Alexandra S. Silchenko

Sea Cucumbers Triterpene Glycosides, the Recent Progress in Structural Elucidation and Chemotaxonomy

Triterpene glycosides are characteristic metabolites of sea cucumbers (Holothurioidea, Echinodermata). Majority of the glycosides belong to holostane type (lanostane derivatives with 18(20)-lactone). Carbohydrate chains of these glycosides contain xylose, glucose, quinovose, 3-O-methylglucose and 3-O-methyl sylose. During the last 5 years, main investigations were focused on holothurians belonging to the order Dendrochirotida collected in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, Antarctic and in subtropical waters. The glycosides of holothurians belonging to the order Aspidochirotida have also been studied. The most uncommon structural features of carbohydrate chains of new glycosides were: (1) the presence of quinovose as fifth terminal monosaccharide unit and the presence of two quinovose residues; (2) the presence of glucose instead of common xylose as fifth terminal monosaccharide unit; (3) trisaccharide carbohydrate chain; (4) the presence of two 3-O-methylxylose terminal monosaccharide units; (5) the presence of sulfate group at C-3 of quinovose residue. New glycosides without lactone or with 18(16)-lactone and having shortened side chains have also been isolated. The presence of 17α and 12α-hydroxyls, which are characteristic for glycosides from holothurians belonging to the family Holothuriidae (Aspidochirotida) in glycosides of dendrochirotids confirms parallel and relatively independent character of evolution of glycosides. All three families belonging to the order Aspidochirotida: Holothuriidae, Stichopodidae and Synallactidae have similar and parallel trends in evolution of the glycosides carbohydrate chains, namely from non-sulfated hexaosides to sulfated tetraosides. Sets of aglycones in glycosides from holothurians belonging to the genus Cucumaria (Cucumariidae, Dendrochirotida) are specific for each species. The carbohydrate chains are similar in all representatives of the genus Cucumaria.

Constituents of the sea cucumber Cucumaria okhotensis. Structures of okhotosides B1-B3 and cytotoxic activities of some glycosides from this species

Three new triterpene oligoglycosides, okhotosides B 1 ( 1), B 2 ( 2), and B 3 ( 3), have been isolated from the sea cucumber Cucumaria okhotensis along with the known compounds frondoside A ( 4), frondoside A 1, cucumarioside A 2-5, and koreoside A. The structures of 1- 3 were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic data (2D NMR and MS). Compounds 1- 3 were moderately toxic against HeLa tumor cells. Frondoside A ( 4) showed more potent cytotoxicity against THP-1 and HeLa tumor cell lines (with IC 50 values of 4.5 and 2.1 microg/mL, respectively) and decreased both the AP-1-dependent trascriptional activities induced by UVB, EGF, or TPA in JB6-LucAP-1 cells and the EGF-induced NF-kappaB-dependent transcriptional activity in JB6-LucNF-kB cells at doses of about 1 microg/mL. At the same doses, it increased the p53-dependent transcriptional activity in nonactivated JB6-Lucp53 cells and inhibited the colony formation of JB6 P (+) Cl 41 cells activated with EGF (INCC 50 = 0.8 microg/mL).

Triterpene Glycosides from Sea Cucucmbers (Holothurioidea, Echinodermata). Biological Activities and Functions

