title: Paralytic toxins in Taiwanese starfish Astropecten scoparius.
abstract: Paralytic toxicity was seasonally detected in every 10 specimens of the starfish Astropecten scoparius from Pingtung in Taiwan from December 1995 to November 1996. The highest toxicity and the average toxicity of total specimens, expressed as tetrodotoxin (TTX), were 5,938 and 1,679 mouse unit (MU), respectively. The highest value of monthly average toxicity in viscera and other parts were 354 and 247 MU/g, respectively. The toxin was partially purified by YM-2 membrane ultrafiltration and Bio-Gel P-2 column chromatography. HPLC and GC-MS analyses showed that the starfish toxin was mainly composed of tetrodotoxin (88%), along with minor gonyautoxin 2-3 and saxitoxin (12%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, ROC.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D013215:Starfish; D013624:Taiwan; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000633:toxicity*; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C092629:paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin carbamoylase