• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.253-261
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• 2004

Ten terpenes (1-10), two sterols (11 and 12), and two unusual phenylpropanoids (13 and 14) were isolated from the brittle star Ophioplocus japonicus (Family Ophiuridae). Their structures were identified by analyses of the spectral data and by comparison with the literature data. The terpenes (1-10) and phenylpropanoids (13 and 14) are first encountered in brittle stars. These compounds were evaluated for cytotoxicity against a small panel of human solid tumor cell lines. Compounds 6-10 and 14 displayed moderate to significant cytotoxicity. The compounds were evaluated for antibacterial activity against 20 clinically isolated strains. Compound 5 exhibited antibacterial activities against three Streptococcus and three Staphylococcus strains.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.634-639
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• 2020

Starfish are a potential source of marine materials, but their unique odor can limit application. Our previous work suggested that brittle star Ophioplocus japonicus extract could be more effective as a cosmetic material by reducing its odor through a roasting process. However, the biological properties of heat-treated Ophioplocus japonicus extract (HOJE) remain poorly understood. We here examined the anti-inflammatory potential of HOJE in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. HOJE significantly inhibits LPS-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production without affecting cell viability in a dose-dependent manner and suppresses LPS-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthases (iNOS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 and -1β. Furthermore, treatment of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate to inhibit nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling accelerated the inhibitory effect of HOJE on NO production, and the translocation of NF-κB p65 from the cytosol to the nucleus was attenuated by HOJE. These results show that HOJE ameliorates inflammation partly through NF-κB signaling which consequently suggests that it has anti-inflammatory potential.