ABSTRACT: Low levels of saxitoxins and tetrodotoxin were found in the viscera of adult chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta returning to spawn. The nucleic magnetic resonance and mass spectrum analyses as well as several kinds of chromatographies clearly showed that the purified toxins were saxitoxin and neosaxitoxin. Tetrodotoxin, which was detected by high performance liquid chromatography analysis, could not be isolated. These findings show that saxitoxins and tetrodotoxin are more widely distributed in aquatic organisms than previously thought.

KEY WORDS: Saxitoxin · Tetrodotoxin · Chum salmon · Oncorhynchus keta

Published in MEPS Vol. 175 (1998) on December 17
ISSN: 0171-8630. Copyright © Inter-Research, Oldendorf/Luhe, 1998