title: Unique toxin profile of a Mediterranean Ostreopsis cf. ovata strain: HR LC-MS(n) characterization of ovatoxin-f, a new palytoxin congener.
abstract: Currently, the benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata represents a serious concern to human health in the whole Mediterranean basin due to the production of palytoxin congeners, a putative palytoxin and ovatoxins (ovatoxin-a, -b, -c, -d/-e), listed among the most potent marine toxins. High resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HR LC-MS) based investigation of a North Western Adriatic strain of Ostreopsis cf. ovata collected at Portonovo (Italy) in 2008 is reported herein. Toxin profile was different from those previously reported for other O. cf. ovata, both qualitatively and quantitatively. For the first time, ovatoxin-a did not dominate the toxin profile, and a new palytoxin congener, here named ovatoxin-f, was detected. Ovatoxin-f and its elemental formula present C(2)H(4) more than ovatoxin-a. HR CID MS(n) experiments allowed us to restrict structural differences between ovatoxin-a and -f to the region between C-95 and C-102, a region not previously been described to be modified in other palytoxins. Ovatoxin-f represents the major component of the toxin profile of the analyzed strain accounting for 50% of the total toxin content, while ovatoxin-a, the dominant toxin in most of the Mediterranean O. cf. ovata strains we have analyzed so far, is the second major component of the toxin profile (23%). Thus, the presence of ovatoxin-f should be taken into account when monitoring programs for palytoxin-like compounds in microalgae and/or seawater are carried out.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry of Natural Products, University of Napoli Federico II, via D. Montesano 49, Napoli 80131, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciminiello
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dell'Aversano
authors.forename: Emma Dello
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Iacovo
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fattorusso
authors.forename: Martino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Forino
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tartaglione
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Battocchi
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crinelli
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carloni
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magnani
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Penna
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D058086:Microalgae / Q000737:chemistry; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; C577101:ovatoxin-f