether such a substance has not been tested, several such metabolites are included as well as chemically related compounds with various biological activities. The literature since 1980 dealing with isolation of organic compounds will be reviewed. Papers dealing with syntheses are cited only when they provide confirmation for the proposed structure of a natural product. Metabolites from dinoflagellates and the paralytic shellfish poisons will not be discussed because of an extensive review by Shimizu in a recent volume of this series (32). 

Okada, K., 1955a, Biological studies on the practical utilities of poisonous marine invertebrates. I. A preliminary note on the toxical substance detected in the trumpet sea urchin, Toxopneustes pileolus. Rec. Oceanogr Wks. 2 49-52. 

Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP) is caused by a red-tide producer that was first identified in 1880 from Florida, with earlier historical references. It causes sickness in humans lasting several days. NSP is not fatal to humans however, it is known to kill fish, invertebrates, seabirds, and marine mammals (e.g., manatees). It is caused by the brevetoxin family (brevetoxin + 10 related compounds produced by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis a.k.a. Gymnodinium breve. The main contamination problems include oysters, clams, and other filter feeders of the Gulf of Mexico and southeast Atlantic, including North Carolina. 

Russel, F.E., Marine toxins and venomous and poisonous marine plants and animals (invertebrates), Adv. Mar Biol., 21, 59, 1984. 

The lethal effect from cyanide poisoning varied with species. Investigating the acute oral toxicity of sodium cyanide in birds, Wiemeyer et al. (1986) observed that the LDso values for the flesh-eating birds were lower than that for the birds that fed on plant material vulture 4.8 mg/kg versus chicken 21 mg/kg. In a study on marine species, Pavicic and Pihlar (1983) found that at 10 ppm concentration of NaCN, invertebrates were more sensitive than Ashes. In animals, the lethal dose of NaCN were in the same range by different toxic routes. A dose of 8 mg NaCN/kg resulted in ataxia, immobilization, and death in coyotes (Sterner 1979) however, the lethal time was longer, at 18 minutes. 

Halstead BW, Courville R (1965) Poisonous and Venomous Marine Animals of the World. Vol. 1. Invertebrates. US Government Printing Office, Washington DC. p 59-61. 

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