Biomaterial Database

Toxicity of Gonyaulax tamarensis var. excavata cells to the brine shrimp Artemia salina L. 1982

J M Betz, and W J Blogoslawski

Brine shrimp (Artemia salina L.) were exposed to concentrations of live Gonyaulax tamarensis var. excavata cells ranging from 0 to 13,400 cells/ml in unialgal culture. The shrimp ingested the dinoflagellate cells and an LD50 determination was made. The shrimp had a 72-hr LD50 of 1258 G. tamarensis cells/ml, which was calculated to correspond to 73,385 micrograms/kg of body weight. This figure can be compared with an oral LD50 value of 2100 micrograms/kg for the mouse. Since it requires one-tenth as much toxin to kill a mouse (LD50 approximately 0.04 mg) as to kill an Artemia (LD50 approximately 0.4 mg), the whole cell G. tamarensis bioassay is a poor alternative to the current mouse assay.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007928	Lethal Dose 50	The dose amount of poisonous or toxic substance or dose of ionizing radiation required to kill 50% of the tested population.	LD50,Dose 50, Lethal
D004141	Dinoflagellida	Flagellate EUKARYOTES, found mainly in the oceans. They are characterized by the presence of transverse and longitudinal flagella which propel the organisms in a rotating manner through the water. Dinoflagellida were formerly members of the class Phytomastigophorea under the old five kingdom paradigm.	Amphidinium,Dinoflagellata,Dinophyceae,Dinophycidae,Dinophyta,Dinophytes,Gambierdiscus toxicus,Gonyaulax,Gymnodinium,Peridinium,Pyrrhophyta,Pyrrophyta,Dinoflagellates
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001156	Artemia	A genus of CRUSTACEA of the order ANOSTRACA, found in briny pools and lakes and often cultured for fish food. It has 168 chromosomes and differs from most crustaceans in that its blood contains hemoglobin.	Brine Shrimp,Shrimp, Brine,Artemias,Brine Shrimps,Shrimps, Brine
D012530	Saxitoxin	A compound that contains a reduced purine ring system but is not biosynthetically related to the purine alkaloids. It is a poison found in certain edible mollusks at certain times; elaborated by GONYAULAX and consumed by mollusks, fishes, etc. without ill effects. It is neurotoxic and causes RESPIRATORY PARALYSIS and other effects in MAMMALS, known as paralytic SHELLFISH poisoning.	Gonyaulax Toxin,Mitilotoxin,Saxitonin,Toxin, Gonyaulax