Characterization of water‐soluble organoarsenic compounds in marine sponges

Abstract

AbstractTo provide a better understanding of the arsenic cycle in the marine ecosystem and marine biotechnological viewpoints, the present study is intended to identify arsenic compounds contained in marine sponges. Marine sponges were collected off the coastal waters of Magsaysay Islet within Bohol Sea near Mindanao (Philippines) and in the Seto Inland Sea (Japan) by skin‐diving. Water‐soluble arsenic compounds were extracted with methanol–water (1: 1, v/v) from freeze‐dried samples of 13 marine sponges. The extracts were analyzed using high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP/MS) serving as an arsenic‐specific detector. All marine sponges contained arsenobetaine [(CH3)3As+ CH2COO−], 2,3‐dihydroxypropyl 5‐deoxy‐5‐(dimethylarsinoyl)‐β‐ribofuranoside (arseno‐sugar X), and 3‐glycerophosphoryl‐2‐hydroxy‐1‐[5‐deoxy‐5‐(dimethylarsinoyl)‐β‐ribofuranosyloxy]propane (arseno‐sugar X1), among which arseno‐sugarX1 was most abundant in the Jaspis spp., Suberites spp. and four Japanese sponges. Also, a linear relationship existed between total water‐soluble arsenic and arsenobetaine Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.