title: Occurrence of tetrodotoxin and its analogues in the Brazilian frog Brachycephalus ephippium (Anura: Brachycephalidae).
abstract: Brachycephalus ephippium is a diurnal frog, that shows aposematic colouration and inhabits Atlantic forest leaf litter in south-eastern Brazil. The presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in the skin, liver and ovaries of B. ephippium was demonstrated. The skin (260 M.U./g) exhibited the highest toxicity followed by liver (177 M.U./g). TTX and its analogues, tetrodonic acid, 4-epitetrodotoxin and 4,9 anhydrotetrodotoxin were isolated and identified by HPLC followed by fluorimetric analysis. TTX and 11-nortetrodotoxin-6(S)-ol had their presence confirmed by mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). The results confirm Brachycephalidae as a fourth family of anurans containing TTX.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Toxinologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF 70910-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Osmindo R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sebben
authors.forename: Elisabeth F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Simone W R
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Largura
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.forename: Rodrigo A V
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D000664:Amphibian Venoms / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000378:metabolism*; D001938:Brazil; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008136:Longevity / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D010053:Ovary / Q000737:chemistry; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D018675:Toxicity Tests
chemical_list: D000664:Amphibian Venoms; D009498:Neurotoxins; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D013779:Tetrodotoxin