Hostname: page-component-6bb9c88b65-bw5xj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-07-24T14:20:03.423Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Turkish marine biodiversity: chemical profile and in vitro biological activities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 July 2025

Belma Konuklugil ,
Büllent Gözcelioğlu ,
Karolyna Lauterjung Lopes ,
Marina Pereira Rocha ,
Vera Lúcia de Almeida  and
Cláudia Gontijo Silva Open the ORCID record for Cláudia Gontijo Silva [Opens in a new window]
Belma Konuklugil
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lokman Hekim University, Ankara, Turkey
Büllent Gözcelioğlu
Affiliation:
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK), Ankara, Turkey
Karolyna Lauterjung Lopes
Affiliation:
Fundação Ezequiel Dias (FUNED), Serviço de Fitoquímica e Prospecção Farmacêutica, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Marina Pereira Rocha
Affiliation:
Fundação Ezequiel Dias (FUNED), Serviço de Fitoquímica e Prospecção Farmacêutica, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Vera Lúcia de Almeida
Affiliation:
Fundação Ezequiel Dias (FUNED), Serviço de Fitoquímica e Prospecção Farmacêutica, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Cláudia Gontijo Silva*
Affiliation:
Fundação Ezequiel Dias (FUNED), Serviço de Fitoquímica e Prospecção Farmacêutica, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Cláudia Gontijo Silva; Email: claudia.gontijo@funed.mg.gov.br
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Marine organisms account for more than half of the global biodiversity and have proven to be a rich source of pharmacologically active compounds. Turkey has an extensive coastline hosting a diverse marine ecosystem. This paper describes the phytochemical prospection based on chromatographic profiles of extracts, fractions, and sub-fractions from Turkish organisms. In addition, the samples were evaluated for their antioxidant, anticholinesterasic, and antibacterial activities. According to the chromatographic profiles, terpenes were identified in most samples, with the exception of Dictyonella incisa. Alkaloids were detected in Ascidiella aspersa, Eunicella cavolini, Halocynthia papillosa, Limaria hians, Microcosmus polymorphus, and D. incisa. The phenolic carboxylic acids were detected in all the samples, and the results for polyphenols were similar. The extract of P. clavata showed antioxidant activity in both models evaluated, whereas the remaining samples were positive only in the bioautographic assay. With regard to AChE inhibition, D. incisa fraction showed potent activity (%I ˃ 90%), while the sub- fractions were moderate (%I ˃ 45%). In the antibacterial assay, the same samples from D. incisa have shown activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. On the other hand, the present study opens up avenues for future research on D. incisa by aligning alkaloids and neuroprotective effects, taking into account that inhibition of AChE is a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Keywords

acetylcholinesterase inhibitorsantibacterial activityantioxidant activitychemical profilechromatographymarine species

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 105 , 2025 , e80
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Arvanitakis, Z, Shah, RC and Bennett, DA (2019) Diagnosis and management of dementia: Review. Journal of the American Medical Association 322(16), 1589–1599. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.4782CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bayona, LM, van Leeuwen, G, Erol, O, Swierts, T, van der Ent, E, Voogd, NJ and Choi, YH (2020) Influence of geographical location on the metabolic production of giant barrel sponges (Xestospongia spp.) revealed by metabolomics tools. ACS Omega 5, 12398–12408. doi:10.1021/acsomega.0c01151CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beedessee, G, Ramanjooloo, A, Surnam-Boodhun, R, van Soest, RWM and Marie, DEP (2013) Acetylcholinesterase-inhibitory activities of the extracts from sponges collected in Mauritius waters. Chemistry and Biodiversity 10(3), 442–451. doi:10.1002/cbdv.201200343CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Canakay, HM and Yapici, BM (2016) Antifungal and antibacterial activities of three marine sponges obtained from the Gulf of Saros in Turkey. Annals of Biological Research 7(10), 1–6.Google Scholar
