Methods for simultaneous detection of the cyanotoxins BMAA, DABA, and anatoxin-a in environmental samples

• Published in: Toxicon (Oxford) 2013-12, Vol.76, p.316-325
• Main Authors: Al-Sammak, Maitham Ahmed, Hoagland, Kyle D., Snow, Daniel D., Cassada, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino acids; Amino Acids, Diamino - analysis; Aminobutyrates - analysis; Anatoxin-a; aquatic plants; Biological; Blue-green algae; BMAA; cation exchange; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Chromatography, Liquid; Cyanobacteria; Cyanobacteria - chemistry; Cyanotoxins; DABA; detection limit; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Extraction; Fish; Fluorescence; Fresh Water - chemistry; hepatotoxins; high performance liquid chromatography; ion exchange chromatography; Ion exchangers; Liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometry; Methods; microcystins; neurotoxicity; nonprotein amino acids; solid phase extraction; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Tropanes - analysis
• ISSN: 0041-0101; 1879-3150
• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2013.10.015

Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, can produce several different groups of toxins in the environment including hepatotoxins (microcystins), neurotoxic non-protein amino acids β-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), and 2,4-diaminobutyric (DABA), as well as the bicyclic amine alkaloid anatoxin-a. Few studies have addressed the methods necessary for an accurate determination of cyanotoxins in environmental samples, and none have been published that can detect these cyanotoxins together in a single sample. Cyanotoxins occur in a wide range of environmental samples including water, fish, and aquatic plant samples. Using polymeric cation exchange solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection (HPLC/FD), and liquid chromatography ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), these compounds can for the first time be simultaneously quantified in a variety of environmental sample types. The extraction method for biological samples can distinguish bound and free cyanotoxins. Detection limits for water ranged from 5 to 7 μg/L using HPLC/FD, while detection limits for and LC/MS were in the range of 0.8–3.2 μg/L. •Methods for simultaneous detection of cyanotoxins BMAA, DABA, and anatoxin-a.•Detection limits for open water samples ranged from 5 to 7 μg/L using HPLC/FD.•Detection limits for biological (fish and plant) samples ranged from 0.8 to 3.2 μg/L.•This method can also be used to distinguish free versus bound forms.