PARENT SESSION
17 - Metal-Organic Interactions in the Environment
8:00 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday, 13 May 2002
Exhibition Area

(17-03) Interaction of cadmium and zinc with the marine algal toxin domoic acid .

Peake, Barrie^*,1, Hoedemaker, Jose¹, Kerr, Steve², ¹ Chemistry Department, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago² Department of Pharmacology, University of Otago School of Medicine, Dunedin, Otago

ABSTRACT- Studies of marine algal toxicity to date appear to have considered only the effects of the toxins on their own and never in conjunction with any trace metals. We wish to report the use of in-vitro rat hippocampal slice techniques to show a reduced electrophysiological response from 250 nM domoic acid in the presence of either cadmium ( 2 M) or zinc (4 M) ions compared to the effects of these species on their own. Chemical aspects of the interaction of these species will be discussed in terms of the results of anodic stripping voltammetry, cadmium NMR and other analytical techniques. These results have implications for the setting of maximum safe levels of domoic acid in shellfish containing trace amounts of at least cadmium and/or zinc.

Key words: toxin, metal, interaction, electrophysiological