• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.501-509
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• 2013

Formaldehyde (FA) is widely used in industries, and it is an indoor and outdoor pollutant. Exposure to FA may cause inflammation and respiratory oxidative stress. Studies have demonstrated that FA can cause cancer in animal models. During the regeneration process of injured starfish (Asterina pectinifera), several changes have been observed in the expression of cytokines. In particular, higher TGF-${\beta}1$ expression has been detected in arm cut starfish extract after eight days. The current study was designed to elucidate the in-vitro and the in-vivo pharmacological effects of starfish extract on FA exposure. We investigated the protective effects of intact starfish extract and arm cut starfish extract on an IMR-90 cell line and on mouse lung injury in response to FA exposure. In the presence of FA, inhalation of the arm cut starfish extract was associated with more promising cell proliferation, TNF-${\alpha}$, NF-${\kappa}B$ decrement, and $I{\kappa}-B{\alpha}$ increment. In the experimental group, the pulmonary structure of the arm cut starfish extract-treated group in the presence of FA exposure was similar to the control group, whereas the FA exposure group showed damage to the pulmonary structure. Moreover, the arm cut starfish extracts was more effective than the intact starfish extracts in terms of the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$, NF-${\kappa}B$, $I{\kappa}-B{\alpha}$, and surfactant protein A. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that arm cut starfish extracts are more effective in protecting pulmonary structure and function against FA exposure than intact starfish extracts.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.241-244
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• 2003

A new (2) and a known (1) acylated taurine derivatives were isolated from MeOH extract of the starfish Certonardoa semiregularis. Another new acylated taurine derivative (3) was isolated from the MeOH extract of the sponge Erylus nobilis. The structures were determined on the basis of spectral analysis.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.307-312
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• 2003

To study the diversity of heterotrophic bacteria isolated from intestine of starfish, Asterias amurensis, we collected starfishes from the coastal area near Jangheung-Gun, Jeollanam-Do, Korea during July, 2000. Population density and bacterial diversity in the intestine of starfish were measured. The results were as follows; The population densities of heterotrophic bacteria in the intestine of starfish were 8.65${\pm}$0.65${\times}10^3\;dfu\;g^{-1}$. Gram positive bacteria occupied 59% among 29 isolates. The community structure of dominant heterotrophic bacteria in the intestine of starfish consisted of Bacillaceae in the low G+C gram positive bacteria subphylum, Microbacteriaceae in the high G+C gram positive bacteria subphylum, and Alteromonadaceae in ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria subphylum. Among eight strains of Bacillus spp., three strains showed more than 97% identity, but five strains showed about 90% identity with type strain on the basis of partial 16S rDNA sequence.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.173-178
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Starfish is one of major sea invertebrates that have become a serious economic threat to aquacultural farms in Korea. Much effort has sacrificed to reduce the economic losses of the farms by predatory starfish, including developing and searching biological resources for medicinal and agricultural purposes. In the present study, we investigated aphicidal activity of the extracts from the starfish Asterina pectinifera against green peach aphid. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fresh starfishes were cut into small pieces, homogenized and soaked in methanol. The methanol extracts were centrifuged and the resulting supernatant was subjected to aphicidal activity assays and a series of silica gel column chromatography. More than 70% mortality of aphids were observed by the extracts at a concentration of 1,000 mg/L, exhibiting dose-dependent mortality. TOF-MS analyses detected polyhydroxysteroid as a main aphicidal compound from the starfish extracts. Transmission electronic microscopy could demonstrate that the extracts with polyhydroxysteroid caused aphids death by affecting their epicuticular membrane. CONCLUSION(s): This is the first report of aphicidal activity of the starfish Asterina pectinifera extracts against green peach aphid. Starfish biological resources may be used as a potential candidate for developing a new type natural insecticide.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.961-968
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• 2013

In this paper, we propose an optimal design for starfish capturing manipulator module with four-bar linkage mechanism. A tool link with compliance is attached on the four-bar linkage, and the tool repeats detaching starfish from the ground and putting it into the storage box. Since the tool is not rigid and the manipulator is operating underwater, the trajectory of the tool tip is determined by its dynamics as well as kinematics. We analyzed the trajectory of the manipulator tool tip by quasi-static analysis considering both kinematics and dynamics. In optimization, the lengths of each link and the tool stiffness are considered as control variables. To maximize the capturing ability, capturing stroke of the four-bar manipulator trajectory is maximized. Reaction force and reaction moment, and other kinematic constraints were considered as inequality constraints.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2014

Two neuropeptides were purified from the acidified tube feet extract of the starfish Asterias amurensis by C18 reversed phase and size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The tube feet extract and the purified peptides (AST-I and AST-II) showed potent contractile activity on dorsal retractor muscle (DRM) of the starfish Asterina pectinifera and intestine (smooth muscle) of the panther puffer Takifugu pardalis. Treatment of the purified peptides with dithiothreitol (DTT) for 60 min at $37^{\circ}C$ significantly altered their retention times, suggesting that these compounds contained disulfide bonds. The molecular weights of AST-I and AST-II were determined to be 2064.2 Da and 6137.2 Da, respectively, by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.158-158
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• 2003

