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Identification of euglenophycin--a toxin found in certain euglenoids.

Paul V Zimba¹, Peter D Moeller, Kevin Beauchesne

¹National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Agricultural Research Service, Post Office Box 38, Stoneville, MS 38701, USA. paul.zimba@tamucc.edu

Toxicon : Official Journal of the International Society on Toxinology

|July 21, 2009

Summary

This study confirms euglenoid algae produce toxins. Euglena sanguinea contains an alkaloid toxin with ichthyotoxic, herbicidal, and anticancer properties, identified using advanced analytical techniques.

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Area of Science:

Marine Biology
Phycology
Toxicology
Organic Chemistry

Background:

Algal toxins are produced by various phytoplankton groups, including cyanoprokaryotes, diatoms, and dinoflagellates.
Previous research indicated potential toxin production by euglenoid algae in aquaculture settings, supported by fish bioassays.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide conclusive evidence of toxin production by euglenoid algae.
To identify and characterize the chemical structure of the toxins produced by Euglena sanguinea.

Main Methods:

Isolation and culturing of Euglena sanguinea.
Wet chemical fractionation and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for purification.
Mass Spectrometry (MS, MS/MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for structural elucidation.

Main Results:

Conclusive evidence of toxin production by a clonal isolate of Euglena sanguinea.
Identification of a single class of toxic alkaloid compounds with specific mass and UV absorbance characteristics.
Structural determination revealed an alkaloid similar to fire ant venom, with multiple isomers present.

Conclusions:

Euglena sanguinea synthesizes and releases a potent alkaloid toxin.
The identified toxin exhibits significant ichthyotoxic, herbicidal, and anticancer activities at low concentrations.
This discovery expands the known range of toxic algal species and their chemical compounds.