title: Effect of lyophilization on the stability of gonyautoxins obtained from contaminated mussels.
abstract: This study describes the stability of gonyautoxins (GTX) and C toxins obtained from contaminated mussels and stored at different temperatures in lyophilized samples. Analyses of extracts from mussels contaminated with paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) indicated the presence of gonyautoxins as the major component in red tides of the North-West coast of Spain. These GTX and C toxins were extracted from contaminated mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk) and partially purified by chromatography on Bio-Gel P-2 and Bio-Rex 70. The stability of these toxins was analysed by high performance liquid chromatography. GTX 4 and GTX 6 are the most stable toxins among GTX. We conclude that the lyophilization procedure is not the safest way to process most of the gonyautoxins. However, the lyophilization procedure made the C toxins unstable, so clearly this procedure must be rejected.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Lugo, Spain.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Louzao
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfonso
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Botana
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Goenaga
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cabado
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Vieytes
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Botana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005506:Food Contamination; D005612:Freeze Drying; D012530:Saxitoxin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013030:Spain; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D012530:Saxitoxin; C013007:gonyautoxins