Chemical bioactivity of Mediterranean benthic organisms against embryos and larvae of marine invertebrates

• Published in: Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology Vol. 173; no. 1; pp. 11 - 27
• Main Authors: Martín, D., Uriz, M.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.01.1993; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Antifouling; Benthic invertebrate; Biological and medical sciences; Bugula neritina; Chemical bioactivity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Invertebrata; Marine; Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control; Mediterranean Sea; Nuisances; Paracentrotus lividus; Benthic invertebrate; Chemical bioactivity; Mediterranean Sea; Antifouling; Paracentrotus lividus; Egg; Echinodermata; Bryozoa; Cytotoxicity; Benthonic organism; Fouling organism; Biological activity; Lophophoria; Marine environment; Larva; Chemical control; Echinoidea; Substrate attachment; Inhibition; Invertebrata; Antimitotic; Biocide
• ISSN: 0022-0981; 1879-1697
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-0981(93)90205-3

Thirty-two species of Mediterranean benthic organisms were assayed for antimitotic-cytotoxic bioactivity against the embryos of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. A further 19 of these species were tested for anti-fouling properties (biocide and anti-fixation) against the larvae of the bryozoa Bugula neritina. Nineteen of the 32 species were non-active against the sea urchin embryos at the initial concentration of 1000 μg · ml −1 of species crude extract. Highly significant differences ( p > 0.001) in antimitotic-cytotoxic response were found for the remaining species except Acantella acuta, Dyctionella obtusa, Alcyonum acaule and Bugula neritina. The most active species were the sponges Crambe crambe and Ircinia oros which displayed antimitotic-cytotoxic activity down to a concentration of 8 μg · ml −1, to be followed by Reniera mucosa (down to 30 μg · ml −1) and by Ircinia fasciculata and Pseudodistoma crucigaster, grey form (down to 125 μg · ml −1). A bioassay using larvae of Bugula neritina showed highly significant ( p > 0.001) biocide activity of tissue crude extracts for all the species except Corallina elongata, Agelas oroides and Microcosmus sabatieri (tunic). Acanthella acuta, Crambe crambe and Pseudodistoma crucigaster were the most active species (down to a concentration of 60 μg · ml −1). All the assayed species displayed anti-fixation activity. Sublethal toxicity is believed to be responsible for this anti-fixation behaviour at lower concentrations. This may imply that benthic organisms could avoid becoming fouled without the necessity killing larvae, by using small amounts of toxic substances.