Cytotoxic and neurotoxic activities in extracts of marine sponges (Porifera) from southeastern Brazilian coast

• Published in: Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology Vol. 262; no. 1; pp. 31 - 40
• Main Authors: Rangel, Marisa, de Sanctis, Bianca, de Freitas, José Carlos, Moutinho Polatto, Juliana, Granato, Ana Cláudia, Berlinck, Roberto G.S, Hajdu, Eduardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15-07-2001; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Aaptos; Amphimedon; Arenosclera brasiliensis; Axinella corrugata; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; Brazilian coast; Cytotoxicity; General pharmacology; Geodia corticostylifera; Geodia gibberosa; Medical sciences; Mycale laxissima; natural products; Neurotoxicity; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Porifera; Raspailia elegans; Sponge extracts; Stelletta; South America; Brazil; Southwest Atlantic; America; ASW, Brazil; Cytotoxicity; Neurotoxicity; Sponge extracts; Porifera; Brazilian coast; Pharmacological activity; Toxicity; Interspecific comparison; Animal origin; Nervous system; Screening test; Biological activity; Coastal zone; Marine environment; Tissue extract; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0022-0981; 1879-1697
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-0981(01)00276-3

This work reports the results of a screening program based on marine sponge extracts from the southeastern Brazilian coast, covering cytotoxic and neurotoxic activities. Polar and non-polar extracts of 24 sponge species collected by scuba diving in rocky shores, from 1996 to 2000, were screened for haemolytic, cytotoxic and neurotoxic activities. Fifty-four percent (13/24) of the sponge extracts tested exhibited from median to high toxicity in at least one of the toxicity bioassays performed.
Amphimedon sp. and
Arenosclera brasiliensis Muricy and Ribeiro, 1999 induced haemolysis in mice erythrocytes at small concentrations.
Aaptos sp. and
Geodia corticostylifera Hajdu, Muricy, Custodio, Russo and Peixinho, 1992 extracts lysed the sea-urchin eggs, while
Axinella aff.
corrugata George and Wilson, 1919,
Mycale laxissima Duchassaing and Michelotti, 1864,
A. brasiliensis and
Raspailia elegans Bourm-Esnauls, 1973, inhibited mitosis and its development. The extracts of
G. gibberosa Lamarck, 1815 and
Stelletta sp. showed specific neurotoxic activity, while
G. corticostylifera and
A. brasiliensis extracts induced blockage of action potential conduction in crustacean nerve, maybe due to their lytic properties.