THE USE OF THE CHICKEN-EMBRYO SCREENING-TEST AND BRINE SHRIMP (ARTEMIA-SALINA) BIOASSAYS TO ASSESS THE TOXICITY OF FUMONISIN B-1 MYCOTOXIN

Chicken embryos and brine shrimp naulpii were utilized in short-term t oxicity bioassays to assess their sensitivity to the mycotoxin fumonis in B-1 (FB1). Fertile chicken eggs (Cobb x) were dosed with FB1 on day 2 of incubation by the injection of 100 pi of aqueous solution into t he air space of each egg. Eggs were incubated with mechanical rotation until hatch, at which time mortality was assessed. Probit transformat ion of the mortality data produced a linear line of best fit (P < 0.05 ), from which an LD50 of 52 mu g FB1/egg, equivalent to a concentratio n of 1.3 mu M hatched in artificial seawater and exposed to FB1 in an optimized 96-well plate assay with a 48 hr mortality endpoint. Probit transformation of the mortality data resulted in an LC50 of 1.7 mu M F B1/ml or 1.2 mu g FB1/ml. Thus, at the cellular level, both-bioassays appeared sensitive to FB1; however, from the standpoint of use as a sc reening assay, the chicken embryo bioassay is limited by the relativel y high dose of FB1 required per egg. It is anticipated that the design and simplicity of the brine shrimp bioassay will accommodate screenin g for FB1 toxicity in contaminated samples. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.