RESUMO
The capacity for heavy metal bioaccumulation by some fish parasites has been demonstrated, and their contribution to decreasing metal concentrations in tissues of parasitized fish has been hypothesized. The present study evaluated the effect of the cestode Clestobothrium crassiceps on the accumulation of trace elements in 30 European hake, Merluccius merluccius, in Spain (half of them infested by C. crassiceps). Tissue samples from all M. merluccius and specimens of C. crassiceps from the infected hakes were collected and stored until element analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Arsenic, mercury, and selenium were generally present in lower levels in the cestode than in all hake tissues. The mean value of the muscular Se:Hg molar ratio in the infested subsample was higher than that in hakes without cestodes. Values indicate that the edible part of infested hakes presents a lower amount of Cd and Pb in relation to noninfested hakes.
Assuntos
Arsênio/metabolismo , Cestoides/metabolismo , Infecções por Cestoides/veterinária , Doenças dos Peixes/parasitologia , Gadiformes/parasitologia , Mercúrio/metabolismo , Selênio/metabolismo , Animais , Arsênio/análise , Infecções por Cestoides/metabolismo , Infecções por Cestoides/parasitologia , Doenças dos Peixes/metabolismo , Gadiformes/metabolismo , Mucosa Intestinal/metabolismo , Intestinos/parasitologia , Mar Mediterrâneo , Mercúrio/análise , Metais Pesados/análise , Metais Pesados/metabolismo , Selênio/análise , Espanha , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Poluentes Químicos da Água/metabolismoRESUMO
Anisakis simplex is a foodborne pathogen that can produce human infections and allergic reactions due to the high consumption of raw fish. The seeds of Myristica fragans (Myristicaceae), popularly known as nutmeg, are worldwide used as a culinary spice due to its flavour and properties in food preservation. A nutmeg extract was prepared, analyzed, screened for cytotoxicity and tested against Anisakis simplex L3 larvae. In order to detect the biologically active constituents of the extract, myristicin was tested on the larvae. An acetylcholinesterase inhibition bioassay was also carried out to investigate the antihelmintic mechanism of action. Our results demonstrate that nutmeg exerts antihelmintic effects on Anisakis simplex, being myristicin one of the active compounds. The extract induced a high rate of dead anisakis at concentrations between 0.5 and 0.7 mg/ml without being considered cytotoxic; however, an inhibition of acetylcholinesterase was discarded as the molecular mechanism involved in the activity.