Steroids from green alga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chaetomorpha basiretorsa</Emphasis> Setchell

Six steroids have been isolated from ethanolic extract of green alga Chaetomorpha basiretorsa Setchell by a combination of repeated normal phase silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography as well as recrystallization. Using spectroscopic methods including MS and NMR, their structures were determined as β-1awsaritol （1）, saringosterol （2）, 24-hydroperoxy-24-vinyl- cholesterol （3）, β-stigmasterol （4）, stigmast-4-en-3α, 6β-diol （5）, 29-hydroxystigmasta-5, 24 （28）-dien-3β-ol （6）. All these compounds were obtained from this genus for the first time and they were inactive （IC50〉10μg/ml） against KB, Bel-7402, PC-3M, Ketr 3 and MCF-7 cell lines.     

The Antitumor Components from Marine-derived Bacterium Streptoverticillium luteoverticillatum 11014 Ⅱ

Eight known compounds were isolated from a marine-derived bacterium Streptoverticillium luteoverticillatum 11014 using bioassay-guided fractionations. Their structures were identified by spectral analysis as bis （4-hydroxybenzyl） ether （1）, p-hydroxyphenylethyl alcohol （2）, N-（4-hydroxyphenethyl） acetamide （3）, indole-3 carboxylic acid methyl ester （4）, dibenzo[b,e] [1,4]dioxine （5）, thymine （6）, cytosine deoxyribonucleoside （7） and 2, 3-butanediol （8）. These compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against K562 cell line with the SRB method for the first time. Compounds 2 and 4 showed cytotoxcities with IC50 values of 101.1 and 165.3 μolL^-1, respectively. All compounds were isolated from S. luteoverticillatum 11014 for the first time.     

The antitumor effect of bromophenol derivatives <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leathesia nana</Emphasis> extract <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis>

To investigate the antitumor effect of bromophenol derivatives in vitro and Leathesia nana extract in vivo, six bromophenol derivatives 6-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl)-2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxy benzyl methyl ether (1), (+)-3-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-4-bromo-5,6-dihydroxy-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran (2), 3-bromo-4-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl)-5-methoxymethyl-pyrocatechol (3), 2,2′,3,3′-tetrabromo-4,4′,5,5′-tetrahydroxy-diphenylmethane (4), bis(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl) ether (5), 2,2′,3-tribromo-3′,4,4′,5-tetrahydroxy-6′-ethyloxymethyldiphenylmethane (6) were isolated from brown alga Leathesia nana, and their cytotoxicity were tested by MTT assays in human cancer cell lines A549, BGC-823, MCF-7, B16-BL6, HT-1080, A2780, Bel7402 and HCT-8. Their inhibitory activity against protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) with over-expression of c-kit was analyzed also by ELISA. The antitumor activity of ethanolic extraction of Leathesia nana (EELN) was evaluated on S₁₈₀-bearing mice. All compounds showed very potent cytotoxicity against all of the eight cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ below 10 μg/mL. In PTK inhibition study, all bromophenol derivatives showed moderate inhibitory activity and compounds 2, 5 and 6 showed significant bioactivity with the inhibition ratio of 77.5%, 80.1% and 71.4%, respectively. Pharmacological studies reveal that EELN could inhibit the growth of Sarcoma 180 tumor and increase the indices of thymus and spleen to improve the immune system remarkably in vivo. Results indicated that the bromophenol derivatives and EELN can be used as potent antitumor agents for PTK over-expression of c-kit and considered in a new therapeutic strategy for treatment of cancer. Supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program, No. 2007AA09Z410) and Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-209)     

Chemical constituents of marine medicinal mangrove plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sonneratia caseolaris</Emphasis>

Twenty-four compounds including eight steroids (1–8), nine triterpenoids (9–16, 24), three flavonoids (20–22), and four benzenecarboxylic derivatives (17–19, 23) were isolated and identified from stems and twigs of medicinal mangrove plant Sonneratia caseolaris. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by extensive analysis of their spectroscopic data. Among these metabolites, compounds 1, 4–20 and 22–24 were isolated and identified for the first time from S. caseolaris. In the in vitro cytotoxic assay against SMMC-7721 human hepatoma cells, compound 21 (3′,4′,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) exhibited significant activity with IC₅₀ 2.8 μg/mL, while oleanolic acid (14), 3,3′-di-O-methyl ether ellagic acid (18), and 3,3′,4-O-tri-O-methyl ether ellagic acid (19) showed weak activity. None of these compounds displayed significant antibacterial activites. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30770234); Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-211-04); Department of Science and Technology of Shandong Province (No.2006GG2205023)     