Cummings, J, Lee, G, Ritter, A, Sabbagh, M and Zhong, K (2020) Alzheimer’s disease drug development pipeline: 2020. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions 6, e120506. doi:10.1002/trc2.12050Google ScholarPubMed
Dogan, E, Demir, O, Sertdemir, M, Saracli, MA and Konuklugil, B (2018) Screening of the selected marine sponges from the coasts of Turkey for antimicrobial activity. Indian Journal of Geo Marine Species 47(06), 1193–1198.Google Scholar
Duarte-Almeida, JM, Santos, RJ, Genovese, MI and Lajolo, FM (2006) Avaliação da atividade antioxidante utilizando o sistema β-caroteno/ácido linoleico e método de sequestro de radicais DPPH. Ciência Tecnologia de Alimentos 26(2), 446–452.10.1590/S0101-20612006000200031CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellman, GL, Courtney, KD, Junior, VA and Featherstone, RM (1961) A new and rapid colorimetric determination of acetylcholinesterase activity. Biochemical Pharmacology 7, 88–95. doi:10.1016/0006-2952(61)90145-9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Francesch, AM, Glaser, KB, Jaspars, M, Jiménez, C, Luesch, H, Mayer, AMS, Newman, DJ, Pierce, ML and Taglialatela-Scafati, O (2024) Pharmaceuticals from marine sources: Past, present and future. The Pharmaceutical Journal 313, 7987. doi:10.1211/PJ.2024.1.324083Google Scholar
Fukuda, M, Ohkoshi, E, Makino, M and Fujimoto, Y (2006) Studies on the constituents of the leaves of Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae) and their cytotoxic activity. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 54(10), 1465–1468.10.1248/cpb.54.1465CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glavind, J and Holmer, G (1967) Thin-layer chromatographic determination of antioxidants by the stable free radical diphenyl picrylhydrazyl. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society 44(9), 539–542. doi:10.1007/BF02679243CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gözcelioğlu, B and Konuklugil, B (2012) Qualitative detection of some secondary metabolites from three Turkish marine species. Fabad Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 37, 73–78.Google Scholar
Heydari, H, Gözcelioğlu, B and Konuklugil, B (2018) In vitro evaluation of bioactivity of Dictyonella incisa from Turkey. Kafkas Universitesi Veteriner Fakultesi Dergisi 24(3), 479–482. doi:10.9775/kvfd.2018.19309Google Scholar
Heydari, H, Gözcelioğlu, B and Konuklugil, B (2019) Biodiversity and secondary metabolites of marine sponges from Turkey. Records of Natural Products 13(5), 367–378. doi:10.25135/rnp.118.18.07.340CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Konuklugil, B and Heydari, H (2019) Bioactive metabolites from Turkish marine invertebrates and associated fungi. In Jha, S (ed), Endophytes and Secondary Metabolites. 1 st edn. Berlin: Springer Cham, 1–43. Reference Series in PhytochemistryGoogle Scholar
Konuklugil, B, Heydari, H, Genç, Y and Őzgen, U (2018) Bioactivity screening of some marine species from Turkey’s coasts. Farmacia 66(2), 342–346.Google Scholar
Korczyn, AD and Grinberg, LT (2024) Is Alzheimer disease a disease? Nature Reviews Neurology 20, 245–251. doi:10.1038/s41582-024-00940-4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Korpayev, S, Heydari, H, Koc, A, Gözcelioğlu, B and Konuklugil, B (2020) Additional screening of bioactivites in the Turkish gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) with isolation of secondary metabolites. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 61, 25–32. doi:10.21411/CBM.A.EB81DEF7Google Scholar
