Literature review on the genus Callyspongia and phytochemical analysis of the species Callyspongia vaginalis.
demosponges, Callyspongia, C. vaginalis, polyacetylenes, anticancer, ceramide.
The genus Callyspongia (Callyspongiidae) is a group of demosponges including 261 described species and approximately 180 accepted by taxonomist’s review. The marine organisms of Callyspongia are distributed in tropical ecosystems, especially in the central and western Pacific, but also in the regions of the Indian, the West Atlantic and the East Pacific Oceans. The interest in the genus Callyspongia is because it is a source of bioactive compounds. In this review, we group the chemical information about the secondary metabolites isolated from the genus Callyspongia, as well as studies of the biological activity of these compounds. Through NMR data, a total of 212 metabolites were identified from genus Callyspongia (15 species and Callyspongia sp.), of which 103 compounds are categorized as polyacetylenes and lipids. Beside these, benzenoids, alkaloids, indol derivatives, diazepine, diketopiperazines, dipeptides, amphiphilic diacid, naphthopyrone, macrolide, polyketides, dihydrofurans, benzofuran, nucleosides, cyclic peptides, cyclic depsipeptides were isolated in the genus. 109 molecules have been reported with some bioactive activity, mainly cytotoxic and antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) action. Thus, we conclude that polyacetylenes correspond to the largest class of bioactive metabolites of the genus and the results are in accordance with the relevance of the metabolites for anticancer action. In addition, a phytochemical analysis of the hexane fraction of the ethanolic extract of Callyspongia vaginalis allowed the isolation and identification, by spectroscopic and spectrometric analysis techniques, of six substances: phytosterol β-sitosterol (isolated for the first time in the species), a ceramide (isolated for the first time in its genus), stigmasterol, brassicasterol, cholesterol and lupenone. In this sense, the last four compounds were identified by GC-MS analysis.