Chemical Study of the Hepatotoxins from Microcystis Aeruginosa Collected in California

Four cyclic peptide toxins were purified and quantified from the aqueous extract of algal cell material utilizing high performance liquid chromatography, thin layer chromatography, and fast atom bom- bardment mass spectrometry. The cyclic peptide toxins appear to be similar structurally to hepatotoxins fron previously identified blooms of the blue-green alga Microcystis aeruginosa. Methods for the analysis of most algal toxins in an- imal tissues or body fluids are not presently available,' however techniques for identification and quantifica- tion of cyclic peptide toxins from algae have been de- veloped. 6 Using a previously collected aqueous extract from algal cell material 2 high-performance liquid chro- matography (HPLC), silica gel thin-layer chromatog- raphy (TLC), and fast atom bombardment mass spec- trometry (FABMS) were used to isolate and characterize 4 algal toxins.