Abstract The holothuroid triterpene glycosides have strong membranolytic action against cellular and model membranes containing Δ5-sterols as result of the formation of single-ion channels and more large pores that is the basis of hemolytic, antifungal, antitumor cytotoxic activities of these compounds. The binding presence of an 18(20)-lactone, and at any rate of one oxygen functional group near it for compounds with 9(11)-double bonds in lanostane aglycon moiety, is very important for the membranotropic action of these substances. A linear tetrasaccharide fragment in the carbohydrate chain is also essential for membranolytic action. A sulfate group at C-4 of the first xylose residue increases the effect against membranes. The absence of a sulfate group at C-4 of the xylose residue in biosides decreases the activities more than one order of magnitude. The presence of a sulfate at C-4 of the first xylose of branched pentaosides having 3-O-methyl group at a terminal monosaccharide increases activity but the same sulfate decreases the activity of branched pentaosides having terminal glucose residues. Sulfate groups attached to a C-6 position of terminal glucose and 3-O-methylglucose residues greatly decrease activity. Some glycosides may inhibit chemokine receptor subtype 5 (CCR 5). This activity is correlated with toxicity. Some glycosides possess immunostimulatory action in subtoxic doses. The most effective immunostimulants are monosulfated glycosides but di- and trisulfated are immunosuppressors. The network diagrams illustrating the relationships between glycoside structural elements and functional components (partial activities) as well as with general glycoside activity are shown to be useful for non-quantative predication of biological activity. The glycosides regulate of oocyte maturation in the sea cucumbers to synchronize maturation processes. This role is caused by the modifying action of the glycosides on the membranes of holothuroid eggs. The absence or very low concentration of Δ5-sterols in oocyte membranes suggests another nature of the modifying action in comparison with that against membranes containing Δ5-sterols. Holothuroid glycosides have defensive function against predators.

Anticancer Activity of Sea Cucumber Triterpene Glycosides

Triterpene glycosides are characteristic secondary metabolites of sea cucumbers (Holothurioidea, Echinodermata). They have hemolytic, cytotoxic, antifungal, and other biological activities caused by membranotropic action. These natural products suppress the proliferation of various human tumor cell lines in vitro and, more importantly, intraperitoneal administration in rodents of solutions of some sea cucumber triterpene glycosides significantly reduces both tumor burden and metastasis. The anticancer molecular mechanisms include the induction of tumor cell apoptosis through the activation of intracellular caspase cell death pathways, arrest of the cell cycle at S or G2/M phases, influence on nuclear factors, NF-κB, and up-down regulation of certain cellular receptors and enzymes participating in cancerogenesis, such as EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor), Akt (protein kinase B), ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinases), FAK (focal adhesion kinase), MMP-9 (matrix metalloproteinase-9) and others. Administration of some glycosides leads to a reduction of cancer cell adhesion, suppression of cell migration and tube formation in those cells, suppression of angiogenesis, inhibition of cell proliferation, colony formation and tumor invasion. As a result, marked growth inhibition of tumors occurs in vitro and in vivo. Some holothurian triterpene glycosides have the potential to be used as P-gp mediated MDR reversal agents in combined therapy with standard cytostatics.

The marine triterpene glycoside frondoside A exhibits activity in vitro and in vivo in prostate cancer.

Despite recent advances in the treatment of metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), outcome of patients remains poor due to the development of drug resistance. Thus, new drugs are urgently needed. We investigated efficacy, toxicity and mechanism of action of marine triterpene glycoside frondoside A (FrA) using CRPC cell lines in vitro and in vivo. FrA revealed high efficacy in human prostate cancer cells, while non‐malignant cells were less sensitive. Remarkably, proliferation and colony formation of cells resistant to enzalutamide and abiraterone (due to the androgen receptor splice variant AR‐V7) were also significantly inhibited by FrA. The marine compound caused cell type specific cell cycle arrest and induction of caspase‐dependent or ‐independent apoptosis. Up‐regulation or induction of several pro‐apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bad, PTEN), cleavage of PARP and caspase‐3 and down‐regulation of anti‐apoptotic proteins (survivin and Bcl‐2) were detected in treated cells. Global proteome analysis revealed regulation of proteins involved in formation of metastases, tumor cell invasion, and apoptosis, like keratin 81, CrkII, IL‐1β and cathepsin B. Inhibition of pro‐survival autophagy was observed following FrA exposure. In vivo, FrA inhibited tumor growth of PC‐3 and DU145 cells with a notable reduction of lung metastasis, as well as circulating tumor cells in the peripheral blood. Increased lymphocyte counts of treated animals might indicate an immune modulating effect of FrA. In conclusion, our results suggest that FrA is a promising new drug for the treatment of mCRPC. Induction of apoptosis, inhibition of pro‐survival autophagy, and immune modulatory effects are suspected modes of actions.

