Histoenzymologic study of anticholinesterase activity of ciguatoxic extracts of Ceochetus striatus (Gunther) and Plectrompus leopardus

The use of histo-enzymological techniques for visualizing the cholinesterasic spots on the motory plate is turned to account by the authors to point out the inhibition of the cholinesterasic processes, by some fractions of the ciguatoxins at the level of the neuro-mucular synapsis. The results obtained confirm, on one hand, the efficiency of the method to test the anti-cholinesterasic activity of some fractions of the ciguateric extracts, and, on the other hand, enable the establishment of the fact that even clinically non toxic individuals from fishspecies, dwelling in tropical coral biotops, can provoke a slightly marked but real inhibition of the cholinesterases, provided the contact between the fish extract and the neuro-motory plate is long enough in time. This observation reinforces the thesis of the ecological origin of the toxins along the alimentary chain of the reef biocoenosis.