ABSTRACT
Pectenotoxins (PTXs) are macrolactones with multiple polyether ring units that have been shown to contaminate shellsh in various parts of the world including Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and a number of European countries (Draisci et al. 1996; James et al. 1999; Suzuki et al. 2001). Therefore, the PTX group is considered as a group of polyether-lactone toxins that induce diarrhea. It is noted that 15 PTX analogs, which are related to their structures, have been discovered, with different toxicological potencies (Espina and Rubiolo 2008). They have been detected in microalgae and bivalve mollusks where they were rst isolated from the Japanese scallop Patinopecten yessoensis (Yasumoto et al. 1985).
