Safety of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) as food source: its initial fluoride toxicity study

Abstract Antarctic Krill, rich in many nutrients, is supposed to be one of the strategic food sources. However, it is not acceptable for direct consumption as traditional food, as its high content of fluoride is harmful to adults and children. Therefore, the safety of fluoride residue in Antarctic krill for food production should be investigated. In this research, the fluoride toxicity in Antarctic Krill was evaluated through mice feeding experiment. Their body weight was found not to be influenced by fluoride. However, dental fluorosis was observed in the krill group and the NaF group. Fluoride content in liver, kidney, urine, and bones are significantly different (P<0.05) among these three groups, which amount to plateau during the first ten days of feeding, except the fluoride in bone which keeps increasing all through the experimental time. Furthermore, less amount of fluoride was determined in the krill group compared with the amount in NaF group, even if they have the same concentration of fluoride. Besides, lesions in livers, kidneys and bones of the two experimental groups were observed through histopathological studies.

摘要：南极磷虾 (Antarctic Krill) 富含多种营养成分，被视作极具战略价值的食物资源之一。然而，其氟化物含量偏高，对成人与儿童均具有健康危害，无法作为传统食品直接食用。因此，需针对南极磷虾用于食品生产时的氟残留安全性开展研究。本研究通过小鼠喂养实验，对南极磷虾中的氟化物毒性进行了系统评价。结果显示，氟化物未对小鼠体重产生显著影响；但磷虾组与氟化钠 (NaF) 组小鼠均出现了氟斑牙症状。三组小鼠肝脏、肾脏、尿液及骨骼中的氟化物含量均存在显著差异（P<0.05）；除骨骼氟化物含量在整个实验周期持续升高外，其余样本的氟化物水平在喂养初期的10天内均趋于平稳。此外，即便氟化物添加浓度一致，磷虾组小鼠体内的氟化物蓄积量仍低于氟化钠组。通过组织病理学观察还发现，两个实验组小鼠的肝脏、肾脏及骨骼均出现了病理损伤。