Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42864527›Full record

ReviewArchives of toxicology2026

Tetrodotoxin (TTX): What do we currently know? The state of the art.

Łukasz Niżnik, Kamil Kuca, Eugenie Nepovimová, Kamil Jurowski

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Archives of toxicology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Łukasz NiżnikDepartment of Regulatory and Forensic Toxicology, Institute of Medical Expertises in Łódź, ul. Aleksandrowska 67/93, 91-205, Łódź, Poland.
Kamil KucaCentre for Basic and Applied Research, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, CZ-500 03, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
Eugenie NepovimováCenter of Advanced Innovation Technologies, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, 708 00, Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic.
Kamil JurowskiDepartment of Regulatory and Forensic Toxicology, Institute of Medical Expertises in Łódź, ul. Aleksandrowska 67/93, 91-205, Łódź, Poland. toksykologia@ur.edu.pl.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is one of the most potent naturally occurring neurotoxins and continues to attract considerable scientific, clinical, forensic, and regulatory attention. Historically associated with pufferfish poisoning in East and Southeast Asia, TTX has recently emerged as a global food safety concern due to its detection in an increasing number of marine and terrestrial organisms and its expanding geographical distribution, including European coastal waters. Despite decades of research, important questions regarding its biosynthesis, ecological origin, toxicokinetics, and environmental dissemination remain unresolved. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge on TTX. The chemical structure, physicochemical properties, proposed biosynthetic origin, and diversity of naturally occurring TTX analogues are discussed. Attention is devoted to the toxin's mechanism of action, which involves high-affinity binding to voltage-gated sodium channels and subsequent inhibition of sodium ion conductance, leading to neuromuscular paralysis and potentially fatal respiratory failure. Current evidence regarding toxicokinetics, tissue distribution, elimination pathways, and the suitability of different biological matrices for laboratory confirmation of exposure is also summarized. The review further examines the analytical challenges associated with TTX determination, including its high polarity, occurrence at trace concentrations, rapid elimination from blood, and frequent co-occurrence with structurally related analogues. The evolution of analytical methodologies is presented, from early bioassays and chromatographic techniques with fluorescence or UV detection to advanced liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry platforms, high-resolution mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis, immunochemical assays, and emerging biosensor-based approaches. Finally, current regulatory perspectives and risk assessment strategies are discussed in the context of the increasing occurrence of TTX in seafood and the growing need for harmonized monitoring programs. Collectively, this review summarizes the current state of the art, identifies key knowledge gaps, and highlights future directions in TTX research.

Indexed as

Analytical toxicologyForensic toxicologyMarine biotoxinsNeurotoxinTetrodotoxinTTX

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.