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Crinoids: ancient organisms, modern chemistry.
Yunjiang Feng1, Shahan Khokhar, Rohan A Davis
1Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia. r.davis@griffith.edu.au.
Natural Product Reports
|March 31, 2017
Summary
Crinoids, ancient marine animals, produce unique polyketide pigments with biological activities. Their metabolite structures, though consistent across species, have been challenging to determine due to past technological limitations.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Paleontology
Background:
- Crinoids are early echinoderms with a fossil record dating back to the Paleozoic Era.
- Crinoid coloration is attributed to polyketide-derived pigments.
- Crinoid metabolites exhibit biological activities such as cytotoxicity and fish anti-feedant properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and collate information on over 50 known metabolites isolated from crinoids.
- To critically discuss crinoid chemistry, including pigment biosynthesis and structural elucidation challenges.
- To analyze trends in crinoid metabolite production and structural assignment difficulties.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of crinoid metabolites from 1877 to 2017.
- Compilation of data on taxonomic source, collection location, chemical structure, and biological activities.
- Critical analysis of spectroscopic data and structural elucidation methodologies.
Main Results:
- Identified limited variation in the class of metabolites produced by crinoids, regardless of species or origin.
- Highlighted difficulties in unambiguous structure assignment due to historical spectroscopic limitations and proton-poor compounds.
- Documented over 50 known crinoid metabolites and their associated biological activities.
Conclusions:
- Crinoid metabolite profiles are remarkably consistent across diverse species and locations.
- Advancements in spectroscopic technology are crucial for accurate structural elucidation of crinoid metabolites.
- Understanding crinoid chemistry offers insights into marine natural products and their potential applications.