Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 96 (2021) 104262
Available online 30 March 2021
0305-1978/© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Saponin contents in the starfish Echinaster sepositus: Chemical
characterization, qualitative and quantitative distribution
Bouchra Dahmoune
a,b, c,**
, Fouzia Bachari-Houma
a
, Mohamed Chibane
c
, Philippe J´ ehan
d
,
Jean-Paul Guegan
b
, Farid Dahmoune
e, f
, Cherifa Aissou-Akrour
a
, Lotfi Mouni
c
,
Vincent Ferri` eres
b
, Didier Hauchard
b, *
a Laboratory of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems, ´
Ecole Nationale des Sciences de La Mer et de L’am´ enagement du Littoral ENSSMAL, Alger, Algeria
b Univ Rennes, ´
Ecole Nationale Sup´ erieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6226 - Institut Sciences Chimiques Rennes, Rennes, France
c Laboratory for the Management and Valorisation of Natural Resources and Quality Assurance, Akli Mohand Oulhadj University of Bouira, Algeria
d SCANMAT UMS 2001, CRMPO, Universit´ e de Rennes 1, Rennes, France
e Laboratoire de Biomath´ ematique, Biophysique, Biochimie, et Scientom´ etrie (L3BS), Facult´ e des Sciences de La Nature et de La Vie, Universit´ e de Bejaia, 06000, Bejaia,
Algeria
f D´ epartement de Biologie, Facult´ e des Sciences de La Nature et de La Vie et des Sciences de La Terre, Universit´ e de Bouira, 10000, Bouira, Algeria
A R T I C L E I N F O
Keywords:
Asteroidea
E. sepositus
Saponins
Electrospray ionization spectrometry
Qualitative distribution
Quantitative distribution
A B S T R A C T
In this study, we report the inter-organ, the sexual and the seasonal variability, of saponins contained in the
common Mediterranean starfish Echinaster (Echinaster) sepositus. Saponins were extracted from five distinct body
components namely the stomach, the pyloric caeca, the gonads, the oral body wall and aboral body wall. Of both
sexes (males and females) collected at different seasons, the saponins mixtures were analyzed by Mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS and HR-ESI- MS/MS). Semi-quantitative approach was performed to estimate the variability of the saponin amounts. Our results demonstrated that the diversity of saponins in E. sepositus is higher
than previously reported. We highlighted 11 different saponins, including 9 new congeners. Presumptive molecular structures are proposed for 6 molecules on the basis of key-fragmentations identified by HR-ESI-MS/MS.
The comparison of the saponin contained in the five different body components revealed that minimum 3 saponins are common in all tissues. In addition, qualitative and quantitative variability of saponins compounds
were linked to the organ, sex and the collecting season. The relative highest level of saponins was found in the
stomach on the period of active feeding (winter). The significant higher levels of saponins were found in the
gonads and oral body wall on the spawning period (summer). Generally, a great inter-organ, sexual and seasonal
variability was found in both sexes. These results suggest that saponins probably fulfill several biological
functions in E. sepositus.
1. Introduction
Asteroids (sea stars) are one of the few marine organisms (sea cucumber and sponge) that contain saponin, in their organs. Numerous
studies on starfish saponins reported that these compounds possess a
wide variety of pharmacological activities (antibacterial, antifungal,
antiviral and anti-tumor activities) (Kalinin et al., 1996; Stonik et al.,
1999; Kicha et al., 2015; Malyarenko et al., 2017); and biological
functions as inter-specific chemical communication and chemical
defense (Mackie et al., 1968; Demeyer et al., 2014). These compounds
have a large chemical diversity, including, polyhydroxylated steroids,
with carbohydrate chain consisting of one to three sugars; steroid oligoglycosides (asterosaponins) with five or six sugars in a carbohydrate
chain; cyclic glycosides with a trisaccharide chain, cyclized between C-3
and C-6 of the aglycone moiety, Δ7,8-3β,6β-dihydroxysteroide.
Cyclic saponins are discovered in the two species of the genus
Echinaster (E. sepositus and E. luzonicus) (De Simone et al., 1981; Riccio
et al., 1981, 1982). Since more than 30 years, these saponins have been
* Corresponding author.
** Corresponding author. Laboratory of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems, ´
Ecole Nationale des Sciences de La Mer et de L’am´ enagement du Littoral ENSSMAL, Alger,
Algeria.
E-mail addresses: bouchra.dahmoune@yahoo.fr (B. Dahmoune), didier.hauchard@ensc-rennes.fr (D. Hauchard).
