JIANG Tian-jiu, YIN Yi-wei, HUANG Wei-jian, CHEN Ju-fang, QI Yu-zao, Institute of Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China

Abstract

The contents and profiles of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in digest gland extractions from scallop and mussel samples,which cultured in two stations in Daya Bay, Shenzhen, were determined by Oshima⎬s high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed a similar profile of toxins was present in each extraction. The six extractions that were analyzed had an unusually high proportion of low potency N-sulfocarbamoyl toxins GTX5, C1 and C2 (nearly 57 mole% of the total) and trace amount of saxitoxin derivatives STX, neoSTX and dcSTX (less than 3 mole% of the total toxin content). The most dominant toxin was GTX5 that was up to 35 mole% in average in scallop and 13 mole% in mussel. Either toxicity or toxin content of scallop is higher than that of mussel. The ratio of toxin C11 epimer a and b seem to have a positive linear relation with the amount of toxin content in the digest gland extraction of shellfish. The low potency N-sulfocarbamoyl GTX5 and C1-2 were dominant toxins in the digest gland extractions from the two shellfish species and as well as in the toxins from toxic algae ingested by the shellfish.

Key words: paralytic shellfish poisoning, HPLC; epimer, Daya Bay