Controlling influences in bisspiroketal formation: synthesis of the ABC ring system of azaspiracid

Substitution effects on the stereochemical outcome of bisspiroketalization on the C₁-C₁₇ carbon backbone of azaspiracid is presented. A possible explanation is offered to explain the observed stereochemical outcome.     

Elucidation of the fragmentation pathways of azaspiracids, using electrospray ionisation, hydrogen/deuterium exchange, and multiple-stage mass spectrometry

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) mass spectra were generated for azaspiracids using electrospray ionisation (ESI), and hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange was used to ascertain the number and type of replaceable hydrogens in the three predominant azaspiracid toxins. H/D exchange was conveniently achieved using deuterated solvents for liquid chromatography (LC). Using ion-trap mass spectrometry, multiple-stage CID experiments (MS(n)) on the protonated and fully exchanged ions were performed to decipher characteristic fragmentation pathways. The precursor and product ions from azaspiracids lost up to five water molecules from different regions during MS(n) experiments and it was possible to distinguish between the water losses from different molecular regions. These studies confirmed that the first water-loss ion in the spectra of azaspiracids resulted from dehydration at the vicinal diol at C20-C21. Five MS dissociation pathways were identified that resulted from fragmentation of the carbon skeleton of azaspiracids producing nitrogen-containing ions. Two pathways, involving cleavage of the E-ring and C27-C28, gave ions that were found in all azaspiracids. Three pathways, A-ring, C-ring and C19-C20 cleavages, were useful for distinguishing between azaspiracid analogues. The same product ions from backbone fragmentation were also observed using hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QqTOFMS). The fragmentation of the A-ring was the most facile and was exploited in the development of LC/MS(n) methods for the analysis of azaspiracids.     

Official controls for the determination of lipophilic marine biotoxins in mussels farmed along the Adriatic coast of Central Italy

In the present study, 334 samples of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) harvested along the coasts of the Central Adriatic Sea during the years 2020–2021 were analyzed for the presence of lipophilic marine biotoxins according to the European Harmonized Standard Operating Procedure. The results showed that 74 (22%) and 84 (25%) samples were positive to okadaic acid and yessotoxin groups, respectively. Among them, only 11 (3.3%) samples resulted as non-compliant, as they exceeded the maximum limits (160 μg okadaic acid equivalent/kg) established by the Regulation (EC) 853/2004. The method applied in this study was able to detect and quantify lipophilic marine biotoxins concentrations, in order to monitor their presence in molluscs and avoid the risk of consumer exposure.     

Chasing molecules that were never there: misassigned natural products and the role of chemical synthesis in modern structure elucidation

Over the course of the past half century, the structural elucidation of unknown natural products has undergone a tremendous revolution. Before World War II, a chemist would have relied almost exclusively on the art of chemical synthesis, primarily in the form of degradation and derivatization reactions, to develop and test structural hypotheses in a process that often took years to complete when grams of material were available. Today, a battery of advanced spectroscopic methods, such as multidimensional NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry, not to mention X-ray crystallography, exist for the expeditious assignment of structures to highly complex molecules isolated from nature in milligram or sub-milligram quantities. In fact, it could be argued that the characterization of natural products has become a routine task, one which no longer even requires a reaction flask! This Review makes the case that imaginative detective work and chemical synthesis still have important roles to play in the process of solving nature's most intriguing molecular puzzles.     

How the marine biotoxins affect human health

Several marine microalgae produce dangerous toxins very damaging to human health, aquatic ecosystems and coastal resources. These Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in recent decades seem greatly increased regarding frequency, severity and biogeographical level, causing serious health risks as a consequence of the consumption of contaminated seafood. Toxins can cause various clinically described syndromes, characterised by a wide range of symptoms: amnesic (ASP), diarrhoetic (DSP), azaspirazid (AZP), neurotoxic (NSP) and paralytic (PSP) shellfish poisonings and ciguatera fish poisoning. The spread of HABs is probably a result of anthropogenic activities and climate change, that influence marine planktonic systems, including global warming, habitat modification, eutrophication and growth of exogenous species in response to human pressures. HABs are a worldwide matter that requests local solutions and international cooperation. This review supplies an overview of HAB phenomena, and, in particular, we describe the major consequences of HABs on human health.     

Synthesis of the BCD ring system of azaspiracid: construction of the trispiro ring structure by the thioether approach

The synthesis of the BCD ring system of azaspiracid 1 has been attained. Construction of the stereochemistry of the C₁₃ position was successfully controlled by connection between the B ring and the C ring with a sulfur atom.     

液相色谱-串联质谱法检测贝类产品中的原多甲藻酸贝类毒素

建立了一种贝类组织中原多甲藻酸(azaspiracid, AZA)贝类毒素主要成分AZA1的高效液相色谱-串联质谱检测方法。本方法采用甲醇-水(80:20, v/v)溶液对贝类组织中AZA1进行提取,并用MAX阴离子交换固相萃取(SPE)柱富集净化,使用Atlantis dC18(150 mm×4.6 mm, 5.0 μm)色谱柱分离,以含有50 mmol/L甲酸和2 mmol/L甲酸铵的乙腈-水溶液(80:20, v/v)为流动相进行等度洗脱,质谱采用选择反应监测(SRM)模式。AZA1在5 min内获得完全分离,且在48.85～2 442 ng/L范围内线性良好,相关系数为0.998 1。该方法检出限(S/N=3)为11.00 pg/g,添加水平为36.64、73.27、146.54 pg/g时的平均回收率为75.8%～82.5%(n=6),相对标准偏差小于10%。利用该方法对采自大连、青岛、广州水产品市场上的112个贝类样品进行了分析,发现采自大连和广州的部分贝类样品中含有AZA1。结果表明,该方法具有简单、快速、灵敏度高等特点,能充分满足贝类中AZA1检测的要求。