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Feasibility study on production of a matrix reference material for cyanobacterial toxins

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ABSTRACT

The worldwide increase in cyanobacterial contamination of freshwater lakes and rivers is of great concern as many cyanobacteria produce potent hepatotoxins and neurotoxins (cyanotoxins). Such toxins pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems, livestock, and drinking water supplies. In addition, dietary supplements prepared from cyanobacteria can pose a risk to consumers if they contain toxins. Analytical monitoring for toxins in the environment and in consumer products is essential for the protection of public health. Reference materials (RMs) are an essential tool for the development and validation of analytical methods and are necessary for ongoing quality control of monitoring operations. Since the availability of appropriate RMs for cyanotoxins has been very limited, the present study was undertaken to examine the feasibility of producing a cyanobacterial matrix RM containing various cyanotoxins. The first step was large-scale culturing of various cyanobacterial cultures that produce anatoxins, microcystins, and cylindrospermopsins. After harvesting, the biomass was lyophilized, blended, homogenized, milled, and bottled. The moisture content and physical characteristics were assessed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the production process. Toxin levels were measured by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and ultraviolet detection. The reference material was found to be homogeneous for toxin content. Stability studies showed no significant degradation of target toxins over a period of 310 days at temperatures up to +40 °C except for the anatoxin-a, which showed some degradation at +40 °C. These results show that a fit-for-purpose matrix RM for cyanotoxins can be prepared using the processes and techniques applied in this work.

Blue-green algal reference material

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Acknowledgments

The authors of this paper would like to thank the following people for their help in the undertaking of this project: Susie Wood and Andrew Selwood of the Cawthron Institute, New Zealand, for providing the Phormidium sample, David O’Neil of NRCC (Halifax) for scanning electron microscopy analyses, and Floyd Toll of NRCC (Ottawa) for particle size analyses. Dr. Robert L. White at Dalhousie University, Halifax, is acknowledged for helpful advice.

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Author notes

  1. Khalida Békri

    Present address: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Dairy and Swine R&D Centre, 2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, QC, J1M 0C8, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Measurement Science and Standards, Biotoxin Metrology, National Research Council of Canada, 1411 Oxford Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 3Z1, Canada

    Christie Hollingdale, Krista Thomas, Nancy Lewis, Khalida Békri, Pearse McCarron & Michael A. Quilliam

  2. Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, 6274 Coburg Road, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada

    Christie Hollingdale & Michael A. Quilliam

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  1. Christie Hollingdale
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Correspondence to Michael A. Quilliam.

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Hollingdale, C., Thomas, K., Lewis, N. et al. Feasibility study on production of a matrix reference material for cyanobacterial toxins. Anal Bioanal Chem 407, 5353–5363 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-015-8695-1

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