Seafood Toxins

Extract AOAC Official Method 959.08Paralytic Shellfish Poison: Biological Method First Action 1959 Final Action Caution: Use rubber gloves when handling materials that may contain paralytic shellfish poison. Materials ... Standardization of Bioassay Dilute 10 mL aliquots of 1 μg/mL standard solution with 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 mL H2O, respectively, until intraperitoneal injection of 1 mL doses into few test mice causes median death time of 5–7 min. pH of dilutions should be 2–4 and must not be >4.5. Test additional dilutions in 1 mL increments of H2O, e.g., if 10 mL diluted with 25 mL H2O kills mice in 5–7 min, test solutions diluted 10 + 24 and 10 + 26. Inject group of 10 mice with each of two or preferably three dilutions that fall within median death time of 5–7 min. Give 1 mL dose to each mouse by intraperitoneal injection and determine death time as time elapsed from completion of injection to last gasping breath of mouse.