Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Preliminary biological investigation of a collection of Comorian soft corals resulted in the selection of two specimens, one of Sarcophyton and the other of Lobophytum, on the basis of their toxicity on larvae of the brine shrimp (Artemia salina) and inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, respectively. Bioassay-guided fractionations provided a known antitumor promoter cembrane diterpenoid, (+)-sarcophytol-A (1), along with a new lobane diterpenoid, carbomethoxyfuscol (2), from Sarcophyton sp., and a new cembranoid, crassumolide E (3), from Lobophytum sp. The structures of compounds 1–3 were determined by spectroscopic analysis and by comparison of the spectral data with previously reported values. The cembranoid 3 was found to exhibit a moderate inhibitory effect on acetylcholinesterase.
Highlights
Alcyonarians are rich sources of sesquiterpenes and diterpenes with unique structural diversity and pronounced biological activities [1]
Lobane and cembrane diterpenoids are typical of coelenterates of the orders Alcyonacea and Gorgonacea, which have been recognized as the most prolific sources of these classes of diterpenes
Lobanes, which have been isolated from the Gorgonian species Eunicea fusca [2] and from soft corals of the genera Lobophytum [3,4,5,6] and Sinularia [7,8,9], are known for their antibacterial, fungicidal and cytotoxic properties
Summary
Alcyonarians are rich sources of sesquiterpenes and diterpenes with unique structural diversity and pronounced biological activities [1]. In our search for bioactive substances from marine organisms, a biological screen of a collection of Comorian soft corals was initiated on toxic activity using brine shrimp Artemia salina assay [14] and on acetylcholinesterase inhibition using a TLC assay [15]. These two biological assays were chosen because they are simple and rapid. One of the current therapeutic approaches to treating AD is aimed at restoring the native levels of acetylcholine in the central nervous system by using AChE inhibitors Based on this strategy, AChE inhibitors are the most widely developed class of drugs approved for the symptomatic treatment of the disease. From a Sarcophyton sp. (family Alcyoniidae), and the isolation of a new cembranoid, crassumolide E (3), inhibitor of the acetylcholinesterase, from a Lobophytum sp. (family Alcyoniidae) (Figure 1)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
