Abstract
The botulinum neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum exhibits the highest neurotoxicity and has caused botulism in mammals. We have continued our efforts to find an inactivator for clostridial neurotoxins from natural foodstuffs, and have finally found a thearubigin fraction in black tea extract. In this study, we confirmed botulinum toxicity when added to rawtype ham extract and the inhibition of its toxicity when the thearubigin fraction and the neurotoxin were mixed. We then conducted a tasting test with the raw-type ham mixed with the thearubigin fraction. BoNT/B mixed with a supernatant fraction prepared from the rawtype ham was examined for oral toxicity in mice. BoNT/B by itself elicited a paralytic effect depending on the dosage (0.1-10μg/head). The the arubigin fraction was examined for its neutralizing action on the oral paralytic effect of BoNT/B in the supernatant fraction of the rawtype ham. It was quite effective to detoxify the BoNT/B action depending on the dosage (10-40mg/head). A tasting test was performed for the thearubigin fraction when mixed for 1 week with a sample of raw ham available on the market. The thearubigin fraction ruined the taste of the ham.
