title: Isolation and synthesis of shark-repelling saponins.
abstract: Saponins are complex compounds that are composed of a saccharide attached to a steroid or triterpene. They are natural surfactants, or detergents. Several important biological effects have been ascribed to saponins. They have been isolated from a great number of terrestrial plants. In the animal kingdom they are found in most sea cucumbers and starfish, whereas they are found only rarely in alcyonarians, gorgonians, sponges, and as shark-repelling compounds in fish. The present review deals with the isolation and some syntheses of the shark-repelling saponins mosesins-1 to -5 and pavoninins-1 to -6 obtained from the fish species Pardachirus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA. john.r.williams@temple.edu
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010571:Pest Control / Q000379:methods*; D012503:Saponins / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012754:Sharks / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012503:Saponins