Bioassays using gametes of sea urchins are widely used in ecotoxicological assessments of marine environments. Since most of sea urchin species in Korean coastal water spawn from spring to autumn, bioassay with them during the winter is impossible. In the course of developing standard methods for bioassays with Korean species, we found a winter-spawning starfish, Asterias amurensis, Since reproductive mode of asteroids is similar to echinoids, the bioassay protocol for sea urchins could be applied similarly to the starfish. Here, we tested and determined several conditions for the acceptability of bioassay with A. amurensis. The least required time for formation of fertilization membrane of fertilized eggs to be easily distinguished from unfertilized ones was 60 min. The threshold of sperm to egg ratio that could make acceptable fertilization rates in controls was 3000. The allowed time for manipulation of sperm after dilution in seawater was at most 3 hr. The optimal exposure time of sperms when the response against toxicant solution was relatively stable was in the range of 20-60 min. The tolerance range of sperms to the salinity of test solution was 26-38 psu. The sensitivity of A. amurensis sperm was intermediate among marine organisms commonly used in aquatic toxicity tests. The sperm bioassay with A. amurensis can be satisfactorily applied to toxicity assessments of marine environments.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.114-120
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• 2012

In echinoderms, the SALMFamide neuropeptides sharing the SxL/FxFamide motif seem widespread throughout the phylum and may be important signalling molecules that mediate various physiological functions. Recent identification of S1 and its analogues, MagS3 and MagS4, along with the S2 analogue, MagS2 from the starfish $Marthasterias$ $glacialis$, indicated that SALMFamides in the class Asteroidea are more diverse than previously thought. Further, isolation of the neuropeptides from the radial nerve cord and studies on pharmacological actions of the neuropeptides on the cardiac stomach warrant studies on the tissue distributions of these peptides in both the nervous and digestive systems. In the present study, antisera raised against an S1 analogue, KYSALMFamide, and an S2 analogue, KYSGLTFamide, were used to localize the distribution patterns of the S1- and S2-like immunoreactivities (S1-IR/S2-IR) in the nervous and digestive systems of the starfish. In the nervous system, cell bodies in the ectoneural part were immunostained for both S1 and S2 peptides, while in the digestive system, the basiepithelial plexus and mucosal cell bodies were immunoreactive. These immunocytochemical data support the notion that the SALMFamides may play a neuroendocrine role in mediating feeding behaviour of the starfish. Further studies including identification of peptide binding sites and differential expression pattern of mRNAs encoding the peptides are required to elucidate their physiological functions.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.163-170
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• 2021

Peptides are naturally occurring biological molecules that are found in all living organisms. These biologically active peptides play a key role in various biological processes. The aim of this study is the extraction and the purification of bioactive materials that induce relaxation of an apical muscle from the pyloric caeca of Patiria pectinifera. The acidified pyloric caeca extract was partially separated by the solid phase extraction using a stepwise gradient on Sep-Pak C18 cartridge. Among the fractions, materials eluted with 60% methanol/0.1% trifluoroacetic acid was put a thorough of a series of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) steps to isolate a neuropeptide with relaxation activity. The purified compound was eluted at 28% acetonitrile in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid with retention time of 25.8 min on the CAPCELL-PAK C18 reversed-phase column. To determine the molecular weight and the amino acid sequence of the purified peptide, LC-MS and Edman degradation method were used, respectively. The primary structure of the peptide was determined to be FGMGGAYDPLSAGFTD which corresponded to the amino acid sequence of a starfish myorelaxant peptide (SMP) isotype (SMPb) found in the cDNA sequence encoding SMPa and its isotypes. In this study, a muscle relaxant neuropeptide (SMPb) has been isolated from pyloric caeca of starfish P. pectinifera. This is the first report of SMPb isolation on the protein level from P. pectinifera.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.12-18
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• 2004

A study on the enhancement of the dewaterability of sewage sludge was carried out by using the sea waste materials as a dewatering aid. It was made from a starfish and a shell by heating at $105∼700 ^{\circ}C$ and centrifuge and belt press were used as a mechanical dewatering process. The moisture content of sludge cake was reduced by 15∼22% (w/w) after addition of the dewatering aid at the dose of 1∼8 g/100mL of digested sludge. CST (capillary suction time) was measured to evaluate the effect of dewatering aid on sludge dewatering properties. CST was reduced after addition of a shell while increased after addition of a starfish. Enhancement of dewaterability after addition of a shell was better than that of a starfish. The heating temperature effect of the dewatering aid on dewaterability was not clear.