Effects of temperature and pH on degradation of paralytic shellfish poison

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of temperature and pH on the degradation of gonyautoxin (GTX) 1-4 in both canned oyster infested wi th paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) and a model GTX 1-4 solution. The degra dation of GTX 1-4 in the model solution obeyed good first order kinetics ov er the entire range of temperature (80 120 degrees C) and pH (6.0-8.0) used in the experiment, The degradation rate of GTX 1-4 increased with the rise of temperature and pH with the correlation coefficient ranging from 0.87 t o 0.98. These results obtained with GTX 1-4 in the model solution were almo st the same as those with GTX 1-4 in heated-canned oyster infested with PSP . Thus, the amount of GTX 1-4 remaining in canned oyster after heat treatme nt can be estimated by prediction equations derived in this study.