Antiamoebic Activity of Marine Sponge Spongia officinalis var. ceylonensis Dendy

Abstract

Human amoebiasis due to infection by Entamoeba histolytica is mainly associated with morbidity thus affecting the quality of life and pace of developmental activities of countries with warm climatic conditions. A consistently high global incidence of this disease has been reported. In an endeavor to identify novel molecules with potent antiamoebic activity and lower side-effect, the present study was designed to investigate antiamoebic activity in Spongia officinalis extracts/fractions followed by isolation and characterization of bioactive molecules. The methanol extract of the S. officinalis showed promising in vitro and in vivo antiamoebic activity. On further fractionation, the activity was localized in the n-butanol soluble fraction from which the major purified fraction was identified as a mixture of alkaloids (xestospongins and araguspongins) by LCMS studies of the n-butanol soluble fraction.

The Role of Spongia sp. in the Discovery of Marine Lead Compounds

“…Reports on the activity of extracts S. officinalis include: the screening against clinical isolates of bacteria including multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains and fungi, where activity against MDR strains of Streptococcus pyogenes and Acinetobacter s p. was observed [ 129 ]; the anticonvulsant (using pentylenetetrazole seizure model) and analgesic (using writhing test in mice) activities of the extract (and its fractions) of the defensive secretion on the sponge, where analgesic activity in a dose dependent manner was observed for the extract [ 130 ]; the evaluation of antiproliferative (A549—lung cell carcinoma, HCT15—colon cell carcinoma and MCF7—breast adenocarcinoma) and anti-inflammatory (carrageenan-induced rat paw edema) activities of the extract (and its semi-purified fractions) of the defensive secretion of the sponge [ 131 ] and of the sponge methanol extract (and its semi-purified fractions) [ 132 ], where significant antiproliferative activities and anti-inflammatory activity were observed, and the antiamoebic activity of extracts of S. officinalis var. ceylonensis against Entamoeba histolytica , where the alkaloids xestospongins and araguspongins where identified (by LCMS) as the major components of the active fraction [ 133 ]. …”

“…the antiamoebic activity of extracts of S. officinalis var. ceylonensis against Entamoeba histolytica , where the alkaloids xestospongins and araguspongins where identified (by LCMS) as the major components of the active fraction [ 133 ].…”