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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2003, p. 5319-5327, Vol. 69, No. 9
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.9.5319-5327.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Novel Derivatives of 9,10-Anthraquinone Are Selective Algicides against the Musty-Odor Cyanobacterium Oscillatoria perornata

Kevin K. Schrader,^1* N. P. Dhammika Nanayakkara,² Craig S. Tucker,³ Agnes M. Rimando,¹ Markus Ganzera,^2,4 and Brian T. Schaneberg²

Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,¹ National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677,² National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Mississippi State University, Stoneville, Mississippi 38776,³ Department of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria⁴

Received 27 March 2003/ Accepted 27 June 2003

Musty "off-flavor" in pond-cultured channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) costs the catfish production industry in the United States at least $30 million annually. The cyanobacterium Oscillatoria perornata (Skuja) is credited with being the major cause of musty off-flavor in farm-raised catfish in Mississippi. The herbicides diuron and copper sulfate, currently used by catfish producers as algicides to help mitigate musty off-flavor problems, have several drawbacks, including broad-spectrum toxicity towards the entire phytoplankton community that can lead to water quality deterioration and subsequent fish death. By use of microtiter plate bioassays, a novel group of compounds derived from the natural compound 9,10-anthraquinone have been found to be much more selectively toxic towards O. perornata than diuron and copper sulfate. In efficacy studies using limnocorrals placed in catfish production ponds, application rates of 0.3 µM (125 µg/liter) of the most promising anthraquinone derivative, 2-[methylamino-N-(1'-methylethyl)]-9,10-anthraquinone monophosphate (anthraquinone-59), dramatically reduced the abundance of O. perornata and levels of 2-methylisoborneol, the musty compound produced by O. perornata. The abundance of green algae and diatoms increased dramatically 2 days after application of a 0.3 µM concentration of anthraquinone-59 to pond water within the limnocorrals. The half-life of anthraquinone-59 in pond water was determined to be 19 h, making it much less persistent than diuron. Anthraquinone-59 appears to be promising for use as a selective algicide in catfish aquaculture.

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* Corresponding author. Mailing address: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, P.O. Box 8048, University, MS 38677-8048. Phone: (662) 915-1144. Fax: (662) 915-1035. E-mail: kschrader{at}ars.usda.gov.

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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 2003, p. 5319-5327, Vol. 69, No. 9
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.9.5319-5327.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

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