A halophilic V. vulnificus is an estuarine microorganism that has been associated with fatal wound infection and life-threatening septicemia. Hemolysin is defined as toxic substance produced by various species of bacteria including V. vulnificus. Hemolysin from marine V. vulniiicus was purified and the effect of pH, temperature, metal ion on the activity of hemolysin, and thermostability of hemolysin were tested in this study. Hemolysin lysed the sheep red blood cell and the optimum pH was 8.0, the optimum temperature was 40℃, and K^+ increased but Mn^2+ decreased the hemolytic activity of hemolysin, but hemolysin was unstable to heat.

Endotoxin from the cell wall of marine V. vulnificus was extracted using the hot phenol-water method, injected endotoxin into rat, and tested the toxic effect of endotoxin on the blood component in rat blood. The results showed that blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen, white blood cell, and reticulocyte were increased and red blood cell was the same as the number of control group(normal blood), but platelet was decreased. Above results suggested that endotoxin induced a malfunction of liver and that the increase of white blood cell was for the removal of foreign toxic substance.