• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.771-775
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• 1999

The antimutagenic activities of the total extract and several fractions of starfish, Asterina pectinifera (Asteriidae), were investigated in vitro by SOS chromotest with Escherichia coli PQ37 and Ames test with Salmonella typhimurium TA100. When various fractions was tested, the chloroform and butanol fractions showed low induction factors, which means both fractions increased antigenotoxicity against the base substitution mutagen MNNG. Even though higher antigenotoxic effect of the chloroform fraction, no effective result of Ames test was found in revertant formation of S. typhimurium TA100. The most effective antigenotoxic and antimutagenic fraction was a butanol one: i.e., When 0.5 mg/tube of butanol fraction was applied, the induction factor was 0.68. As the concentration of the fraction was increased the formation of revertants of S. typhimurium TA100 by about 81%. There was no cytotoxic effect of butanol fraction against S.typhimurium TA100. This result might be useful for further study to search a possible anticancer agent from the starfish, Asterina pectinifera.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2010

This study aimed to elucidate anti-inflammatory activities from extracts of Asterina pectinifera on nitric oxide (NO) production, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 release in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophage cell, RAW264.7. We prepared the methanolic extracts (60-MAP, 70-MAP, 80-MAP and 90-MAP), aqueous extract (W-AP) and functional bioactive compound fraction (He-AP and EA-AP) from Asterina pectinifera according to extract method. The 60-MAP, 70-MAP, 80-MAP, 90-MAP and W-AP were significantly suppressed LPS-induced production NO, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 secretion in a concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Especially, 80-MAP by extracted 80% methanol had the strongest activity in reduction of inflammatory mediators among these extracts. Indeed, to identify active fraction, which contained potential bioactive compounds, from 80-MAP of Asterina pectinifera, we tested anti-inflammatory activity of the He-AP or the EA-AP. The He-AP was next extracted from 80-MAP and the EA-AP were extracted from the other methanol layer except the He-AP. The EA-AP demonstrated a strong anti-inflammatory effect through its ability to reduce NO production and it also inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ at low concentration. These results suggested that the methanolic extract from Asterina pectinifera had the potential inhibitory effects on the production of these inflammatory mediators.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 2006

The effect of protein extract from Asterina pectinifera on proliferation of human breast cancer cells and activities of cytochrome P450 1A1 and ornithine decarboxylase was tested. Protein extract from Asterina pectinifera inhibited the growth of both estrogen-dependent MCF-7 and estrogen-independent MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Cytochrome P450 1A1 activity was significantly inhibited by the protein extract from Asterina pectinifera at concentrations of 80 (p<0.05), 120 (p<0.01) and $160{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ (p<0.01). The extract inhibited induction of ornithine decarboxylase by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, a key enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis, which is enhanced in breast tumor promotion. Therefore, Asterina pectinifera is worth further investigation with respect to breast cancer chemoprevention or therapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.387-395
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• 2015

Starfish, a species of Echinoderm, is widely known as a predator on benthic invertebrate. A series of fishing experiments was carried out in the western coastal waters of Korea from September, 2011 to November, 2012, using the drum-shaped pots of different mesh sizes (17.1, 24.8, 35.3, 39.8, and 48.3 mm) to describe the composition of the catch species and the mesh selectivity of the pot for starfish. Some species including fish, crab, and starfish were caught in the experimental pots. The SELECT (Share Each Length's Catch Total) method was applied to describe the selectivity of the pot for starfish Asterina pectinifera. The master selection curve was estimated to be s(R) = exp(10.358R-4.086) / [1+exp(10.358R-4.086)], where R is the ratio of arm length to mesh size. The relative arm length of 50% retention was 0.395, and the selection range was 0.212. The results should be helpful to understand the relationship between the catch size of starfish and the mesh size of pot.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.122-128
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• 2014

The present study was performed to examine the contraction and relaxation responses of the smooth muscles, and search for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in the tissues, of the starfish Asterina pectinifera. Frozen samples were extracted with distilled water containing 1% acetic acid. Extracts from all tissues showed potent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli D31. Relatively high levels of antimicrobial activity were also detected in the body extracts. Liver, tube feet, and body extracts caused contraction responses in the dorsal retractor muscles (DRM) of the starfish. In contrast, all tissues examined exhibited contractile activity in the esophagus of squid Todarodes pacificus. In addition, liver and gonad extracts caused contraction responses upon application to the intestine of the puffer fish Takifugu pardalis. Relaxation effects on the DRM of starfish were identified in most of the extracts, while no relaxant activity was detected in body extracts. Extracts from all tissues examined also exhibited antioxidant activities. The results of this study suggest that starfish are a potential source of novel bioactive compounds.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.474-480
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to define whether Asterina pectinifera Lectin (APL) is effective on the cytokine production. Isolated mRNA from hPBMC (human peripheral blood mononuclear cells) stimulated with APL for various reaction times (1 to 96 hours) was detected by RT-PCR. The intensity of band for IL-1 and $IFN{\gamma}$ mRNA was markedly increased at l hour, and IL-2 mRNA was strongly expressed at 4 hours. The mRNA band of APL-induced IL-2 and $IFN{\gamma}$ was weaker than that of IL-1, IL-6 and $TNF{\alpha}$. The mRNA expression of 4 cytokines (IL-1, IL-2, $IFN{\gamma}$ and $TNF{\alpha}$) was detected up to 48 hours, and that of IL-6 was detected until 72 hours. ELISA was used to look protein secretion of the cytokine gene with IL-1, IL-2 and TNF$\alpha$expressed strongly in RT-PCR. The highest protein secretion was at 4 hours with IL-1, at 8 hours with IL-2 and at 4 hours with $TNF{\alpha}$. These results suggest that APL can induce the production of some cytokines and the immune response from PBMC was done within the first few hours of stimulation with APL.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2006

