30th September | Lugo, Spain
An important part of the project’s objectives is to assess whether the compounds isolated from different marine species by the BEAP-MAR partners could have a future application in industry.
To this end, we at USC are evaluating the in vitro effects of several compounds. We have previously reported that three cyclopeptides isolated from the cyanobacterium Microcoleus autumnalis (Image 1) exert antioxidant and neuroprotective effects in human neuroblastoma cells, SH-SY5Y (Image 3) (O’Brien et al., 2024).
On the other hand, we had also described that two new zoanthamine alkaloids, namely 3-acetoxynorzoanthamine (1) and 3-acetoxyzoanthamine (2), isolated from the zoantharian Zoanthus cf. pulchellus (Image 2), exert protective effects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in microglial cells by reducing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) induced by LPS (Images 4 and 5) (Guillen et al., 2018).
Out of the families of compounds we have so far screened, whose data have not yet been published, namely urlarins, plumoside, zoanthamines, contignasterol and its derivatives, among others, we have identified four compounds that show very promising anti-inflammatory activity.
We cannot provide specifics due to intellectual proprietary protection, but the results show promising effects towards inflammatory diseases (cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, other neurological diseases). More to come.
Author:
Nadia Pérez-Fuentes
PhD researcher at the University of Santiago de Compostela, currently working on the EU-funded BEAP-MAR project, a great opportunity to study the in vitro effects of different compounds isolated from marine species for the development of promising new drugs within the Blue Bioeconomy sector in the Atlantic Area.
