Screening of Tetrodotoxin and Its Derivatives in Puffer-related Species

Abstract

Attempts were made to detect tetrodotoxin (TTX) and its derivatives in the following fish species which are phylogenically related to the family Tetraodontidae: spiny puffer “harisenbon” Diodon holacanthus, sunfish “manbou” Mola mola, “uchiwafugu” puffer Triodon bursarius, “kawahagi” filefish Stephanolepis cirrhifer, and “umazurahagi” filefish Navodon modestus. The liver of each species did not show toxicity (<5MU/g) when assayed by the official method using mice. The liver was extracted with acidic methanol, and the TTX fraction was separated from the extract by the method consisting mainly of ultrafiltration and gel chromatography.
In UV, HPLC, and GC-MS analyses, TTX fraction from spiny puffer showed anyhdroTTX, in addition to a small amount of TTX, which coincided with the phylogenically closest relationship of this species to the family Tetraodontidae.