Identification of toxic fatty acid amides isolated from the harmful alga Prymnesium parvum carter

The golden alga Prymnesium parvum has been implicated in fish and aquatic animal kills globally for over a century. In addition to widespread ecological impacts through the loss of entire fish populations within lakes, an economic burden is also felt by state and local agencies due to year class losses of fish raised for stocking lakes as well as loss of fishing and recreational use of the affected water. Multiple compounds have been implicated in P. parvum toxicity, but the unequivocal identification and characterization of all P. parvum toxins remained to be accomplished. To unambiguously characterize these toxins, we analyzed laboratory-cultured cells exposed to limited nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, uni-algal wild cells collected from an ichthytoxic bloom event at Lake Wichita, TX, and the water from both cultured and field-collected algae. A bioassay-guided fractionation process was employed to chemically isolate P. parvum toxins using both mammalian cells and larval fish. The results of these assays revealed that there was a distinct similarity in the toxic compounds characterized as seven primary fatty acid amides (myristamide, palmitamide, linoleamide, oleamide, elaidamide, stearamide, and erucamide) and one hydroxamic acid (linoleyl hydroxamic acid). These compounds display cytotoxic and ichthytoxic activity and have not yet been reported in P. parvum toxicity or in the toxicity of harmful algal species.

► We utilized bioassay-guided fractionation to investigate Prymnesium parvum toxins. ► We discovered that fatty acid amides are toxins in P. parvum. ► Fatty acid amides were found in cultured P. parvum cells and cells from wild blooms. ► Fatty acid amides are toxic to mammalian cells and larval red drum.