Toxicity and anti-inflammatory activity of detoxified puffer fish ovary

To improve the utility of the inedible ovary of puffer fish, heat and alkaline conditions (pH 9.0) were applied to eliminate its toxicity. The alkaline- and heat- treated ovary extract showed no lethal potential in any group tested using a mouse bioassay and a brine shrimp lethality assay. In addition, the considerable anti-erythematic and anti-edematic effects of detoxified puffer fish ovary extract were evaluated. Based on the results, detoxified puffer fish ovary extract is a promising source of novel anti-inflammatory agents that may be useful when included in dermal care products and for the development of novel therapies for dermal diseases.