Biological activities of sulfated glycosides from echinoderms

• Main Author: Maier, M.S.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_15725995_v35_nC_p311_Maier

The classes Asteroidea (starfishes) and Holothuroidea (sea cucumbers) belonging to the phylum Echinodermata are characterized by their content in toxic saponins. Asterosaponins from starfishes are sulfated steroidal glycosides whereas holothurins from sea cucumbers are triterpenoid glycosides with sulfate groups attached to the monosaccharide residues in sixty percent of the saponins isolated so far. Starfishes also contain steroidal mono- and diglycosides which occur as complex mixtures with asterosaponins. Due to their toxicity and membranotropic action, these polar compounds have attracted the attention of chemists and pharmacologists and a wide spectrum of biological activities has been found for these saponins. The purpose of this communication is to review the structural characteristics and biological properties of the saponins isolated from starfishes and sea cucumbers in the last five years, focusing on the structural elucidation and evaluation of antifungal, cytotoxic and antiviral properties of some examples of the author's laboratory isolated from starfishes and sea cucumbers collected near the Patagonian shore and Antarctica. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Fil:Maier, M.S. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.