Insights into the Toxicological Properties of a Low Molecular Weight Fraction from Zoanthus sociatus (Cnidaria)

Marine Drugs

Dany Domínguez-Pérez²  Carlos Manlio Diaz-Garcia⁴  Neivys Garc໚-Delgado³  Yusvel Sierra-Gómez³  Olga Casta󱻚¹ 

[1] Faculty of Biology, University of La Habana, 25 St 455, La Habana CP 10400, Cuba; E-Mail:;CIIMAR/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, Porto 4050-123, Portugal; E-Mail:;PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Institute of Cellular Physiology, Mexico DF CP04510, Mexico; E-Mails:;PhD Program in Biological Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Institute of Cellular Physiology, Mexico DF CP04510, Mexico; E-Mail:

关键词: biological activity;    toxins;    Zoanthus sociatus;    Anthozoa;    Cnidaria;    LD₅₀ mice;   

DOI  :  10.3390/md11082873

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The phylum Cnidaria is an ancient group of venomous animals, specialized in the production and delivery of toxins. Many species belonging to the class Anthozoa have been studied and their venoms often contain a group of peptides, less than 10 kDa, that act upon ion channels. These peptides and their targets interact with high affinity producing neurotoxic and cardiotoxic effects, and even death, depending on the dose and the administration pathway. Zoanthiniaria is an order of the Subclass Hexacorallia, class Anthozoa, and unlike sea anemone (order Actiniaria), neither its diversity of toxins nor the in vivo effects of the venoms has been exhaustively explored. In this study we assessed some toxicological tests on mice with a low molecular weight fraction obtained by gel filtration in Sephadex G-50 from Zoanthus sociatus crude extract. The gel filtration chromatogram at 280 nm revealed two major peaks, the highest absorbance corresponding to the low molecular weight fraction. The toxicological effects seem to be mostly autonomic and cardiotoxic, causing death in a dose dependent manner with a LD₅₀ of 792 μg/kg. Moreover, at a dose of 600 μg/kg the active fraction accelerated the KCl-induced lethality in mice.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.