Biological Activity and Chemistry of the Compound Ascidian Eusynstyela tincta

  • S. K. Chithra Lekha Devi
  • K. N. Rajasekharan
  • K. Padmakumar
  • Jun’ichi Tanaka
  • Tatsuo Higa
Chapter

Summary

The extract of the compound ascidian Eusynstyela tincta, collected from Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar, India was subjected through a battery of biological screens. The crude methanolic extract and subsequent fractions exhibited antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic and feeding deterrent activities. The extracts showed broad-spectrum antibiotic activity, and inhibited both bacterial and fungal pathogens. It also showed 100% cytotoxicity (25(μg/ml) against Dalton’s lymphoma and Ehrlich ascites tumour cells. A consistent feeding deterrent activity was established in both laboratory and field trials. It deterred the gold fish Carassius auratus. Among the extract/fractions assayed, methanol/ chloroform fraction had remarkable activity. The crude extract was separated through bioassay-guided fractionation and the active metabolite was identified as a pyridoacridine alkaloid, Kuanoniamine A. This study demonstrates that the ascidian metabolite, which exhibits antibiotic, cytotoxic and feeding deterrent activities, may play a role in the chemical defense mechanism.

Key words

Compound ascidian Antimicrobial Cytotoxic Feeding deterrent Kuanoniamine A 
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Copyright information

© Springer Japan 2001

Authors and Affiliations

  • S. K. Chithra Lekha Devi
    • 1
  • K. N. Rajasekharan
    • 1
  • K. Padmakumar
    • 2
  • Jun’ichi Tanaka
    • 3
  • Tatsuo Higa
    • 3
  1. 1.Department of ChemistryUniversity of KeralaTrivandrumIndia
  2. 2.Department of Aquatic Biology and FisheriesUniversity of KeralaTrivandrumIndia
  3. 3.Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine SciencesUniversity of RyukyusOkinawaJapan

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