Algal toxins

Euglena gracilis are one type of euglenids which are a group of eukaryotic unicellular algae; they have chloroplasts and can proliferate photoautotrophically and heterotrophically. As wax esters formed in Euglena gracilis under low oxygen conditions are considered as excellent raw materials for biofuel production, Euglena gracilis have been gaining more attention in recent years.
This article introduces an example analysis of galactolipids in Euglena gracilis powder using a high-performance liquid chromatograph and triple quadrupole mass spectrometer system, as part of analyzing lipids of Euglena gracilis.

Eutrophication of lakes, marshes, and ponds near cities has progressed alongside the development of economic activity, leading to cyanobacteria blooms, which are also known as "blue-green algae". Blue-green algae consist of a phytoplankton group called cyanobacteria, of which some types are toxic. For this reason, blue-green algae blooms cause concerns for the health of people and livestock who rely on those water resources. This time, utilizing the combustion catalytic oxidation method of the Shimadzu Total organic Carbon Analyzer TOC-L, we measured the concentration of carbon components in a suspension sample containing blue-green algae collected from lake water.