title: Characteristics of hemolytic activity induced by the aqueous extract of the Mexican fire coral Millepora complanata.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Millepora complanata is a plate-like fire coral common throughout the Caribbean. Contact with this species usually provokes burning pain, erythema and urticariform lesions. Our previous study suggested that the aqueous extract of M. complanata contains non-protein hemolysins that are soluble in water and ethanol. In general, the local damage induced by cnidarian venoms has been associated with hemolysins. The characterization of the effects of these components is important for the understanding of the defense mechanisms of fire corals. In addition, this information could lead to better care for victims of envenomation accidents.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ethanolic extract from the lyophilized aqueous extract was prepared and its hemolytic activity was compared with the hemolysis induced by the denatured aqueous extract. Based on the finding that ethanol failed to induce nematocyst discharge, ethanolic extracts were prepared from artificially bleached and normal M. complanata fragments and their hemolytic activity was tested in order to obtain information about the source of the heat-stable hemolysins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rodent erythrocytes were more susceptible to the aqueous extract than chicken and human erythrocytes. Hemolytic activity started at ten minutes of incubation and was relatively stable within the range of 28-50°C. When the aqueous extract was preincubated at temperatures over 60°C, hemolytic activity was significantly reduced. The denatured extract induced a slow hemolytic activity (HU50 = 1,050.00 ± 45.85 μg/mL), detectable four hours after incubation, which was similar to that induced by the ethanolic extract prepared from the aqueous extract (HU50 = 1,167.00 ± 54.95 μg/mL). No significant differences were observed between hemolysis induced by ethanolic extracts from bleached and normal fragments, although both activities were more potent than hemolysis induced by the denatured extract.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed that the aqueous extract of M. complanata possesses one or more powerful heat-labile hemolytic proteins that are slightly more resistant to temperature than jellyfish venoms. This extract also contains slow thermostable hemolysins highly soluble in ethanol that are probably derived from the body tissues of the hydrozoan.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemical and Pharmacological Natural Products Research, School of Chemistry, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro, 76010 Mexico.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Arredondo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemical and Pharmacological Natural Products Research, School of Chemistry, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro, 76010 Mexico.
authors.forename: Luis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Murillo-Esquivel
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemical and Pharmacological Natural Products Research, School of Chemistry, Autonomous University of Querétaro, Querétaro, 76010 Mexico.
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: Reef System Unit, Puerto Morelos, Institute of Marine Sciences and Limnology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo 77500 Mexico.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Rodriguez
keywords: Cytolysins; Fire coral; Hemolysins; Millepora complanata