Abstract:
Background Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a critical risk factor impeding the development of the pufferfish industry. Takifugu flavidus and Takifugu bimaculatus are the primary cultured pufferfish species in Fujian Province. However, comprehensive baseline data on TTX levels in these species remain scarce.
Objective This study aimed to systematically analyze the tissue distribution and seasonal variation of TTX in these two cultured pufferfish species and to assess the associated food safety risks.
Methods Between 2019 and 2024, a total of 154 batches of T. flavidus and 234 batches of T. bimaculatus were collected from major aquaculture areas in Fujian Province. TTX concentrations in the skin, muscle, liver, and gonads were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS).
Results TTX levels in all samples were below the national regulatory limit of 2 200 μg/kg. The overall detection rates of TTX based on edible tissues were low, with no significant difference observed between T. flavidus (1.95%, 3/154) and T. bimaculatus (2.56%, 6/234) (P>0.05). Analysis of tissue distribution revealed that the TTX detection rates in non-gonadal tissues (skin, muscle, liver) were below 3%, with average concentrations generally lower than the limit of quantification (3 μg/kg). The gonads were the main accumulation site for TTX. The detection rate in gonads was significantly higher in T. flavidus (47.2%) than in T. bimaculatus (17.6%) (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the average TTX concentration within the gonads between the two species (P>0.05). Seasonal analysis indicated no significant variation in TTX detection rate or average concentration in non-gonadal tissues across seasons (P>0.05). In contrast, both detection rate and average concentration in gonads peaked during summer. Dietary risk assessment indicated that the risk quotient (RQ) and exposure risk index (ERI) for all tissues of both species were below 1,with RQ ranging from 0.000 68 to 0.250 91 and ERI from 0.000 34 to 0.122 67. The assessment values for non-gonadal tissues were far below 1, indicating negligible acute exposure risk from their consumption.
Conclusion The overall TTX risk associated with cultured T. flavidus and T. bimaculatus from Fujian Province is controllable. In particular, non-gonadal tissues demonstrate a high level of edible safety. This study provides a scientific foundation for the safe production and consumption of these two cultured pufferfish species.