Malays. Appl. Biol. (December 2002) 31(2): 79-S4
HISTAMINE LEVELS IN SOME FISHES SOLD AT THE BANDAR BARU BANGI NIGHT MARKET
USUP, G.*, YAU, S.T.C., PIN, L.C. and AHMAD, A.
Program Sains Laut, Fakulti Sains dan Teknologi, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
Histamine content in fishes sold by three different vendors at the night market in Bandar Baru Bangi was determined on two separate occasions. Four species of scombroid fishes, Euthynnus affinis, Rastrelliger kanagurta, Rastrelliger sp. and Sardinella sp. plus the non-scombroid Nemipterus japonicus were tested. Histamine was extracted in methanol, purified in an ion exchange column, derivatized with o-pthalaldehyde and measured on a fluorometer. In the first sampling total histamine content in all specimens were high, ranging from 2.9mg l00g-1 wet weight in Rastrelliger sp. to 272mg l00g-1 wet weight in R. kanagurta. Histamine content during the second sampling were significantly lower in most specimens, ranging from 0.9mg l00g-1 wet weight in R. kanagurta to 28mg l00g-1 wet weight in E. affinis. In all specimens, more than 70% of the histamine content was concentrated in the viscera and gills. The highest level of histamine in the flesh was 75mg l00g-1 wet weight in E. affinis, lower than the suggested human toxicity level of l00mg l00g-1 wet weight. This study has shown that fishes sold at the night market on occasion could contain enough histamine to cause histamine fish poisoning if the fishes are not properly cleaned or if eaten whole.
ABSTRAK
Paras histamina dalam ikan yang dijual di tiga gerai yang berlainan di pasar malam Bandar Baru Bangi telah ditentukan pada dua masa yang berbeza. Empat spesies ikan skombroid, Euthynnus affinis, Rastrelliger kanagurta, Rastrelliger sp. dan Sardinella sp. serta spesies bukan skombroid Nemipterus japonicus telah diuji. Histamina telah diekstrak dalam metanol, ditulenkan dalam turus pertukaran ion, diterbitkan dengan o-ptalaldehid dan diukur dengan fluorometer. Pada persampelan pertama, kandungan histamina dalam semua sampel didapati tinggi, dengan julat dari 2.9mg l00g-1 berat basah dalam Rastrelliger sp. hingga 272mg l00g-1 berat basah dalam R. kanagurta. Paras histamina semasa persampelam kedua adalah jauh lebih rendah dalam kebanyakan ikan yang diuji, dari 0.9mg l00g-1 berat basah dalam R. kanagurta hingga 28mg 100g~' berat basah dalam E. affinis. Dalam semua spesimen, lebih daripada 70% kandungan histamina tertumpu dalam visera dan insang. Paras histamina tertinggi dalam daging adalah 75mg l00g-1 berat basah yang terdapat dalam ikan E. affinis. Paras ini adalah rendah daripada paras l00mg l00g-1 berat basah yang dicadangkan sebagai kepekatan histamina yang menyebabkan keracunan pada manusia. Kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa ikan yang dijual di pasar ini pada masa tertentu boleh mengandungi cukup histamina untuk menyebabkan keracunan sekiranya ikan tersebut tidak dibersihkan dengan baik ataupun jika seluruh bahagian ikan itu dimasak dan dimakan.
Key words: histamine, histamine fish poisoning, scombroid fishes
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