IDENTIFICATION AND STUDY OF GANGLIOSIDES FROM SCOMBER-SCOMBRUS MUSCLE

Scomber scombrus has been implicated in the disease known as scombroid food poisoning (histamine intoxication). However, some investigators claim that scombroid food poisoning is not caused by histamine only. G angliosides have been found in different type fishes, but in all cases the sources are brain, melanoma, retina, and optic nerve. These compl ex lipids as well as their derivatives, exhibit important biological a ctivities. In this study, gangliosides (8 x 10(-4) % w/w in muscle) we re isolated from S. scombrus muscle for the first time, and the major one was found to be monosialoganglioside. Gangliosides existed as a pr oteolipid type complex combined with a protein consisting of high amou nts of iron and copper and which seemed to be the red protein. After f ractionation of gangliosides onto cation exchange, silica, and C-18 HP LC columns, we detected two compounds which induced aggregation throug h platelet-activating factor (PAF) way. Both of them were eluted onto HPLC in the region of gangliosides and from the results of the biologi cal experiments as well as from chemical determinations, they seemed t o be O-acetyl derivatives of gangliosides. These molecules could partl y contribute to scombroid food poisoning since the main symptoms of th is disease are well-known actions of PAF.