Research Institute for Production Development, 15 Shimogamo-morimoto-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0805, Japan.
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Yoshida-shimoadachi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
Mar Drugs. 2011;9(8):1419-1427. doi: 10.3390/md9081419. Epub 2011 Aug 22.
Carotenoids of the corals Acropora japonica, A. secale, and A. hyacinthus, the tridacnid clam Tridacna squamosa, the crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci, and the small sea snail Drupella fragum were investigated. The corals and the tridacnid clam are filter feeders and are associated with symbiotic zooxanthellae. Peridinin and pyrrhoxanthin, which originated from symbiotic zooxanthellae, were found to be major carotenoids in corals and the tridacnid clam. The crown-of-thorns starfish and the sea snail D. fragum are carnivorous and mainly feed on corals. Peridinin-3-acyl esters were major carotenoids in the sea snail D. fragum. On the other hand, ketocarotenoids such as 7,8-didehydroastaxanthin and astaxanthin were major carotenoids in the crown-of-thorns starfish. Carotenoids found in these marine animals closely reflected not only their metabolism but also their food chains.
对珊瑚 Acropora japonica、A. secale 和 A. hyacinthus、砗磲 Tridacna squamosa、棘冠海星 Acanthaster planci 和小海螺 Drupella fragum 中的类胡萝卜素进行了研究。珊瑚和砗磲是滤食性动物，与共生的虫黄藻有关。发现来源于共生虫黄藻的拟叶黄素和吡咯并叶黄素是珊瑚和砗磲中的主要类胡萝卜素。棘冠海星和海螺 D. fragum 是肉食性动物，主要以珊瑚为食。海螺 D. fragum 中的主要类胡萝卜素为叶黄素-3-酰酯。另一方面，酮类胡萝卜素如 7,8-二脱氢虾青素和虾青素是棘冠海星的主要类胡萝卜素。这些海洋动物中发现的类胡萝卜素不仅反映了它们的新陈代谢，还反映了它们的食物链。
