Seafood and Freshwater Toxins: Pharmacology, Physiology, and Detection, Second Edition

Product Details

The occurrence of marine and freshwater toxins is a rapidly evolving problem due to ever-changing circumstances. Expanding international commerce is forcing cargo ships into virgin territory, deforestation and pollution violate the natural ecological balance, and a changing climate holds unknown potential to alter current factors and trigger toxic blooms in new forms, at new rates, and in new places. Fortunately, with notable advances in analysis technology, the body of knowledge in the field is equally dynamic. In just six years since the first edition, toxins that warranted only line listings, including pfiestra, gambierol, and polycavernoside, are now worthy of entire chapters, requiring a new edition to encompass the expanding scope of the field.

Emphasizes Human Response to New Toxins

Gathering contributions from international experts, Seafood and Freshwater Toxins: Pharmacology, Physiology, and Detection, Second Edition provides an overview of the current state-of-knowledge from several perspectives. Incorporating toxicology, chemistry, ecology, and economics, the book covers the biological aspects of the bloom and the effects and actions of each toxin with emphasis on human response. This edition includes more information on detection and analysis, toxicological information on previously little known toxins, and food safety issues.

Incorporating Pharmacological, Legal, and Economic Aspects, this book—

Begins with general information on risk assessment and analytical techniques

Cover several categories of toxins by function and biomechanism

Considers potential pharmacological applications and the use of toxins as precursors to therapeutic drugs

Highlights the legal and economic perspectives of toxic incidence in industrial activity and international regulation and monitoring programs

Describes new toxins by their individual chemical structure, ecobiology, metabolism, detection methods, determination, pharmacology, and toxicology

Publication Date: 01/28/2008
Pages: 960

Table of Contents

General Considerations. The Epidemiological Impact of Toxic Episodes. Diversity of Marine Toxins as Pharmacological Tools. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). Diarrheic Episodes: Phosphatase Inhibitors. Lipophyllic Toxins: Non-phosphatase Inhibitors. Yessotoxins. Pectenotoxins. Domoic Acid Intoxication. Non-PSP Neurotoxic Episodes. Ciguatera Toxins. Maitotoxin. Brevetoxins. Cyclic Imines and Spirolides. Polycavernosides: Gambierol. Palytoxin, Ostreocin, Ovatatoxin. Pfiesteria Toxins. Azaspiracids. Cyanobacterial Toxins. Neurotoxins. Hepatotoxins. Toxins as a Starting Point to Drugs. Legal and Economical Views.