Biomaterial Database

Purification of domoic acid from toxic blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and phytoplankton. 1991

M S Nijjar, and B Grimmelt, and J Brown

Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada.

Domoic acid was the primary neurotoxin in blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) that caused poisoning in humans. Further research showed that the algae, Nitzschia pungens, was the source of this toxin. In this study, a method for the extraction and purification of domoic acid from contaminated mussels and phytoplankton was developed. Domoic acid was extracted from these sources by treatment with a mixture of chloroform and methanol (1:2, v/v). The resulting extract was subjected to ultrafiltration through a PM1 Millipore filter, followed by repeated high-performance liquid chromatography on a reversed-phase column. The purity and yield of domoic acid prepared by this method are compared with two previously described methods of extraction. The current method is relatively simple, rapid, and results in improved recovery with comparable purity of domoic acid.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007608	Kainic Acid	(2S-(2 alpha,3 beta,4 beta))-2-Carboxy-4-(1-methylethenyl)-3-pyrrolidineacetic acid. Ascaricide obtained from the red alga Digenea simplex. It is a potent excitatory amino acid agonist at some types of excitatory amino acid receptors and has been used to discriminate among receptor types. Like many excitatory amino acid agonists it can cause neurotoxicity and has been used experimentally for that purpose.	Digenic Acid,Kainate,Acid, Digenic,Acid, Kainic
D008387	Marine Toxins	Toxic or poisonous substances elaborated by marine flora or fauna. They include also specific, characterized poisons or toxins for which there is no more specific heading, like those from poisonous FISHES.	Marine Biotoxins,Phycotoxins
D010839	Phytoplankton	Free-floating minute organisms that are photosynthetic. The term is non-taxonomic and refers to a lifestyle (energy utilization and motility), rather than a particular type of organism. Most, but not all, are unicellular algae. Important groups include DIATOMS; DINOFLAGELLATES; CYANOBACTERIA; CHLOROPHYTA; HAPTOPHYTA; CRYPTOMONADS; and silicoflagellates.
D002851	Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid	Liquid chromatographic techniques which feature high inlet pressures, high sensitivity, and high speed.	Chromatography, High Performance Liquid,Chromatography, High Speed Liquid,Chromatography, Liquid, High Pressure,HPLC,High Performance Liquid Chromatography,High-Performance Liquid Chromatography,UPLC,Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography,Chromatography, High-Performance Liquid,High-Performance Liquid Chromatographies,Liquid Chromatography, High-Performance
D002855	Chromatography, Thin Layer	Chromatography on thin layers of adsorbents rather than in columns. The adsorbent can be alumina, silica gel, silicates, charcoals, or cellulose. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Chromatography, Thin-Layer,Thin Layer Chromatography,Chromatographies, Thin Layer,Chromatographies, Thin-Layer,Thin Layer Chromatographies,Thin-Layer Chromatographies,Thin-Layer Chromatography
D005506	Food Contamination	The presence in food of harmful, unpalatable, or otherwise objectionable foreign substances, e.g. chemicals, microorganisms or diluents, before, during, or after processing or storage.	Food Adulteration,Adulteration, Food,Adulterations, Food,Contamination, Food,Contaminations, Food,Food Adulterations,Food Contaminations
D000596	Amino Acids	Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (-COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins.	Amino Acid,Acid, Amino,Acids, Amino
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013056	Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet	Determination of the spectra of ultraviolet absorption by specific molecules in gases or liquids, for example Cl2, SO2, NO2, CS2, ozone, mercury vapor, and various unsaturated compounds. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Ultraviolet Spectrophotometry
D049872	Bivalvia	A class in the phylum MOLLUSCA comprised of mussels; clams; OYSTERS; COCKLES; and SCALLOPS. They are characterized by a bilaterally symmetrical hinged shell and a muscular foot used for burrowing and anchoring.	Mussels,Bivalves,Clams,Bivalve,Bivalvias,Clam,Mussel