Sexual maturation and reproductive cycle of the bat star Asterina pectinifera were investigated by histological method. Specimens were collected monthly in Donghwari, Gosunggun, Korea from January 2004 to February 2005. The bat star was dioecious. The gonads are composed of a number of gametogenic follicles. The gonadosomatic index (GSI) of female and male were reached the maximum in July (5.72, 4.54) and the minimum in December (0.89) and January, February (0.51), and the gonad index (GI) of female and male were reached the maximum in July (3.53, 3.91) and the minimum in August (0.95) and October to December (1.0), respectively. The main spawning was from August to September. The reproductive cycle of the bat star could be divided into five stages: in the female, inactive (November-February), early active (January February), late active (March-June), ripe (July), spent and degenerative (August-November) and in the male, inactive (November-February), early active (January-March), late active (April-June), ripe (July), spent and degenerative (August-October), respectively.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.388-394
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• 1998

The lectin from starfish, Asterina pectinifera, was purified and tested for its potential antitumor activity. It was shown to possess considerable toxicity toward various tumor cell lines. Concentration of Asterina pectinifera lectin (APL) at 4mg/$5{\times}10^5$ cells resulted in 28% death of Ehrlich ascites tumor cell, 40% of L929, 60% of A549, and 52% of HeLa cells after 48 hours incubation. Toxicity of APL to L929, Ehrlich ascites, A549, and HeLa cells revealed a reduction in cell viability of approximately 70% at APL concentration of 8mg/$5{\times}10^5$ cells after 48 hours incubation. Administration of APL ($100{\mu}g/day$ or $300{\mu}g/day$) inhibited the growth of Ehrlich ascites cells in vivo. Mice given only Ehrlich cells survived an average of $15{\pm}1$ (S.E.) days. Mice given Ehrlich cells and $100{\mu}g\;or\;300{\mu}g$ APL had 58% and 67% survival, respectively, after 20 days. These results suggest that APL has antitumor activity.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.432-438
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• 2015

This study examined the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and tyrosinase inhibitory activities of bioactive compounds extracted from two starfish, Asterina pectinifera and Asterias amurensis, using solvent extraction after $Protamex^{TM}$ hydrolysis. Methanol and acetone fractions collected by stepwise extraction from specimens were subjected to silica gel column chromatography (SGCC) (200 mesh and 400 mesh), followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Two fractions (7:3 and 5:5 chloroform : methanol ratio, v/v) eluted using silica gel column chromatography from the two starfishes showed higher antimicrobial activity against Propionibacterium acnes and dermatophyte fungi (Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum audouinii, Trichophyton ferrugineum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton rubrum), antioxidant activity ($EDA_{50}$, mg/mL), and tyrosinase inhibitory activity compared to the other fractions. The final fractions obtained from Asterina pectinifera (RT 7.53, 8.93, and 10.48 min) and Asterias amurensis (RT 5.02 min) by SGCC (400 mesh) and HPLC from two SGCC fractions (200 mesh) showed 8.94 and 15.59 mg/mL antioxidant activity ($EDA_{50}$) and 46.89 and 40.19 % tyrosinase inhibitory activity, respectively. Extracts from starfishes are potential cosmetic basic material.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.277-280
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• 2009

We examined the effects of polysaccharides extracted from Asterina pectinifera on the activities of quinone reductase (QR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and glutathione (GSH) levels in HT-29 human colon adenocarcinoma cells. We found that the polysaccharides extract induced QR activity in a dose-dependent manner over a concentration range of $20-60\;{\mu}g/ml$ and increased GST activity as much as 1.4-fold over controls. GSH levels were increased 1.3- and 1.5-fold with the extract at 40 and $60\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The activity and protein expression of ODC in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced colon cancer cells was inhibited by the extract. The polysaccharides suppressed TPA-induced prostaglandin (PG) production. These data indicate that polysaccharides from A. pectinifera increase phase II detoxification enzyme activity and inhibit ODC and COX-2 activities in HT-29 human colon adenocarcinoma cells. Consequently, this effect may contribute to the protective effect of polysaccharides from A. pectinifera against colon cancer.