Gymnodimine

Gymnodimine is a compound found as a toxicant in the 1995 New Zealand outbreak of Karenia selliformis. Structurally, it is classified as a spiroimino ring alkaloid, and seven related compounds with partially different structures have been reported.

Gymnodimine functions to paralyze muscles by inhibiting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in muscles involved in neurotransmission. Compounds with similar functions are also applied to anesthesia.

Analysis of edible bivalve mollusks in New Zealand has shown that gymnodimine is detected at a high frequency. However, there are reports that toxicity is weak when gymnodimine is ingested as food, and in fact, no human health hazards have been reported in New Zealand.

No gymnodimines have been detected in K. selliformis strains from Patagonia, Chile, even though they are the same species. Also, no gymnodimines have been detected in our previous analyses of strains from eastern Hokkaido, Japan.

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