Isolation and structural elucidation of the causative toxin of the diarrhetic shellfish poisoning.

The major toxin involved in the diarrhetic shellfish poisoning was isolated from the hepatopancreas of the mussel Mytilus edulis and was named dinophysistoxin-1. It was obtained as a colorless solid: mp. 134°C, [d]20D 28°, LD99 160μg/kg (ip to mouse). Comparison of the toxin by various spectrometries with okadaic acid isolated from the marine dinoflagellate Prorocentrum lima established that dinophysistoxin-1 is 35S-methyl okadaic acid C45H70O13. Gas chromatographic analysis evidenced the presence of dinophysistoxin-l in the dinoflagellate Dinophysis fortii, confirming that this organism is the progenitor of the toxin.