Direct detection of yessotoxin and its analogues by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry

A liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) method is proposed for the sensitive, specific and direct detection of yessotoxin and its analogues, marine biotoxins which are associated with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) and which have been found in the North Adriatic sea since 1995. The LC–MS method provided a detection limit of 70 pg for yessotoxin in full scan mode and was applied to determine the toxic profiles of a number of extracts or partially purified fractions of toxic mussels collected along the Emilia Romagna coasts (Italy) in the period 1995–1999. Detection of a desulfo-yessotoxin derivative from Mytilus galloprovincialis collected in 1998 is also reported.