Isolation and preliminary toxicological evaluation of arsenobetaine - the water-soluble arsenical constituent from the hepatopancreas of the western rock lobster.

The water soluble arsenic compound present in the hepatopancreas of the western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus George) has been isolated as the reineckate salt and has been identified as arsenobetaine. Intraperitoneal injection of arsenobetaine into mice at 500 mg kg-1 did not result in mortality, and no symptoms of poisoning were observed. Mice treated with arsenobetaine at 360 mg kg-1 rapidly eliminated the compound in their excreta and no evidence was obtained for metabolic alteration. When tested in the Ames' Salmonella typhimurium system for chemical mutagens, both in the presence and absence of liver microsomal oxidase fraction, arsenobetaine gave consistently negative results.