A mass spectrometry database for the identification of marine animal saponin-related metabolites

Saponins encompass a diverse group of naturally occurring glycoside molecules exhibiting amphiphilic properties and a broad range of biological activities. There is a resurgence of interest in those saponins produced by marine organisms based on their potential therapeutic benefits, application in food products and most recently their potential involvement in intra- and inter-species chemical communication. The continual advancements in liquid chromatography techniques and mass spectrometry technologies have allowed for greater detection rates, as well as improved isolation and elucidation of saponins. These factors have significantly contributed to the expansion in the catalogue of known saponin structures isolated from marine invertebrates; however, there currently exists no specific chemical library resource to accelerate the discovery process. In this study, a Marine Animal Saponin Database (MASD v1.0) has been developed to serve as a valuable chemical repository for known marine saponin-related data, including chemical formula, molecular mass and biological origin of nearly 1000 secondary metabolites associated with saponins produced by marine invertebrates. We demonstrate its application with an exemplar asteroid extract (Acanthaster cf. solaris, also known as crown-of-thorns starfish; COTS), identifying saponins from the MASD v1.0 that have been previously reported from COTS, as well as 21 saponins isolated from multiple other related asteroid species. This database will help facilitate future research endeavours, aiding researchers in exploring the vast chemical diversity of saponins produced by marine organisms and providing ecological insights, and the realisation of their potential for various applications, including as pharmaceuticals.