Discovery new marine-derived terphenyllin derivatives as potential antifoulants through structural optimization

Area of Science:

• Marine biology
• Organic chemistry
• Environmental science

Background:

• Marine biofouling poses significant threats to maritime industries and marine ecosystems.
• Conventional toxic antifoulants cause environmental pollution and potential human health risks.
• There is a critical need for environmentally friendly antifouling solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discover and synthesize novel antifouling compounds from marine sources.
• To evaluate the efficacy of terphenyllin derivatives against various fouling organisms.
• To identify compounds with potent activity and low ecotoxicity for potential development.

Main Methods:

• Screening of a marine compound library for antifouling activity.
• Semi-synthesis of new terphenyllin derivatives through halogenation, etherification, and acylation.
• Evaluation of compound activity against five diatom species and one macrofouling species.
• Determination of EC50 and LC50 values to assess efficacy and ecotoxicity.

Main Results:

• Twelve synthesized terphenyllin derivatives exhibited significant antialgal activity (EC50: 1.2–9.8 μg/mL).
• Compounds 10, 11, and 25 demonstrated broad-spectrum antifouling efficacy (EC50: 1.2–3.6 μg/mL) with low ecotoxicity (LC50 > 150 μg/mL).
• Compound 9 showed promising activity against the settlement of the mussel Mytilus edulis (EC50: 2.0 μg/mL, LC50 > 150 μg/mL).

Conclusions:

• This research provides novel, environmentally friendly antifouling compounds derived from terphenyllin.
• The identified compounds exhibit potent activity against microfouling and macrofouling organisms.
• These findings support the further development of these compounds as sustainable antifoulants.