Domoic acid
Agent Name
Domoic acid
CAS Number
14277-97-5
Formula
C15-H21-N-O6
Major Category
Biological Agents
Synonyms
L-Domoic acid; 3-Pyrrolidineacetic acid, 2-carboxy-4-(5-carboxy-1-methyl-1,3-hexadienyl)-, (2S-(2-alpha,3-beta,4-beta(1Z,3E,5S*)))-; [ChemIDplus]
Category
Seafood Toxins
Description
Colorless solid; [HSDB] White powder; [MSDSonline]
Sources/Uses
Toxic amino acid isolated from a specific red alga (Chondria armata, Okamura, Rhodomelaceae); Causes amnesic shellfish poisoning; [Merck Index] Domoic acid and brevitoxin are toxins found in shellfish (mussels, oysters, and scallops) from the Florida coast and Gulf of Mexico. [MMWR. Vol. 53/RR]
Comments
Onset of action after ingestion is from minutes to hours; [Olson, p. 247] Domoic acid was found in Atlantic shellfish in 1987. It was found in crabs and clams in the states of Oregon and Washington, and in seafood from the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. Domoic acid causes gastroenteritis plus headache and loss of short term memory. [CCDM, p. 248-9] Domoic acid is water-soluble toxin that could be used as a biological weapon. After a heavy exposure, patients have gastroenteritis followed by neurological symptoms including confusion, hyporeflexia, memory loss, weakness, seizures, stupor, and coma. Patients may also have arrhythmias. [Weinstein, p. 58-9] Causes seizures at lethal doses; Intraperitoneal LD50 (mouse) = 5 mg/kg; [RTECS] May cause irritation and CNS disturbances; [MSDSonline]
Reference Link #1
Biomedical References
Adverse Effects
Neurotoxin
Other CNS neurotoxin
Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent
Other Information
No other related information on this agent was found.