Delayed haemolytic activity by the freshwater puffer Tetraodon sp toxin

In order to elucidate the toxin composition of the freshwater puffer in Ban gladesh, about 230 specimens of Tetraodon sp. were collected from 1997 to 1 999 and extracted. After partitioning the toxins between an aqueous layer a nd a I-butanol layer, the toxin in the aqueous layer was characterized as p aralytic shellfish poison (PSP) (data not shown), while the toxin in the 1- butanol layer was identified as palytoxin (PTX) or PTX-like substance based on the delayed haemolytic activity which was inhibited by an anti-PTX anti body and ouabain (g-strophanthin). This is the first report on the occurren ce of PTX or PTX-like substance(s) in puffer fish. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scienc e Ltd. All rights reserved.