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Bio-guided HPLC-PAD-APCI-MS metabolite profiling of cytotoxic
carotenoids from the marine echinoderm Marthastherias glacialis
(spiny sea-star)
D. M. Pereira 1 , F. Ferreres 2 , A. Gil-Izquierdo 2 , P. Valentão 1 , P. B. Andrade 1
1 REQUIMTE/Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Porto University, R. Aníbal Cunha,
164, 4050-047 Porto, Portugal.
2 Research Group on Quality, Safety and Bioactivity of Plant Foods, Department of Food Science and
Technology, CEBAS (CSIC), P.O. Box 164, 30100 Campus University Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
It is an undeniable fact that Nature constitutes one of the most expressive sources of bioactive
compounds. Nowadays, the number of bioactive molecules from marine sources is rising, a
trend that is thought to continue given the tremendous biodiversity of marine environment. As
a result of the many challenges that these ecosystems present, including low temperatures, high
pressures and low light availability, marine organisms respond by synthesizing a number of
secondary metabolites, some of them with remarkable pharmacological properties.
In this work, the echinoderm Marthastherias glacialis (spiny sea-star) was studied from a
metabolomic point of view (HPLC-DAD / HPLC-MS), which led to the isolation of several
carotenoids, comprising both carotenes and xanthophylls (Fig.1). Some of these carotenoids,
such as astaxanthin, are characteristic of the aquatic environment, being absent in terrestrial
species. After a deeper chemical insight, we evaluated its cytotoxic activity against the cancer
cell line RBL-2H3 (rat basophilic leukemia), with an IC25 of 268 µg/ml being found.
Adding to the interest of these carotenoids as cytotoxic agents, the same compounds revealed
much lower toxicity against healthy cells (V79 cell line, rat fibroblasts), thus being more
specific for cancer cells.
This work shows how marine organisms can constitute an interesting source of bioactive
compounds, due to their diversified chemistry, which we only now begin to understand.
Fig. 1. Marthastherias glacialis and chemical structure of the main carotenoid (zeaxanthin).
Acknowledgements: David M. Pereira is indebted to FCT for the grant (SFRH/BD/62663/2009).
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