Chemical constituents of marine algal-derived endophytic fungus Exophiala oligosperma EN-21

Seven compounds (1–7) were identified from the cultivation of the endophytic fungus Exophiala oligosperma (EN-21) that was isolated from the inner tissue of the marine red alga Laurencia similis. Their structures were identified with spectroscopic and chemical methods as 2-phenoxynaphthalene (1), (2S, 3R, 4E, 8E)-1-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3-hydroxy-2-[(R)-2′-hydroxyoctadecanoyl] amino-9-methyl-4, 8-octadeca-diene (2), (22E,24R)-ergosta-7,22-dien-3β,5α,6β-triol (3), (22E, 24R)-3β, 5α, 9α-trihydroxy- ergosta-7, ...     

A new ketosteroid from red alga Acanthophora spicifera

A new ketosteroid, along with six known steroids, was isolated from the ethanolic extracts of red alga Acanthophora spicifera (Vahl.) Boergesen. The structures, identified using chemical and spectroscopic methods including 2D NMR, were: (1) 22-hydroxy-5α-cholest-3,6-dione, (2) 6-hydroxycholest-4-ene-3-one, (3) cholest-4-ene-3,6-dione, (4) cholest-5-ene-3β-ol, (5) 5α-cholestane-3,6-dione, (6) β-Sitosterol and (7) Saringosterol. The MTT method was used to test the cytotoxicity of the compounds against the human cancer cell lines, HCT-8, Bel-7402, BGC-823, A549 and HELA. Compounds 1, 2, 3 and 5 showed moderate cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines.     

Extraction and PTP1B inhibitory activity of bromophenols from the marine red alga Symphyocladia latiuscula

Previously, we had characterized several structurally interesting brominated phenols from the marine red alga Symphyocladia latiuscula collected from various sites. However, Phytochemical investigations on this species collected from the Weihai coastline of Shandong Province remains blank. Therefore, we characterized the chemical constituents of individuals of this species collected from the region. Eight bromophenols were isolated and identified. Using detailed spectroscopic techniques and comparisons with published data, these compounds were identified as 2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl methyl ether (1), 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (2), 2,3,6-tribromo-4,5-dihydroxymethylbenzene (3), 2,3,6-tribromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (4), 2,3,6-tribromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl methyl ether (5), bis(2,3,6-tribromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl)methane (6), 1,2-bis(2,3,6-tribromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-ethane (7), and 1-(2,3,6-tribromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl)-pyrrolidin-2-one (8). Among these compounds, 1 and 2 were isolated for the first time from S. latiuscula. Each compound was evaluated on the ability to inhibit protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), which is a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Bromophenols 5, 6, and 7 showed strong activities with IC50 values of 3.9, 4.3, and 3.5 μmol/L, respectively. This study provides further evidence that bromophenols are predominant among the chemical constituents of Symphyocladia, and that some of these compounds may be candidates for the development of anti-diabetes drugs.     

Synthesis and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibition activities of two new synthetic bromophenols and their methoxy derivatives

3-bromo-4,5-bis(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl)-1,2-benzenediol (1) is a natural bromophenol isolated from the red algae Rhodomela confervoides that exhibits significant inhibition against protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). Based on its activity, we synthesized two new synthetic bromophenols and their methoxy derivatives from vanillin using the structure of natural bromophenol 1 as a scaffold. The structures of these bromophenols were elucidated from 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and high resolution electron ionization mass spectrometry as 2,3-dibromo-1-(2p-bromo-6p-(3q,4q-dimethoxybenzyl)- 3p,4p-dimethoxybenzyl)-4,5-dimethoxybenzene(2),2,3-dibromo-1-(2p-bromo-6p-(2q-bromo-4q,5q-dimethoxy-benzyl)-3p,4p-dimethoxybenzyl)-4,5-dimethoxybenzene(3),3,4-dibromo-5-(2p-bromo-6p-(2q-bromo-4q,5q-dihydroxybenzyl)-3p,4p-dihydroxybenzyl)pyrocatechol(4)and 3,4-dibromo-5-(2p-bromo-6p-(3q,4q-dihydroxybenzyl)-3p,4p-dihydroxybenzyl)pyrocatechol (5).PTP1B inhibition activities of these compounds were evaluated using a colorimetric assay,and compounds 3 and 4 demonstrated interesting activity against PTP1B.     

