HPLC analysis of paralytic shellfish toxins in shellfish from Daya Bay

The paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) profiles of digest gland extraction samples from scallop Chalmys nobilis and mussel Perna viridis colleted at two stations in Daya Bay, Guangdong from March to June 1998 have been analyzed by HPLC established by Oshima. The results showed that a similar suite of toxins presents in each sample and the low potency N-sulfocarbamoyl toxins (GTX_(5), C_(1) and C_(2)) and the high potency gonyautoxins GTX_([1-4]) had a high proportion, and the saxitoxin derivatives were less than 5% of total toxin content. The dominant toxin was GTX_(5) up to 25% for scallop and 13% for mussel. In the molluscs, GTX_(1) and GTX_(2) dominated over their epimers GTX_(4) and GTX_(3), respectively. Either toxicity or toxin content in scallop is higher than in mussel. The similar toxins indicates that the HK strain of Alexandrirm tamarense, which was found and isolated from the same bay, was possible the paralytic shellfish poisoning-producing causative ouganism.