• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.444-451
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• 2024

The tissue distribution of tetrodotoxin (TTX) and its analogs in farmed Takifugu rubripes pufferfish sold in Korean markets was determined using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method detection limit for TTX ranged from 0.019 to 0.022 mg/kg in high-fat and low-fat matrices. The intra-day (n = 5) and inter-day (3 d, n = 15) accuracy and precision results met the Codex guidelines. Tetrodotoxin was not detected in most of the analyzed tissue samples. In the farmed T. rubripes tissues, TTX levels reached a maximum of 0.07 mg/kg in the liver. Among the TTX analogs, dideoxyTTX, trideoxyTTX, and norTTX were detected in all samples. This study contributes to the database of marine toxicity information for farmed Takifugu species sold in Korean markets.