Why is puffer ovary detoxified by traditional processing method?

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K14739
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Food science
• Research Institution: Ishikawa Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: ENOMOTO Toshiki 石川県立大学, 生物資源環境学部, 教授 (70203643)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: フグ卵巣 / フグ毒 / 発酵 / 無毒化 / 微生物 / 糠漬け / 発酵食品

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The toxicity of puffer ovaries and its rice bran pickles was evaluated by mouse units and LC-TOF-MS. As a result, Toxicity of the ovaries was decreased during fermentation with salt or rice bran. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) and its analog, 5,6,11-trideoxytetrotodoxin (TDTTX) were detected from these samples. Since TTX and TDTTX decrease during fermentation with rice bran, it was suggested that TTX decomposes to reduce the toxicity. When microflora was studied in puffer ovaries fermented with rice bran, Tetragenococcus muriaticus was identified as a main lactic acid bacteria. Bacillus and Clostridium also occupied the major flora. The involvement of these bacteria in TTX degradation was left as a future study.

Free Research Field

食品化学