There is a growing demand to establish reliable method for the detection of cyanobacterial toxins in order to be well informed on the prevalence of cyanotoxins in our environments. This study employed the underivatized method of analysis to detect the production of BMAA by the axenic cultures of cyanobacterial strains Synechocystis NPLB 2 and Nostoc MAC PCC 8009 using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization - ion trap mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-ITMS). Cyanobacterial cultures were grown in the laboratory for 12 weeks after which BMAA was extracted using methanol and analysed by LC/ESI-ITMS. Based on retention time, mass-to-charge ratio, and ratio of the product ions, the underivatized method of analysis employed in this study showed that both Synechocystis NPLB 2 and Nostoc MAC PCC 8009 strains produced BMAA. The results of this study suggests that the LC/ESI-ITMS is a promising method for the analysis of BMAA in cyanobacterial matrices.
Key words: BMAA; Cyanobacteria; ESI-ITMS; Nostoc; Synechocystis; Underivatized
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