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Biochemical Systematics and Ecology
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/biochemsyseco
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2021.104262
Received 31 October 2020; Received in revised form 5 March 2021; Accepted 9 March 2021
Available online 30 March 2021
0305-1978/© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Saponin contents in the starfish Echinaster sepositus: Chemical
characterization, qualitative and quantitative distribution
Bouchra Dahmoune
a,b, c,**
, Fouzia Bachari-Houma
a
, Mohamed Chibane
c
, Philippe J´ ehan
d
,
Jean-Paul Guegan
b
, Farid Dahmoune
e, f
, Cherifa Aissou-Akrour
a
, Lotfi Mouni
c
,
Vincent Ferri` eres
b
, Didier Hauchard
b, *
a Laboratory of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems, ´
Ecole Nationale des Sciences de La Mer et de L’am´ enagement du Littoral ENSSMAL, Alger, Algeria
b Univ Rennes, ´
Ecole Nationale Sup´ erieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6226 - Institut Sciences Chimiques Rennes, Rennes, France
c Laboratory for the Management and Valorisation of Natural Resources and Quality Assurance, Akli Mohand Oulhadj University of Bouira, Algeria
d SCANMAT UMS 2001, CRMPO, Universit´ e de Rennes 1, Rennes, France
e Laboratoire de Biomath´ ematique, Biophysique, Biochimie, et Scientom´ etrie (L3BS), Facult´ e des Sciences de La Nature et de La Vie, Universit´ e de Bejaia, 06000, Bejaia,
Algeria
f D´ epartement de Biologie, Facult´ e des Sciences de La Nature et de La Vie et des Sciences de La Terre, Universit´ e de Bouira, 10000, Bouira, Algeria
A R T I C L E I N F O
Keywords:
Asteroidea
E. sepositus
Saponins
Electrospray ionization spectrometry
Qualitative distribution
Quantitative distribution
A B S T R A C T
In this study, we report the inter-organ, the sexual and the seasonal variability, of saponins contained in the
common Mediterranean starfish Echinaster (Echinaster) sepositus. Saponins were extracted from five distinct body
components namely the stomach, the pyloric caeca, the gonads, the oral body wall and aboral body wall. Of both
sexes (males and females) collected at different seasons, the saponins mixtures were analyzed by Mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS and HR-ESI- MS/MS). Semi-quantitative approach was performed to estimate the variability of the saponin amounts. Our results demonstrated that the diversity of saponins in E. sepositus is higher
than previously reported. We highlighted 11 different saponins, including 9 new congeners. Presumptive molecular structures are proposed for 6 molecules on the basis of key-fragmentations identified by HR-ESI-MS/MS.
The comparison of the saponin contained in the five different body components revealed that minimum 3 saponins are common in all tissues. In addition, qualitative and quantitative variability of saponins compounds
were linked to the organ, sex and the collecting season. The relative highest level of saponins was found in the
stomach on the period of active feeding (winter). The significant higher levels of saponins were found in the
gonads and oral body wall on the spawning period (summer). Generally, a great inter-organ, sexual and seasonal
variability was found in both sexes. These results suggest that saponins probably fulfill several biological
functions in E. sepositus.
1. Introduction
Asteroids (sea stars) are one of the few marine organisms (sea cucumber and sponge) that contain saponin, in their organs. Numerous
studies on starfish saponins reported that these compounds possess a
wide variety of pharmacological activities (antibacterial, antifungal,
antiviral and anti-tumor activities) (Kalinin et al., 1996; Stonik et al.,
1999; Kicha et al., 2015; Malyarenko et al., 2017); and biological
functions as inter-specific chemical communication and chemical
defense (Mackie et al., 1968; Demeyer et al., 2014). These compounds
have a large chemical diversity, including, polyhydroxylated steroids,
with carbohydrate chain consisting of one to three sugars; steroid oligoglycosides (asterosaponins) with five or six sugars in a carbohydrate
chain; cyclic glycosides with a trisaccharide chain, cyclized between C-3
and C-6 of the aglycone moiety, Δ7,8-3β,6β-dihydroxysteroide.
Cyclic saponins are discovered in the two species of the genus
Echinaster (E. sepositus and E. luzonicus) (De Simone et al., 1981; Riccio
et al., 1981, 1982). Since more than 30 years, these saponins have been
* Corresponding author.
** Corresponding author. Laboratory of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems, ´
Ecole Nationale des Sciences de La Mer et de L’am´ enagement du Littoral ENSSMAL, Alger,
Algeria.
E-mail addresses: bouchra.dahmoune@yahoo.fr (B. Dahmoune), didier.hauchard@ensc-rennes.fr (D. Hauchard).
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Biochemical Systematics and Ecology
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/biochemsyseco
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2021.104262
Received 31 October 2020; Received in revised form 5 March 2021; Accepted 9 March 2021