Lee, Y-J, Cho, Y and Tran, HNK (2021) Secondary metabolites from the marine sponges of the genus Petrosia: A literature review of 43 years of research. Marine Drugs 19, 122. doi:10.3390/md19030122CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, P, Lu, H, Zhang, Y, Zhang, X, Liu, L, Wang, M and Liu, L (2023) The natural products discovered in marine sponge-associated microorganisms: Structures, activities, and mining strategy. Frontiers in Marine Science 10, 1191858. doi:10.3389/fmars.2023.1191858CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martignago, CCS, Soares-Silva, B, Parisi, JR, Silva, LCS, Granito, RN, Ribeiro, AM, Renno, ACM, Souza, LRF and Aguiar, ACC (2023) Terpenes extracted from marine sponges with antioxidant activity: A systematic review. Natural Products & Bioprospecting 13, 23. doi:10.1007/s13659-023-00387-yCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matulja, D, Vranješević, F, Kolympadi Markovic, M, Pavelić, SK and Marković, D (2022) Anticancer activities of marine-derived phenolic compounds and their derivatives. Molecules 27, 1449. doi:10.3390/molecules27041449CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mehbub, MF, Yang, Q, Cheng, Y, Franco, CMM and Zhang, W (2024) Marine sponge-derived natural products: Trends and opportunities for the decade of 2011-2020. Frontiers in Marine Science 11, 1462825. doi:10.3389/fmars.2024.1462825CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moodie, LWK, Sepčić, K, Turk, T, Frangež, R and Svenson, J (2019) Natural cholinesterase inhibitors from marine organisms. Natural Product Reports 36(8), 1053–1092. doi:10.1039/C9NP00010KCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Orhan, DD, Orhan, N, Demir, O and Konuklugil, B (2021) Phenolic content, antioxidant and in vitro antidiabetic effects of thirteen marine organisms from Mediterranean sea. Farmacia 69(1), 68–74. doi:10.31925/farmacia.2021.1.9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orhan, IE, Ozcelik, B, Konuklugil, B, Putz, A, Kaban, UG and Proksch, P (2012) Bioactivity screening of the selected Turkish marine sponges and three compounds from Agelas oroides. Records of Natural Products 6(4), 356–367.Google Scholar
Papon, N, Copp, BR and Courdavault, V (2022) Marine drugs: Biology, pipelines, current and future prospects for production. Biotechnology Advances 54, 107871.10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107871CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pereira, L and Cotas, J (2023) Therapeutic potential of polyphenols and other micronutrients of marine origin. Marine Drugs 21, 323. doi:10.3390/md21060323CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rocha, MP, Campana, PRV, Scoaris, DO, Almeida, VL, Lopes, JCD, Silva, AF, Pieters, L and Silva, CG (2018) Biological activities from Aspidosperma subincanum Mart. and in silico prediction for inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. Phytotherapy Research 32(10), 2021–2033. doi:10.1002/ptr.6133CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Souiba, Z, Santin, A, Yettefti, IK, Abdessadek, M and Amraoui, BE (2023) Biochemical composition and antioxidant properties of the sponge Suberites domuncula from two regions of Moroccan Mediterranean waters. International Aquatic Research 15, 345–359.Google Scholar
Uras, I, Mutlu, B, Koç, RÇ and Konuklugil, B (2022) The cytotoxic activity of sponges and tunicates from Turkish Aegean Sea. Indian Journal of Geo Marine Sciences 51(9), 745–752. doi:10.56042/ijms.v51i09.2335Google Scholar
Wagner, H and Bladt, S (2001) Plant Drug Analysis: a Thin Layer Chromatography Atlas, 2nd edn. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
Zuliani, G, Zuin, M, Romagnoli, T, Polastri, M, Cervellati, C and Brombo, G (2024) Acetyl–cholinesterase–inhibitors reconsidered. A narrative review of post–marketing studies on Alzheimer’s disease. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 36, 23. doi:10.1007/s40520-023-02675-6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Konuklugil et al. supplementary material

Konuklugil et al. supplementary material
Download Konuklugil et al. supplementary material(File)
File 725.1 KB