Biologically Active Substance
saxitoxin
[ sak-si-tok-sin ]
Subclass of:
Cyanobacteria Toxins; Mollusk Venoms; Marine Toxins; Purines
Definitions related to saxitoxin:
  • A carbamate alkaloid neurotoxin isolated from marine dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria that inhibits nerve conduction by blocking neuronal voltage-gated sodium channels in excitable cells. Exposure usually occurs through ingestion of contaminated shellfish, resulting in an illness called paralytic shellfish poisoning.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • A compound that contains a reduced purine ring system but is not biosynthetically related to the purine alkaloids. It is a poison found in certain edible mollusks at certain times; elaborated by GONYAULAX and consumed by mollusks, fishes, etc. without ill effects. It is neurotoxic and causes RESPIRATORY PARALYSIS and other effects in MAMMALS, known as paralytic SHELLFISH poisoning.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Powerful heat stable neurotoxin synthesized and secreted by certain dinoflagellates, which accumulates in the tissues of bivalve mollusks feeding on the dinoflagellates, and can cause a severe toxic reaction in animals consuming these shellfish.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
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