title: Biological activities of aqueous and organic extracts from tropical marine sponges.
abstract: We report on screening tests of 66 extracts obtained from 35 marine sponge species from the Caribbean Sea (Curaçao) and from eight species from the Great Barrier Reef (Lizard Island). Extracts were prepared in aqueous and organic solvents and were tested for hemolytic, hemagglutinating, antibacterial and anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities, as well as their ability to inhibit or activate cell protein phosphatase 1 (PP1). The most interesting activities were obtained from extracts of Ircinia felix, Pandaros acanthifolium, Topsentia ophiraphidites, Verongula rigida and Neofibularia nolitangere. Aqueous and organic extracts of I. felix and V. rigida showed strong antibacterial activity. Topsentia aqueous and some organic extracts were strongly hemolytic, as were all organic extracts from I. felix. The strongest hemolytic activity was observed in aqueous extracts from P. acanthifolium. Organic extracts of N. nolitangere and I. felix inhibited PP1. The aqueous extract from Myrmekioderma styx possessed the strongest hemagglutinating activity, whilst AChE inhibiting activity was found only in a few sponges and was generally weak, except in the methanolic extract of T. ophiraphidites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sepcić
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kauferstein
authors.forename: Dietrich
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mebs
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Turk
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001315:Australia; D017691:Caribbean Region; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D055808:Drug Discovery; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D053878:Hemolytic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011161:Porifera / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D054645:Protein Phosphatase 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D053878:Hemolytic Agents; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D054645:Protein Phosphatase 1