Effects of sodium nitrate and sodium acetate concentrations on the growth and fatty acid composition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachiomonas submarina</Emphasis>

One isolate of Brachiomonas submarina was tested for its ability to grow heterotrophicly on 5 different organic compounds. Sodium acetate and glucose were found to be effective in supporting the growth. Sodium acetate was chosen as the organic nutrient to test the combined effects of organic and inorganic solutions on the growth and fatty acid composition of Brachiomonas submarina. The best growth rates were achieved at 3 mmol L⁻¹ CH₃COONa and 0.88 mmol L⁻¹ NaNO₃ in heterotrophic condition, and 4 mmol L⁻¹ CH₃COONa and 3.52 mmol L⁻¹ NaNO₃ in mixotrophic condition. The differences between fatty acid contents were significant. The total polyunsaturated fatty acids (T. P. U. F. As) varied from 55.79% to 67.72% in heteritrophic growth and from 52.39% to 65.55% in mixotrophic growth. It is concluded that CH₃COONa and NaNO₃ at 3 mmol L⁻¹ and 3.52 mmol L⁻¹ should respectively be used in order to achieve the highest growth rate and fatty acid content.     

Synthesis of three bromophenols from red algae as PTP1B inhibitors

Bromophenols are a set of natural products widely distributed in seaweed, most of which exhibit interesting and useful biological activities. To develop a reliable and efficient synthetic route to these natural bromophenols, three of them, 3,4-dibromo-5-(2′-bromo-3′,4′-dihydroxy-6′-methoxymethyl-benzyl)-benzene-1,2-diol (compound 9), 3,4-dibromo-5-(2′-bromo-6′-ethoxy methyl-3′,4′-dihydroxybenzyl)-benzene-1,2-diol (compound 10), and 3-bromo-4-(3′-bromo-4′,5′-dihydroxy benzyl)-5-(ethoxymethyl)-benzene-1,2-diol (compound 14), isolated from red marine algae, have been synthesized in eight steps with an overall yield of 14.4%, 14.4%, and 18.2% respectively, via a practical approach employing bromination, Wolff-Kishner-Huang reduction and a Friedel-Crafts reaction as key steps. The protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibitory activities of the synthetic compounds were evaluated by the colorimetric assay. The results show that these compounds are moderate PTP1B inhibitors. The synthesis of these bromophenol derivatives makes in vivo studies of their structure-activity relationships and inhibition activity against PTP1B possible.     

Alkaloids from an algicolous strain of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Talaromyces</Emphasis> sp.

Compounds isolated and identified in a culture of the alga-endophytic fungus Talaromyces sp. cf-16 included two naturally occurring alkaloids, 2-[(S)-hydroxy(phenyl)methyl]-3-methylquinazolin-4(3H)-one (1a) and 2-[(R)-hydroxy(phenyl)methyl]-3-methylquinazolin-4(3H)-one (1b), that were identified for the first time. In addition, seven known compounds (2–8) were obtained from the culture. Following chiral column chromatography, compounds 1a and 1b were identified as enantiomers by spectroscopic analyses and quantum chemical calculations. Bioassay results showed that 5 was more toxic to brine shrimp than the other compounds, and that 3–6 could inhibit Staphylococcus aureus.     

