Paralytic toxins in Taiwanese crab Xanthias lividus

Abstract

Paralytic toxicity was detected by tetrodotoxin (TTX) bioassay in four and five specimens of new toxic xanthid crab Xanthia lividus collected from Lanyu, south-east Taiwan in April 1999 and Hsiaoliuchiu south-west Taiwan in November 1999, respectively. The average toxicity of crab specimens collected from Lanyu and Hsiaoliuchiu was 230 ± 94 (mean ± SD) mouse units (MU) and 241 ± 114 MU, respectively. The toxin was partially purified by YM-1 membrane ultrafiltration and Bio-Gel P-2 column chromatography. Electrophoresis, high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analyses showed that the crab toxin was composed mainly of tetrodotoxin (83%), as well as a small amount of gonyautoxin 1-4 (17%).