Hemolytic compound 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-hexadecan-1,19-disulfate found in the invasive European sea squirt Ascidiella aspersa

Abstract

The solitary European sea squirt Ascidiella aspersa was introduced to northern Japan, causing dense coverage of the aquacultured Japanese scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis. There are concerns that allelopathy by the sea squirt will suppress the growth of the scallop. Herein, we studied the allelopathic and defensive potential of A. aspersa using hemolytic assay. An alkyl sulfate, viz. 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-hexadecan-1,19-disulfate (1), was isolated as a hemolytic compound, and 1 showed mild toxicity against the Japanese scallop and brine shrimp.