First insights on chemical nature and bioactivity of surface mucus from the Antarctic sponges Mycale (Oxymycale) acerata and Dendrilla antarctica

Rizzo, Carmen; Silva, José Paulo da; Lauritano, Chiara; Montuori, Eleonora; Papale, Maria; Giudice, Angelina Lo

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/28311

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The mucus produced by the Antarctic sponge species Mycale (Oxymycale) acerata and Dendrilla antarctica was ana¬lyzed to investigate its chemical composition and assess potential cytotoxic activity against human tumor cell lines. The mucus samples exhibited a high-water content (98–99%), while inorganic salts represented most of the total dry weight (67.1 ± 2.3%). Sodium was the most abundant element, accounting for 75% in D. antarctica and up to 82% in M. acerata. Other major elements—including magnesium, potassium, and calcium—comprised 3–10% of the inorganic fraction. Pro¬tein content was estimated at 0.44% for M. acerata and 5.63% for D. antarctica, with a carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio between 3 and 5. Elemental analysis was supported by μFT-IR spectroscopy, which confirmed the presence of inorganic salts, water, and proteinaceous materials. Further characterization by 1H NMR spectroscopy and LC–MS revealed the pres¬ence of amino acids, peptides, sugars, carboxylic acids, nitrogenous bases, and their derivatives. Notably, oxylipin concen¬trations ranged between 1 and 3 ng/L. In addition, M. acerata mucus demonstrated antiproliferative activity, selectively inhibiting the growth of Malme-3 M melanoma cell lines, thus suggesting a potential for cytotoxic effects. Overall, these findings provide the first chemical characterization of Antarctic sponge mucus, providing first insights for its potential exploitation as a novel source of bioactive compounds.