• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2021

Marine sponges contain pharmacologically attractive substances that exhibit strong cytotoxicity and are used as materials to isolate potential drug candidates. However, with a growing interest in marine ecosystem conservation, it is becoming increasingly difficult to gather a sponge for natural product research. To build a database to cope with this issue, we measured the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of 181 sponge extracts. As a result, we found 17 samples with neuroprotective effects and 14 samples with anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was performed to compare the components contained in each sample, and based on HPLC profiles, a dendrogram according to similarity was created. The results of this study suggested the possibility of discovering the active compounds in the sponge and laid the basis for efficient research on the sponge.

• BMB Reports
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.289-294
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• 2015

Caesalpinia sappan is a well-distributed plant that is cultivated in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Americas. C. sappan has been used in Asian folk medicine and its extract has been shown to have pharmacological effects. Two homoisoflavonoids, sappanol and brazilin, were isolated from C. sappan by using centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC), and tested for protective effects against retinal cell death. The isolated homoisoflavonoids produced approximately 20-fold inhibition of N-retinylidene-N-retinyl-ethanolamine (A2E) photooxidation in a dose-dependent manner. Of the 2 compounds, brazilin showed better inhibition (197.93 ± 1.59 μM of IC₅₀). Cell viability tests and PI/Hoechst 33342 double staining method indicated that compared to the negative control, sappanol significantly attenuated H₂O₂-induced retinal death. The compounds significantly blunted the up-regulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and sappanol inhibited lipid peroxidation in a concentration-dependent manner. Thus, both compounds represent potential antioxidant treatments for retinal diseases. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(5): 289-294]

• ALGAE
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.241-261
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• 2021

Amphidinium species are amongst the most abundant benthic dinoflagellates in marine intertidal sandy ecosystems. Some of them produce a variety of bioactive compounds that have both harmful effects and pharmaceutical potential. In this study, Amphidinium cells were isolated from intertidal sand collected from the East China Sea. The two strains established were subjected to detailed examination by light, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The vegetative cells had a minute, irregular, and triangular-shaped epicone deflected to the left, thus fitting the description of Amphidinium sensu stricto. These strains are distinguished from other Amphidinium species by combination characteristics: (1) longitudinal flagellum inserted in the lower third of the cell; (2) icicle-shaped scales, 276 ± 17 nm in length, on the cell body surface; (3) asymmetrical hypocone with the left side longer than the right; and (4) presence of immotile cells. Therefore, they are described here as Amphidinium stirisquamtum sp. nov. The molecular tree inferred from small subunit rRNA, large subunit rRNA, and internal transcribed spacer-5.8S sequences revealed that A. stirisquamtum is grouped together with the type species of Amphidinium, A. operculatum, in a fully supported clade, but is distantly related to other Amphidinium species bearing body scale. Live A.stirisquamtum cells greatly affected the survival of rotifers and brine shrimp, their primary grazers, making them more susceptible to predation by the higher tropic level consumers in the food web. This will increase the risk of introducing toxicity, and consequently, the bioaccumulation of toxins through marine food webs.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.136-138
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• 2005

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an organic extract of the broth from the marine-derived fungus of the genus Aspergillus led to the isolation of the polyketides, (+)-epoxydon (1), (+)-epoxydon monoacetate (2), gentisyl alcohol (3), 3-chlorogentisyl alcohol (4), and methylhydroquinone (5). Compounds 1-5 showed a potent antibacterial activity against the methicillin-resistant and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MDRSA) with MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) values of 12.5, 12.5, 12.5, 50.0, and $6.2\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Compounds 1-4 also exhibited a significant radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) with $IC_{50}$ values of 6.0, 15.0, 7.0, and $1.0\;{\mu}M$, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.180-180
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• 1998

The marine sponge Petrosia sp. is known for various bioactive compounds including the recently reported polyacetylenic alcohols. In our continuous survey of bioactive compounds from the Petrosia sp. collected from Korean waters, a cyclopentanepentol which rarely occurs in natural products has been isolated. It was found to inhibit DNA replication at the initiation step.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.532-534
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• 2003

Kojic acid dimethyl ether (1), and the known kojic acid mono methyl ether (2), kojic acid (3) and phomaligol A (4) have been isolated from the organic extract of the broth of the marine-derived fungus Altenaria sp. collected from the surface of the marine green alga Ulva pertusa. The structures were assigned on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. Each isolate was tested for its tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Kojic acid (3) was found to have significant tyrosinase inhibitory activity, but compounds 1, 2, and 4 were found to be inactive.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.1-8
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• 2003

The development of environmentally nontoxic or non-polluting antifouling additives that can be formulated in practical coating requires assay involving target organisms. Described here are the simple laboratory assays that have been developed using the barnacle, Balanus amphitrite, a common fouling organism found throughout temperate and tropical seas. One of the assays depends on synchronous year-round mass culture, the procedure for which is described, of nauplii larvae and cyprids larvae. The laboratory assays provided quantitative estimates of toxicity and settlement inhibition of the test compounds. Laurinterol (1), isolaurinterol (2), alpysinal (3), and aplysin (4) have been isolated from the Korean red alga Laurencia okamurae. Their structures were identified by spectral data in comparison with the literature data. Compounds 1-4 inhibited larval settlement of the barnacle B. amphitrite with EC$_{50}$ values of 0.18- 36 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml. Com-pounds 2-4 showed larval toxicity against nauplii of the barnacle B. amphitrite with 5-10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml, while laurinterol (1) exhibited no toxicity at even 100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml. Therefore, laurinterol was expected as a promising natural antifoulant.t.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.148-152
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• 2010

Microbial metabolism studies of yangonin (1), a major styryl lactone from Piper methysticum, have resulted in the production of three hydroxylated metabolites (2-4). The chemical structures of these compounds were elucidated to be 4-methoxy-6-(12-hydroxystyryl)-2-pyrone (2),4-methoxy-6-(11,12-dihydroxystyryl)-2-pyrone (3),and 4,12-dimethoxy-6-(7,8-dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrostyryl)-2-pyrone (4) on the basis of the chemical and spectroscopic analyses. The compounds 3 and 4 are reported herein as microbial metabolites of yangonin for the first time.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.260-264
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• 2008

Eight compounds were isolated from the EtOAc soluble fraction of Euphorbia supina MeOH extract as the radical scavengers for antioxidant activity. Their structures were identified as kaempferol (1), quercetin (2), juglanin (3), avicularin (4), astragalin (5), isoquercitrin (6), hyperin (7), and nicotiflorin (8) by spectroscopic analysis. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) assay, which measures scavenging activity against peroxy radicals induced by 2,2'-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride, and the ORAC value is expressed as relative trolox equivalent. Compounds 4, 6, and 7 exhibited potent antioxidant activity, whereas the other compounds showed weaker activity than trolox.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetic Resonance Society
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2007

A series of bromophenols and corresponding debrominated phenolic compounds was prepared by isolation from red alga Tichocarpus crinitus and by structural modification of natural bromophenols. Their structures were determined by extensive NMR analysis and the antioxidant activities were established through the determination of their abilities to inhibit free radicals using DPPH as the stable radical. The most active free radical scavengers were the debrominated phenolic derivatives 3,4-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol and 3,3',4,4'-tetrahydroxydiphenylmethane.