Occurrence of saxitoxins as a major toxin in the ovary of a marine puffer Arothron firmamentum

Toxicon. 2004 Feb;43(2):207-12. doi: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2003.05.001.

Abstract

Eleven male and 14 female specimens of a marine puffer Arothron firmamentum were collected from Oita and Iwate Prefectures, Japan. The toxicity assay using mouse showed that only ovary and skin of the female specimens were toxic, the toxicity scores being 5-740 as paralytic shellfish poison and <5-30 MU/g as tetrodotoxin (TTX), respectively. The toxin extracts from the both tissues were then treated with cartridge columns, and subjected to high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectral analyses. In the analyses, saxitoxin (STX) and decarbamoylSTX (dcSTX) were identified as the major toxins in the ovary, while the skin contained only TTX.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Assay
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Female
  • Japan
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Ovary / chemistry*
  • Saxitoxin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Saxitoxin / analysis*
  • Saxitoxin / chemistry
  • Saxitoxin / toxicity
  • Seawater
  • Skin / chemistry*
  • Tetraodontiformes / metabolism*
  • Tetrodotoxin / analysis*
  • Tetrodotoxin / toxicity
  • Tissue Distribution
  • Toxicity Tests, Acute

Substances

  • Saxitoxin
  • Tetrodotoxin
  • decarbamylsaxitoxin