ABSTRACT
This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by Palytoxin (PLTX) in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. PLTX is a lethal, heat-stable marine toxin, which was first isolated in 1971 in Hawaii from the seaweed-like coral, Limu-make-o-Hana, polyps of the genus Palythoa. PLTX is one of the most potent toxins known to mankind and poses a high risk to humans through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal routes. PLTX and its analogs are potent marine toxins known to cause fatality of several animals, including humans. PLTX is referred to as a super-carbon-chain compound, since it has the longest chain of continuous carbon atom chain known to exist in any known natural product. PLTX and a series of its congeners, such as homopalytoxin, bishomopalytoxin, neopalytoxin, deoxypalytoxin, and 42-hydroxy-palytoxin, were subsequently identified in the Palythoa species.
