Chemical defenses of the tropical marine seaweed Canistrocarpus cervicornis against herbivory by sea urchin

Authors

  • Éverson Miguel Bianco Universidade Federal Fluminense; Instituto de Química
  • Valéria Laneuville Teixeira Universidade Federal Fluminense; Instituto de Biologia; Departamento de Biologia Marinha
  • Renato Crespo Pereira Universidade Federal Fluminense; Instituto de Biologia; Departamento de Biologia Marinha

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-87592010000300004

Keywords:

Canistrocarpus cervicornis, Chemical defenses, Dolastanes, Diterpenes

Abstract

This paper reports on the defensive chemical properties of the marine tropical brown seaweed Canistrocarpus cervicornis against herbivory. A natural concentration of dichloromethane crude extract (DCE) obtained from this seaweed significantly inhibited feeding by the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus. The major metabolite isolated from this active DCE extract was identified as the (4R,7R,14S)-4α,7α-diacetoxy-14-hydroxydolast-1(15),8-diene that strongly inhibited feeding by the same sea urchin. This result suggests that the dolastane diterpenes class may constitute the defensive system of C. cervicornis against herbivory, and probably also of that of other brown seaweeds endowed with a biosynthetic pathway capable of producing compounds of the dolastane-type, a typical skeleton found in Dyctioteae species worldwide. This is the first report showing this compound-type (dolastane diterpenes) as a chemical defense against herbivory in marine seaweeds. This study constitutes an additional report broadening the known spectrum of action and roles of secondary metabolites of the C. cervicornis and Dyctioteae species.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2010-09-01

Issue

Section

naodefinida

How to Cite

Chemical defenses of the tropical marine seaweed Canistrocarpus cervicornis against herbivory by sea urchin . (2010). Brazilian Journal of Oceanography, 58(3), 213-218. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-87592010000300004