Structures and cytotoxic properties of cucumariosides H2, H3 and H4 from the sea cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix

New triterpene glycosides, cucumariosides H2 (1), H3 (2) and H4 (3), have been isolated from the Far Eastern sea cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix. The structures of 1–3 were elucidated using extensive NMR spectroscopy (1H- and 13C-NMR, DEPT, 1H–1H COSY, 1D TOCSY, H2BC, HMBC, heteronuclear single-quantum coherence, and NOESY) and ESI-MS. Glycosides 1–3 are monosulphated branched pentaosides having rare 3-O-methyl-D-xylose as a terminal monosaccharide. Glycosides 1 and 3 contain holostane aglycones, whereas 2 has a 23,24,25,26,27-pentanorlanostane aglycone with an 18(16)-lactone, which is also uncommon for the sea cucumbers. Glycoside 3 contains a very rare ethoxyl radical at C-25 of the aglycone side chain, and it is most probably an artefact that was formed during long storage of the ethanolic extract. Cytotoxic activities of 1–3 against mouse spleen lymphocytes, haemolytic activity against mouse erythrocytes and Ehrlich carcinoma cells have been studied. The presence of 25-hydroxy group in aglycone moiety significantly decreased the activities.

Structure of cucumarioside I2 from the sea cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix (Djakonov et Baranova) and cytotoxic and immunostimulatory activities of this saponin and relative compounds

A new triterpene glycoside cucumarioside I2 (1) has been isolated from holothurian Eupentacta fraudatrix. The structure of 1 was elucidated using extensive NMR spectroscopy (1H and 13C NMR, 1H–1H COSY, 1D TOCSY, HSQC, H2BC, HMBC and NOESY) and MALDI-TOF-MS. Glycoside 1 is a disulfated branched pentaoside having rare 3-O-methyl-D-xylose. Cytotoxic activity of the glycoside 1 and known cucumariosides H (2), A5 (3), A6 (4), B2 (5) and B1 (6) against mouse Ehrlich carcinoma cells and their influence on lysosomal activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages have been studied. Glycosides 1 and 5 possessed low cytotoxicities, glycoside 6 was not cytotoxic while compounds 2, 3 and 4 possessed moderate cytotoxicities. Glycosides 1, 3 and 5 increased the lysosomal activity of macrophages on 15–17% at doses of 1–5 μg/mL. Hence lysosomal activity depends on structures of both aglycone and carbohydrate chain and does not have a direct correlation with cytotoxicities of the glycosides.

Chapter 3 - Immunomodulatory and Anticancer Activity of Sea Cucumber Triterpene Glycosides

