Jamaican Marine Natural Products

In preparation....

A study of some Jamaican seaweeds revealed that the Jamaican variety of Laurencia obtusa was avoided by Acantharus chirurgus (doctor fish) and its chloroform-methanol extract was highly toxic to the fish.
In contrast, a second species of the same genus, Laurencia papillosa, was found to be quite palatable. The absence of biological activity in Laurencia papillosa compared to Laurencia obtusa prompted a chemical investigation of both species.

Investigation of Laurencia papillosa revealled that this particular species only contained a mixture of fats. Bioactivity studies, which included the brine shrimp assay and the fungal disc assay, were carried out on the chloroform-methanol extract of Laurencia papillosa. The results of these tests indicated that the extract contained no bioactive components.

On the other hand, Laurencia obtusa afforded the known toxin, (+)-elatol, in addition to two novel sesquiterpenes, 2-chloro-3-hydroxy-a-chamigren-9-one and 2-chloro-3,7-epoxy-a-chamigran-9-one, which were closely related to elatol. The results of the tests showed that the extract and the above-mentioned compounds were bioactive.
the epoxy compound

References

Brennan M.R, Erickson K.L, Minott D.A. and Pascoe K.O,
Phytochemistry 1987, 26(4), 1053


Return to links to the chemistry of other Jamaican items, including spices and fruit and vegetables.


Created and maintained by Dr. Robert J. Lancashire,
The Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies,
Mona Campus, Kingston 7, Jamaica.

Created Feb 1995. Last modified 18th April-98.
URL http://wwwchem.uwimona.edu.jm:1104/lectures/marine.html