软珊瑚(Sinularia flexibilis)和柳珊瑚(Plexaura homomalla)化学防御物质研究进展

软珊瑚(Sinularia flexibilis)和柳珊瑚(Plexaura homomalla)属于海洋低等无脊椎动物,虽然这些动物自身缺乏有效的物理防御手段,却能在竞争激烈的海洋环境中生存与繁衍,这主要是依靠其次级代谢产物的化学防御作用.这些次级代谢产物聚积在体内或释放到环境中,作用主要体现在抵御捕食者、抗病原微生物、克生与防附着等方面.珊瑚化学防御物质的研究有助于探讨珊瑚与其环境中其它生物的化学生态关系,属于海洋化学生态学研究的重要内容之一,其研究方法和思路对海洋活性天然产物乃至海洋新药先导化合物的发现,具有重要的启迪作用.综述了软珊瑚和柳珊瑚化学防御物质的研究进展,并阐释了软珊瑚和柳珊瑚中具有拒捕食、克生、防生物附着等生物活性的次级代谢产物的结构及其化学防御作用.

Research progress on chemical defensive substances from soft corals (Sinularia flexibilis) and Gorgonians (Plexaura homomalla)

Despite lack of efficient physical protection in the highly competitive and hostile environment, the marine invertebrates including soft corals and gorgonians can survive mainly relying on their chemical defensive system by a series of secondary metabolites accumulating in their bodies or releasing to their surroundings. The chemical defensive functions of these secondary metabolites were found to serve as antifeedant, antimicrobial, antifouling agents as well as allelopathicsubstances. Chemical study on the defensive substances from corals and gorgonians is one of the most important topics in marine chemical ecology. The research results could help us to understand the chemical ecology relationships between corals and their surrounding organisms. The research strategy and methodology played an edificatory role in the bioactive natural products discovery and new drug lead compound generation from marine sources. The research progress on chemical defensive substances from soft corals and gorgonians was reviewed. This review focused on the structures of these secondary metabolites as well as their functions including antipredatory, allelopathic, and antifouling activities.