A novel chemical marker of tremorgenic mycotoxicosis detected by gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
C. Pickard ◽  
J.S. Fortin ◽  
D. Holmes ◽  
J.P. Buchweitz ◽  
A.F. Lehner
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
High Resolution Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Dietary Exposure ◽  
2D Nmr ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Molecular Formula ◽  
Mass Spectral ◽  
Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

Tremorgenic mycotoxicosis can arise from dietary exposure to secondary metabolite products of various fungal species, particularly those from the Penicillium genus. Although general toxin screens often rely on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and well-developed mass spectral library databases, two principal representative Penicillium mycotoxins, roquefortine and penitrem A, are unamenable to GC/MS owing to high molecular weights, low volatilities and/or high thermal instabilities. Reliance on GC/MS screens alone could therefore inadvertently result in failure to collect evidence of exposure to such tremorgenic mycotoxins. In this report we describe a newly discovered tremorgenic marker compound (TMC), the presence of which correlates highly with conclusive exposure to Penicillium toxins in explanation of clinical manifestations of tremorgenic mycotoxicosis. According to detailed mass spectral deconvolution, the compound is 210.0892 molecular weight, and amenable to GC/MS whether chemically underivatized or derivatized by methylation or trimethylsilylation. 1D and 2D NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) studies on the isolated compound determined the TMC to be the Penicillium product terrestric acid, C11H14O4, which matches the molecular formula determined by high resolution mass spectrometry and thus provides an excellent target for assessment of mycotoxicosis by GC/MS.

Degradation of bacteria mass spectral signals via hydrothermal processing and UV irradiation: relevance to life detection on icy moons

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Salter ◽  
Hunter Waite ◽  
Mark Sephton
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Uv Irradiation ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Xenon Lamp ◽  
Hydrothermal Processing ◽  
Mass Spectral ◽  
Icy Moons ◽  
Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Life Detection

<p>The inferred subsurface oceans of the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, in particular Europa and Enceladus, may contain conditions suitable for life. Plumes of material have been detected from Enceladus and may also be present on Europa. These plumes could contain molecular signs of habitability that could be detected by mass spectrometers on orbiting spacecrafts, such as the upcoming Europa Clipper mission. However, these molecular markers may have degraded between their production and detection, for example by possible hydrothermalism in the subsurface ocean or by UV irradiation once carried into space by the plume. It is important to look at how the biosignatures degrade under different conditions as degradation processes need to be taken into account when analysing the data from life detection missions. We investigate how these two processes affect the mass spectral signals of terrestrial bacteria.</p> <p>Two cyanobacteria samples, <em>Spirulina</em> and <em>Chlorella</em>, were subjected to hydrothermal processing and UV irradiation. Hydrous pyrolysis was used to simulate hydrothermal degradation. Experiments were carried out for 24 or 72 hours at temperatures between 200 and 300 °C. The pyrolyzed contents were subsequently extracted and analysed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). UV irradiation was carried out in a vacuum chamber (10<sup>-2</sup> mbar), using a 300 W short arc xenon lamp at UV to near infrared wavelengths (~250 – 800 nm). After UV irradiation, samples were analysed using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS).</p> <p>Our results show that hydrothermal processing of cyanobacteria affects the compound classes in different ways. Carbohydrate and protein components from the cyanobacteria were significantly affected, with phenol and indole derivatives detected. However, some of the biological fingerprint, such as straight-chain even numbered saturated fatty acids from lipid fragments, remain even at the harshest experimental conditions used in our study. This provides confidence that these diagnostic molecules could be used as fingerprints of biological materials on icy moons.</p>

Severe isopropanolemia without acetonemia or clinical manifestations of isopropanol intoxication

1993 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1922-1925 ◽  
Author(s):  
K M Chan ◽  
E T Wong ◽  
W S Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Gas Chromatography ◽  
Serum Concentration ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Toxicological Analysis ◽  
Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Osmolal Gap

Abstract This is the first reported case of severe isopropanolemia in a patient who did not experience associated clinical manifestations and acetonemia. The patient was found lying face down in a hotel lobby but at admission was alert and oriented to place and person. Toxicological analysis of the patient's serum revealed the presence of isopropanol at a concentration of 72 mmol/L. An increased serum osmolal gap (81 mOsm/kg) was also observed. The serum concentration of isopropanol decreased to 9.5 mmol/L 15.5 h after admission with an estimated half-life of elimination of 5-7 h. No serum acetone was detected throughout the patient's hospitalization. The identity of isopropanol was confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The patient remained awake and alert while in the hospital and was discharged 5 days after admission. These unusual findings raise some fundamental questions about the role of isopropanol conversion to acetone in the manifestation of symptoms usually associated with isopropanol intoxication.

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