EVALUATION OF ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT -ASSAY (ELISA) KIT FOR PARALYTIC SHELLFISH POISONING TOXINS

The reliability and utility of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (E LISA) kit for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins were examined . Compared with the mouse bioassay, which is an official method worldw ide, as described by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists ( AOAC), the system showed remarkable sensitivity to saxitoxin (STX). Th e recovery of saxitoxin diacetate (STX-A) from clam meat was almost 10 0% over a certain range of the toxin concentration. However, the kit e xhibited unpredictable cross-reactivities to a mixture of gonyautoxins (GTXs), and underestimated the toxicity of some naturally contaminate d shellfish samples which were harvested in the sea near Japan. We con sider that the existing mouse bioassay can not be replaced with the EL ISA kit for the purpose of screening inshore shellfish samples. Consid ering the advantages of this method, however, the kit should be availa ble for certain uses provided that its limitations are borne in mind.