Keystone-SDA
Potentially toxic arsenic compounds can be formed in the body when eating seafood. The cause: arsenobetaine, often present in these animals, which can be transformed into toxic substances by intestinal bacteria.
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December 9, 2024 – 2:15 p.m.
(Keystone-ATS) Arsenobetaine is one of the most common arsenic compounds in seafood, including algae, fish and shellfish, the University of Bern (Unibe) said on Monday. For humans, it was until now considered low risk due to its low toxicity and rapid elimination.
However, according to researchers, the results of an interdisciplinary study published in the “Journal of Hazardous Materials” call into question the safety of seafood rich in arsenobetaine.
Formation of highly toxic compounds
The Unibe research team studied the metabolism of arsenobetaine in mice with different intestinal microbial colonization statuses. Three groups of mice were fed a diet rich in arsenobetaine to compare arsenic metabolism, its distribution in the body and its excretion.
Mice carrying gut microbes accumulated a higher concentration of arsenic in their intestinal tract than germ-free mice. Researchers observed the formation of highly toxic specific arsenic compounds in the large intestines of mice colonized by microbes.
In mice carrying gut bacteria put on a low-arsenic diet, the elimination of arsenic from the body was significantly slower than in germ-free mice.
“Intestinal microbes therefore play a decisive role in the metabolism of arsenobetaine in the body. But in this case, the microbiome seems to have a detrimental effect,” said Gut microbiome expert Siegfried Hapfelmeier, quoted in the press release.
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