A Review of Speciation Analysis and Toxicity Evaluation of Arsenolipids in Marine Organisms

Arsenic is a poisonous semi-metal (metalloid) and has been identified as a human carcinogen. Arsenic poisoning can cause a variety of health damage to the human body. Arsenic can exist in both inorganic and organic forms. It is generally considered that inorganic arsenic is more toxic than organic arsenic. Arsenolipids are organic arsenic and widely exist in tissues of marine organisms. Arseniolipids have been previously thought to be extremely low toxic. With the progress and development of science and technology in recent years, intensive research has been conducted on arsenolipids, and the speciation analysis and toxicity evaluation of arsenolipids have gradually become a hot spot. At present, there are three known species of arsenolipids, namely arsenic-containing fatty acids (AsFAs), arsenic-containing hydrocarbons (AsHCs) and arsenic-containing phospholipids (AsPLs), which differ in their toxicity. However, due to the complex speciation pattern, low bioavailability and low content of arsenolipids, and the difficulty to extract and detect them, the mechanism of arsenolipid toxicity remain unclear. Therefore, this paper reviews the latest progress in the methods for speciation analysis and toxicity evaluation of arsenolipids in marine organisms, with the aim to provide an inspiration for further elucidating the speciation, toxicity, and human health risk of arsenolipids.