Construction of a Continuous Tetrodotoxin Analyzer

Abstract

Based on the fact that tetrodotoxin yields fluorescent 2-amino-quinazoline derivatives by alkali treatment, a continuous tetrodotoxin analyzer was constructed. The toxin was first separated from contaminants on a column of a cation exchange gel with a citrate buffer system. The eluate was mixed with an equal volume of 4 n sodium hydroxide and the toxin was converted to fluorescent compounds while passing through Teflon tubing immersed in a boiling water bath. Both the retention time of the toxin and the fluorescence intensity were recorded automatically by a fluoromonitor. The toxicity-fluorescence response showed good linearity in a wide range between 0.1 and 20 mouse units. The results were reproducible within a variation of 3%. © 1982, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. All rights reserved.