ABSTRACT
Naturally occurring seafood poisonings, including ciguatera, scombroid fish poisoning, paralytic shellfish poisoning, neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, amnesic shellfish poisoning, and puffer fish poisoning were reviewed. Biogenic amines, such as histamine, tyramine, and ß-phenylethylamine, have been implicated as etiological agents in several outbreaks of food poisoning, in dietary-induced migraine headaches, and in cases of hypertensive crisis in some patients. A fluorometric method using diphenyl-1-pyrenylphosphine was developed for the determination of hydroperoxides in oil and food samples. Statistical analyses of the data demonstrated that smoking, use of traditional medicines, and consumption of Solanum nigrum as a food were significant risk factors, with relative risks of 2.6, 2.1, and 3.6, respectively. Cassava, the most important staple food crop for millions of people in the tropics is, unfortunately, toxic unless correctly prepared, due to its content of cyanogenic glycosides, linamarin and methyl-linamarin.
