Bioassays for detection and identification of cyclic imine toxins

International audience; Marine neurotoxins move-up fast in the food chain through shellfish that filter-feed on toxic dinoflagellate species constituting a serious hazard for Public Health. Monitoring of regulated marine toxins is performed by physicochemical analyses. It is essential however to develop functional bioassays as an alternative to mouse bioassay for high-throughput detection of novel and emergent marine toxins. Cyclic imine toxins are very-fast acting neurotoxins highly lethal to mice acting as potent antagonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Although not regulated, chronic exposition to cyclic imine toxins is of concern given their high affinity for neuronal and muscle nicotinic receptors and their capacity to cross the intestinal and the brain blood barriers. A series of bioassays based on the mode of action of cyclic imine toxins are here reviewed.Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Harmful Algae 21-26 October 2018 Nantes, France.