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J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis. Vol.9, No.2, p.451, 2003. Poster - ISSN 1678-9199. |
COMPOSITION OF INDOLEALKYLAMINES OF BUFO CRUCIFER (ANURA: BUFONIDAE) CUTANEOUS SECRETION
MACIEL, N.M.(1), SCHWARTZ, C.A.(1), FONTES, W.(2), SOUSA, M.V.(2), CASTRO, M. S.(1,2), SCHWARTZ, E.F.(1)
(1)Laboratório de Toxinologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil, (2)Laboratório de Bioquímica de Proteínas, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
INTRODUCTION: The cutaneous secretions of amphibians contain an amazing variety of compounds such as proteins, peptides, steroids, alkaloids and biogenic amines. Indolealkylamines represent the longest known and most thoroughly investigated group of aromatic amines of the amphibian skin. The skin of Bufo provides a spectacular representation of indolealkylamines. OBJECTIVES: To determine the composition of indolealkylamines in the skin and parotoid glands of B. crucifer. METHODOLOGY Specimens of B. crucifer were collected in Ubatuba, São Paulo State, Brazil. Skin extracts were obtained separately for both skin body and parotoid glands. Indolealkylamines were separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Standards indolealkylaminesused were serotonin (5-HT), bufotenine (BTN), dehydrobufotenine (DHB) and bufotenidine(BTD). To identify bufotionin (DHB-S) we adopted Erspamer et al. (1967). Standards were collected from TLC and analyzed by electrospray mass spectrometry to MS fragmentation. RESULTS: B. crucifer contains BTD, DHB, DHB-S, 5-HT and BTN in the skin and DHB, DHB-S, 5-HT and traces of BTN in the parotoid glands. Spectrograms profiles of 5-HT, BTN and BTD showed resemblance to those obtained by McCleanet al. (2002).The fragmentation of DHB was for the first time obtained. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the composition of indolealkylamines between skin and parotoid gland secretions have not been described previously. These differences indicate that parotoid glands are not only an agroupment of granular glands, suggesting differences in the activity of enzymes in two tissues analyzed. MS fragmentation was an useful tool to confirm the standards utilized to identify the indolelakylamines.
Financial support: DPP-UnB
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