The Cytotoxic Constituents from Marine-derived Streptomyces 3320^#

The present work studies the chemical constituents from marine-derived streptomyces 3320^# and their antitumor activities. The n-BuOH extract of the ferment broth of 3320^# was chromatographed on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS columns and HPLC to separate the compounds with antitoumor activities. Their structures were identified using IR, UV, NMR, MS spectroscopic techniques and compared with published data. The antitumor activities of the isolates were assayed using SRB method and flow cytometry assay, accompanied with the morphological observation of the cells under light micro- scope against mammalian tsFT210 cells. Ten compounds, cyclo-（Ala-Leu） 1, cyclo-（Ala-Ile） 2, cyclo-（Ala-Val） 3, cyclo- （Phe-Pro） 4, cyclo-（Phe-Gly）5, cyclo-（Leu-Pro）6, 1-methyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid 7, N-（4- hydroxyphenethyl） acetamide 8, 4-methyoxy-l-（2-hydroxy） ethylbenzene 9 and uridine 10, were isolated from the ferment broth of streptomyces 3320^# . Among them, compounds 6, 7, 8 and 10 showed potent cytotoxicity against the tsFT210 cell with the IC50 values of 3.6, 7.2, 5.2 and 1.6 mmol L-1, respectively. Compounds 8, 10 also exhibited apoptosis inducing activity under 2.0 mmol L-1. Compounds 6, 7, 8 and 10 are the principle bioactive constituents responsible for the antitumor activities of marine streptomyces 3320^#. Compound 7 was isolated from this species for the first time.     

Phenylquinolinones with antitumor activity from the Indian Ocean-derived fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus versicolor</Emphasis> Y31-2

Two phenylquinolinones, including one new compound (1) and a previously isolated compound (2), were isolated from the ethyl acetate extracts of the fungus Aspergillus versicolor Y31-2, which was obtained from seawater samples collected from the Indian Ocean. The structures of these compounds were established by spectroscopic analyses. 4-(3-Hydroxyphenyl)-3-methoxyquinolin-2(1H)-one (1) exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against MCF-7 (human breast carcinoma cell line) and SMMC-7721 (human liver cancer cell line) cells with IC₅₀ values of 16.6 and 18.2 μmol/L, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first reported account of the isolation of compounds 1 and 2 as the secondary metabolites of the seawater derived fungus Aspergillus versicolor from the Indian Ocean.     

Structural studies on the oligomers from the polysaccharide ofGracilaria textorii (Rhodophyta) using β-agarase and13C-NMR spectroscopy

The 60% ethanolic extract fromGracilaria textorii (Rhodophyta) was degraded with β-agarase, and certain charged (sulfated) and neutral oligosaccharides were separated by using DEAE Sephadex A25 and Bio- gel P6, P2 chromatographic techniques. Some of the charged oligomers were verified to be neoagarotetraose-6³-sulfate (DP2), neoagarohexaose-6³, 6⁵-disulfate (DP3) and neoagarooctaose-6³, 6⁵, 6⁷-trisulfate (DP4) by using¹³C- and¹H-NMR spectroscopy. One neutral oligomer was assumed to be a mixture of methylated neoagarotetraoses (DP2) by¹H-NMR spectroscopy. These oligomers assigned by their chemical shifts may be used as the model compounds for the structural investigation of the agar-type sulfated polysaccharides using the β-agarase degradation method. Contribution No. 1749 from the Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and carbon fluxes across sea-air interface in the Changjiang Estuary and Hangzhou Bay

Partial pressure of CO2 （pCO2） was investigated in the Changjiang （Yangtze River） Estuary, Hangzhou Bay and their adjacent areas during a cruise in August 2004, China. The data show that pCO2 in surface waters of the studied area was higher than that in the atmosphere with only exception of a patch east of Zhoushan Archipelago. The pCO2 varied from 168 to 2 264 μatm, which fell in the low range compared with those of other estuaries in the world. The calculated sea-air CO2 fluxes decreased offshore and varied from -10.0 to 88.1 mmol m^-2 d^-1 in average of 24.4 ± 16.5 mmol m^-2 d^-1. Although the area studied was estimated only 2 × 10^4 km^2, it emitted （5.9 ± 4.0） × 10^3 tons of carbon to the atmosphere every day. The estuaries and their plumes must be further studied for better understanding the role of coastal seas playing in the global oceanic carbon cycle.     

