Ionophoretic activities of oligopeptide lactones and resin-glycosides in human erythrocytes.

Oligopeptide lactones (theonellapeptolides) isolated from the Okinawan marine sponge Theonella swinhoei and resin-glycosides (merremosides) from the tuber of an Indonesian medicinal plant Merremia mammosa were examined regarding their activities in transporting Na+, K+, and Ca++ ions into human erythrocytes. Each of these lactones, which had been shown, using a supported liquid membrane, to have an ionophoretic effect on the alkali metal ions, transported the ions to a different extent. The ion transporting activities of these compounds were completely lost when the macrocyclic lactone structures were cleaved by sodium methylate. Resin-glycosides with an additional branched glycosyl residue showed much greater ion transporting activities than those without it.