Abstract The triterpene glycosides are composed of a carbohydrate chain and triterpene aglycone and are widely distributed in sea cucumbers ( Holothurioidea , Echinodermata ). Most aglycones have 18(20)-lactones and belong to the holostane type. Carbohydrate chains of sea cucumber glycosides have from two to six monosaccharide residues including xylose, quinovose, glucose, and 3- O -methylglucose and sometimes 3- O -methylxylose, 3- O -methylquinovose, 3- O -methylglucuronic acid, and 6- O -acetylglucose. They may contain one, two, or three sulfate groups. At the milli- and micromolar concentrations, sea cucumber glycosides show hemolytic, cytotoxic, antifungal, and other biological activities caused by membranotropic action. The basis of membranotropic action of the glycosides is their ability to attach to cell biomembranes and form nonselective ion-conducting complexes with 5(6)-nonsaturated sterol components of cell membranes, preferably with cholesterol. Such sterol/saponin interactions result in an efflux of some ions, nucleotides, and peptides, disrupting ion homeostasis and osmolarity followed by lysis and cell death. Some sea cucumber glycosides show an immunostimulatory effect at subtoxic nanomolar concentrations. Incubation of immune cells with the glycosides induces their activation resulting in an increase of immune cell adhesion on an extracellular matrix, enhancement of cell spreading and motility, increase of macrophage lysosomal activity, ROS formation, and phagocytic activity. The most effective immunostimulants are monosulfated glycosides, whereas di- and trisulfated glycosides are immunodepressants. Injection of subtoxic doses of some glycosides induces an increase in the number of antibody-producing plaque-forming cells in mouse spleens, an increase in the number, size and acidity of lysosomes of peritoneal macrophages, and increase of phagocytic index, resulting in heightened resistance by host animals against bacterial infections. Proteomic methods have demonstrated that the mechanism of immunomodulatory action of some sea cucumber glycosides on mouse splenocytes includes regulation of the expression of some proteins involved in the formation of cellular immune response. These glycosides regulate the expression of proteins associated with lysosome maturation, activation and merging, phagocytosis, cytoskeletal reorganization, cell adhesion, mobility, and proliferation of immune cells. It was shown that glycosides moderately induce production of some cytokines, restore the level of some CD markers of lymphocytes, increase bactericidal activity of leukocytes, and induce a significant increase in mouse resistance to lethal doses of some pathogenic microorganisms and radiation. Cytotoxic activity of sea cucumber glycosides against different types of cells and cell lines, including human tumor cell lines, has been studied for many years. These studies have shown the triterpene glycosides block egg cleavage and development of sea urchin embryos, suppress the proliferation of various human tumor cell lines in vitro , possess antiangiogenic effect, and cause cancer cell cycle arrest. Several sea cucumber glycosides are reported to induce tumor cell apoptosis in vitro and more importantly, IP administration in rodents of solutions of some sea cucumber triterpene glycosides show significant reduction of both tumor burden and metastasis. Recently, it was found that the new immunomodulatory lead compound, Cumaside, based on the holothurian triterpene glycoside, cucumarioside A 2 -2, demonstrates inhibition of tumor initiation and proliferation, in vivo and exhibits significant synergy with 5-fluorouracil.

Structures and biological activities of cladolosides C3, E1, E2, F1, F2, G, H1 and H2, eight triterpene glycosides from the sea cucumber Cladolabes schmeltzii with one known and four new carbohydrate chains

Eight new nonsulfated triterpene glycosides, cladolosides C3(1), E1(2), E2(3), F1(4), F2(5), G(6), H1(7) and H2(8) have been isolated from the tropical Indo-West Pacific sea cucumber Cladolabes schmeltzii (Cladolabinae, Sclerodactylidae, Dendrochirotida) collected in the Vietnamese shallow waters. The structures of the glycosides were elucidated by 2D NMR spectroscopy and mass-spectrometry. Glycosides 2, 3, 4, and 5 have pentasaccharide branched carbohydrate moieties and differ from each other by monosaccharide compositions and aglycone structures. At that, glycosides 2 and 3 contain three xylose, one 3-O-methyl-glucose and one quinovose residues, while glycosides 4 and 5 have two quinovose, two xylose and one 3-O-methyl-glucose residues. Compounds 1 and 6-8 are hexaosides differing from each other by aglycone structures and by the fifth monosaccharide residue, which proved to be glucose in cladoloside C3(1), xylose in cladoloside G(6) and quinovose in cladolosides H1(7) and H2(8). The presence of quinovose residue in the fifth position, as in 4, 5, 7 and 8 has never been earlier found in carbohydrate chains of triterpene glycosides from sea cucumbers. The carbohydrate chains with xylose in the fifth position of pentaosides and hexaosides are also very unusual for holothurious glycosides. All the substances demonstrate strong or moderate cytotoxic and hemolytic effects with hexaosides being more active than the corresponding pentaosides. Peculiarities of the biosynthesis and biochemical evolution of glycosides of this type are discussed.

Pseudostichoposide B – new triterpene glycoside with unprecedent type of sulfatation from the deep-water North-Pacific sea cucumber pseudostichopus trachus

New triterpene disulfated tetraoside, pseudostichoposide B (1) has been isolated from the sea cucumber Pseudostichopus trachus. The structure of this glycoside has been deduced by the extensive analysis of NMR and mass-spectra and chemical evidence. Except for a common sulfate group at C-4 of the first xylose residue, pseudostichoposide B contains an additional sulfate group at C-3 of quinovose residue in the carbohydrate chain, not earlier found in sea cucumber glycosides.