Optimum temperature for the growth performance of juvenile orange-spotted grouper （Epinephelus coioides H.）

Effects of water temperature （17, 21, 25, 30 and 35℃） and body size （14.75-281.41 g initial body weight） on food consumption, growth, feed conversion, and dry matter content in orange-spotted grouper fed to satiation were investigated. The combined effect of temperature （T, ℃） and body weight （W, g） on maximum food consumption （Cmax, g/day） was described as： InCmax=-7.411＋0.828 InW＋0.317T4）.004 7T2, and the optimum feeding temperature was 33.9℃. The combined effect of temperature and body weight on growth （G） was described as： lnG=-4.461-0.2081nW＋0.394T-0.006 3T^2. The optimum growth temperature was 31.4℃, whereas overall growth rates were high at 25, 30 and 35 ℃. Feed conversion efficiencies （FCE, %）, increasing first and then decreasing with increasing temperature, averaged from 1.8 to 2.1 in terms of dry weight of food fish. The optimum temperature for FCE tended to be lower than that for growth or feeding. Dry matter content increased with both increasing water temperature （17, 25, 30 and 35℃） and body weight, and the combined effect of temperature and body weight on dry matter content （DM, %） was described as： lnDM =3.232＋0.01 4 lnW-0.004 4T＋0.001 2TInW.     

Analysis of the genetic diversity and differentiation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fenneropenaeus penicillatus</Emphasis> populations using AFLP technology

Fenneropenaeus penicillatus (redtail shrimp) is an important marine commercial animal in China. Recently, its resources have been depleted rapidly as a result of, for example, over-exploitation and environmental degradation of spawning grounds. Therefore, we analyzed the genetic diversity and differentiation of nine wild populations of F. penicillatus of China (Ningde, Lianjiang, Putian, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangpu, Dongshan, Nanao, and Shenzhen populations) by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technology, to provide genetic information necessary for resource protection, rejuvenation, artificial breeding, and sustainable use of the resource. Eight AFLP primer pairs were used for amplification, and 508 bands were detected among the populations. The results show that the percentage of polymorphic loci (P) ranged from 41.34% to 63.58%; the Nei’s gene diversity (H) of the populations was 0.119 4-0.230 5; and Shannon’s Information Index (I) was 0.184 1-0.342 5. These genetic data indicate that the genetic diversity of F. penicillatus was high. The genetic differentiation coefficient (GST=0.216 2) and gene flow (Nm=1.812 4) show that there was a high level of genetic differentiation and a moderate level of gene flow among populations. More studies on the genetic differentiation mechanism of F. penicillatus along the south-eastern coast of China need to be conducted to find more effective scientific protection strategies for the conservation of F. penicillatus genetic resources.     

THE DENSITIES OF CHANGJIANG ESTUARINE WATERS

The International Eq一lation of State of Seawater,1980 and the PraeticalSalinity Scale,1978 have been adoPted by theUNESCO江CES沼COR八APSOJoint Panel ono‘eanogral,hie Tables and Standards(JPOTS),and endorsed bythese organizati6ns(Miller‘〕and Poisson,1981;Uneseo,1981).Th已new equa-tion and the Praetieal Salinity Seale are to be used for all values Published fromJan .1,1982 .The new equation 15 aeeurate for use in all oeeanie surfaee waters,but eannot be aeeurately aPPlied to…     

Effects of different dietary lipid contents on growth and lipase activity of Eriocheir sinensis larvae

The effects of different dietary lipid content on the growth and lipase activity of Eriocheir sinensis larvae were studied in the paper. The results showed that the survival, metamorphic rate and weight gain of E. sinensis larvae at different stages of growth all varied significantly with lipid content (P<0.05). Further, the survival and metamorphosis rates were the highest during the larval phases Z₃ to Z₄, and the weight gain was the highest during the larval phases Z₅ to M. During the first 20 h after metamorphosis of every larval stage, the lipase activity increased over time at Z₁, Z₂, Z₃ and M and declined at Z₄ and Z₅, and was influenced significantly by lipid content (P<0.05). In addition, lipase activity at each larval stage began to respond to dietary lipid contents 4 h after the larvae were fed, and tended to be stable after 12 h. The diets with higher lipase activity and lower lipid content were selected to give the suitable recipe of lipid requirements at each larval stage. It was concluded that the suitable lipid requirements at Z₁, Z₂, Z₃, Z₄, Z₅ and M were 6%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 8% and 10%, respectively.