Extraction and purification of the zwitterions cylindrospermopsin and deoxycylindrospermopsin from Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii

• Published in: Environmental toxicology Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 391 - 396
• Main Authors: Norris, R. L. G., Eaglesham, G. K., Shaw, G. R., Senogles, P., Chiswell, R. K., Smith, M. J., Davis, B. C., Seawright, A. A., Moore, M. R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.10.2001; Wiley
• Subjects: Absorption; Alkaloids - analysis; Alkaloids - chemistry; Alkaloids - isolation & purification; Bacterial Toxins; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; carbograph; Chemistry Techniques, Analytical - methods; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Culture Media; Cyanobacteria; cylindrospermopsin; deoxycylindrospermopsin; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbiology; Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains; solid phase extraction; Uracil - analogs & derivatives; Uracil - analysis; Uracil - chemistry; Uracil - isolation & purification; zwitterion; Marine environment; Solid phase extraction; Toxin; Purification; Microbial origin; Cyanobacteria; Bacteria; Zwitterion
• ISSN: 1520-4081; 1522-7278
• DOI: 10.1002/tox.1048

The hepatotoxin cylindrospermopsin (CYN) has been isolated from the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (C. raci.). Efforts to study this toxin have been hampered by the time‐consuming requirement to extract it from cultures of the organism. It is usually extracted from lyophilized cells collected from a laboratory culture. Our preliminary work suggested far more of the toxin is available in solution in the culture media than in the cells collected. We have therefore investigated the use of commercially available solid phase extraction sorbents to extract CYN from culture media in which C. raci. has been grown. A range of reverse phase and ion‐exchange sorbents were tested across a range of pHs for their ability to retain CYN without success. Subsequently, graphitized carbon cartridges were found to retain CYN strongly. Elution with 5% formic acid in methanol allowed the CYN to be regained for final purification by HPLC. Deoxy‐CYN, an analog of CYN can also be extracted using this procedure. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Environ Toxicol 16: 391–396, 2001