Abstract: Antarctic krill is a potentially nutritious food source for humans, but fluorine (F) toxicity is a matter of concern. To evaluate the toxicity of F in Antarctic krill, 30 Wistar rats were divided into three groups with different dietary regimens: a control group, a krill treatment group (150 mg·kg−1 F), and a sodium fluoride (NaF) treatment group (150 mg·kg−1 F). After three months, F concentrations in feces, plasma, and bone were determined, and the degree of dental and skeletal fluorosis was assessed. The F concentrations in plasma and bone from the krill treatment group were 0.167 0±0.020 4 mg.L−1 and 2 709.8±301.9 mg·kg−1, respectively, compared with 0.043 8±0.005 5 mg·L−1 and 442.4±60.7 mg·kg−1, respectively, in samples from the control group. Concentrations of F in plasma and bone in the krill treatment group were higher than in the control group, but lower than in the NaF treatment group. The degree of dental fluorosis in the krill treatment group was moderate, compared with severe in the NaF treatment group and normal in the control group. The degree of skeletal fluorosis did not change significantly in any group. These results showed that the toxicity of F in Antarctic krill was lower than for an equivalent concentration of F in NaF, but it was toxic for rats consuming krill in large quantities. To conclude, we discuss possible reasons for the reduced toxicity of F in Antarctic krill. The present study provides a direct toxicological reference for the consideration of Antarctic krill for human consumption.

Key words: Antarctic krill, fluorine (F), fluorosis, rat experiment, toxicological effect