Arseno sugars

Edmonds, J.S. and Francesconi, K.A. (1981). Arseno-sugars from brown kelp (Ecklonia radiata) as intermediates in cycling of arsenic in a marine ecosystem. Nature 289, 602-604. 

A trimethyiarsoniosugar (see Fig. 2, compound 13) was identified in three species of gastropods by HPLC-ICPMS (40). This compound is a trimethyiated anaiogue of one of the most common arsenosugars found in marine sampies. A trimethyiated anaiogue (see Fig. 2, compound 12) of another common arseno-sugar was eariier reported in aigae (41). 

Earthworms contain arsenite and arsenate as major or significant arsenicals (131). Some earthworm samples also contained appreciable quantities of arseno-sugar 1, and smaller quantities of the related arsenosugar 2 (see Fig. 2). Arsenobe-taine was also present at low levels in the earthworms. Ants contained mainly arsenate, with smaller amounts of arsenite and dimethylarsinate (132). Methyl-arsonate and arsenobetaine were also present in the ants as trace constituents. 

VWM Lai, WR Cullen, CF Harrington, K1 Reimer. The characterization of arseno-sugars in commercially available algal products including a nostoc species of terrestrial origin. Appl Organomet Chem 11 797-803, 1997. 

Arsenic can be found in two primary forms organic and inorganic. Organic species of As are mainly found in food, such as shellfish, and include forms as monomethyl arsenic acid (MMAA), dimethyl arsenic acid (DMAA) and arseno-sugars. Inorganic arsenic (i-As) occurs in two valence states, arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)). In natural waters, As(III) species consist primarily of arsenious acid (H3ASO3) and As(V) species is predominantly present as H2AsO and HAsO ... 

Figure 5 (a) HPLC-ICPMS trace of an aqueous extract of a sample of oyster tissue, a readily available standard reference material. ABf= arseno betaine, X and XI are known arsenosugars. (b) The lower trace shows that the sugars are stable to 0.01 fM HCl, the acidity of the stomach. 

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