Detection of five new hydroxyl analogues of azaspiracids in shellfish using multiple tandem mass spectrometry

Toxicon. 2003 Mar 1;41(3):277-83. doi: 10.1016/s0041-0101(02)00288-x.

Abstract

The polyether dinoflagellate toxins, azaspiracids, are responsible for azaspiracid poisoning (AZP), a new human toxic syndrome arising from the consumption of shellfish. To date, five azaspiracids have been isolated and fully structurally elucidated, including, AZA1, its 8-methyl and 22-demethyl analogues, AZA2 and AZA3, respectively, and two hydroxyl derivatives of AZA3, named AZA4 and AZA5. Using a recently developed method involving liquid chromatography with multiple tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS(n)), five new azaspiracids, AZA7-AZA11, have been found in mussels (Mytilus edulis). AZA6 is a positional isomer of AZA1 and four of the new compounds are isomers with a mass of 857.5 amu. AZA7 and AZA8 are hydroxyl analogues of AZA1 while AZA9 and AZA10 are hydroxyl analogues of AZA6. AZA11 is a hydroxyl analogue of AZA2. The separation of all 11 azaspiracids was achieved using isocratic reversed phase liquid chromatography using a combination of eluent additives, trifluoroacetic acid and ammonium acetate. The ion-trap MS experiments, with electrospray ionisation, involved the fragmentation of the protonated molecule [M+H](+), trapping and fragmenting the product ions due to the loss of a water molecule [M+H-H(2)O](+), together with mass spectral data analysis that included the characteristic A-ring fragmentation for each compound.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods*
  • Foodborne Diseases*
  • Marine Toxins / analysis*
  • Marine Toxins / classification
  • Shellfish / analysis*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / methods*
  • Spiro Compounds / analysis*
  • Spiro Compounds / classification

Substances

  • Marine Toxins
  • Spiro Compounds
  • azaspiracid