Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Dec 22;21(1):5.
doi: 10.3390/md21010005.

Molecular Diversity and Biochemical Content in Two Invasive Alien Species: Looking for Chemical Similarities and Bioactivities

Julia Vega  1 , Teresa S Catalá  2   3 , Jorge García-Márquez  4 , Linn G Speidel  5 , Salvador Arijo  4 , Niklas Cornelius Kunz  6 , Christoph Geisler  3 , Félix L Figueroa  1
Affiliations

Molecular Diversity and Biochemical Content in Two Invasive Alien Species: Looking for Chemical Similarities and Bioactivities

Julia Vega et al. Mar Drugs. .

Abstract

The biochemical composition, molecular diversity, and two different bioactivities of Asparagopsis armata and Rugulopteryx okamurae (two alien species with different invasive patterns in the southern Iberian Peninsula) were analyzed through spectrophotometric methods and Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectroscopy (FT-ICR-MS). A total of 3042 molecular formulas were identified from the different extracts. The dH2O extracts were the most molecularly different. A. armata presented the highest content of nitrogenous compounds (proteins, CHON) and sulphur content, whereas R. okamurae was rich in carbonated compounds (total carbon, lipids, CHO, and CHOP). Antioxidant capacity and phenolic content were higher in R. okamurae than in A. armata. Antimicrobial activity was detected from both species. A. armata showed capacity to inhibit human and fish pathogens (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus or Vibrio anguillarum), whereas R. okamurae only showed inhibition against human bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Cutibacterium acnes). In R. okamurae, molecules with a great number of pharmaceutical activities (e.g., anti-inflammatory or antitumoral), antibacterial, biomaterial, and other utilities were found. The main molecules of A. armata had also pharmaceutical applications (e.g., antimalarian, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, or antiarthritis). The valorization of these species can help to counteract the environmental effects of the bioinvasions.

Keywords: Asparagopsis armata; Rugulopteryx okamurae; antioxidant capacity; molecular composition; polyphenols; ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Total phenolic compounds (TPC) content before and after the use of PVPP (mg g−1 DW) of the different extractions in different solvents, including water (dH2O), dH2O:Ethanol (EtOH) (1:1), dH2O:EtOH (1:4), dH2O:Methanol (MeOH) (1:1), and dH2O:MeOH (1:4), from the biomass of (A) Asparagopsis armata and (B) Rugulopteryx okamurae. Values are expressed as average ± standard deviation (SD) (n = 3). Different letters indicate significant differences among solvents for each species (ANOVA, p < 0.05, SNK test).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Heteroatomic composition in relative abundance of the different extractions in different solvents of water (dH2O), dH2O:Ethanol (EtOH) (1:1), dH2O:EtOH (1:4), dH2O:Methanol (MeOH) (1:1), dH2O:MeOH (1:4), from the biomass of (A) Asparagopsis armata and (B) Rugulopteryx okamurae.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Bray–Curtis dissimilarity analyses of the different extracts in different solvents of water (dH2O), dH2O:Ethanol (EtOH) (1:1), dH2O:EtOH (1:4), dH2O:Methanol (MeOH) (1:1), and dH2O:MeOH (1:4), from the biomass of Asparagopsis armata (Asp) and Rugulopteryx okamurae (Rug). All molecular formulas detected in the different samples via FT-ICR-MS signal intensities were included, with black representing 100% similar and white 100% dissimilar.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Antioxidant capacity (AC) using two methodologies expressed as μmol TE g−1 DW of the different extracts in different solvents of water (dH2O), dH2O:Ethanol (EtOH) (1:1), dH2O:EtOH (1:4), dH2O:Methanol (MeOH) (1:1), and dH2O:MeOH (1:4), from the biomass of (A) Asparagopsis armata and (B) Rugulopteryx okamurae. Values are expressed as average ± standard deviation (SD) (n = 3). Different letters indicate significant differences among solvents for each species (ANOVA, p < 0.05, SNK test).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Principal coordinate analyses (PCoA) based on Bray–Curtis dissimilarities of the relative abundance of molecular formulas in Asparagopsis armata and Rugulopteryx okamurae. The percentages give the molecular variability as explained by the axes. Chemical/bioactivity parameters are indicated by orange arrows: (a) phenolic compounds (no PVPP) (mg g−1 DW), (b) phenolic compounds (PVPP) (mg g−1 DW), (c) antioxidant capacity (ABTS) (μmol TE g−1 DW), and (d) antioxidant activity (DPPH) (μmol TE g−1 DW). Molecular parameters are indicated by gray arrows: formulas with N, S, and P content (N. formulas, S. formulas, P. formulas), O/Cw, H/Cw, and DBEw. Molecular categories are indicated by black arrows: aromatic (Ar), highly unsaturated (H. un), saturated (Sat), unsaturated (Un), oxygen rich (Or), oxygen poor (Op). All parameters were fitted onto the ordination. All correlations with chemical/bioactivity parameters were significant (p < 0.001). The projections of sampling points onto the vector arrows show maximum correlations with the corresponding chemical/bioactivity parameters, molecular parameters, and molecular categories.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Schaffelke B., Smith J.E., Hewitt C.L. Introduced Macroalgae—A Growing Concern. J. Appl. Phycol. 2006;18:529–541. doi: 10.1007/s10811-006-9074-2. - DOI
    1. Molnar J.L., Gamboa R.L., Revenga C., Spalding M.D. Assessing the global threat of invasive species to marine biodiversity. Front. Ecol. Environ. 2008;6:485–492. doi: 10.1890/070064. - DOI
    1. Raffo M.P., Eyras M.C., Iribarne O.O. The invasion of Undaria pinnatifida to a Macrocystis pyrifera kelp in patagonia (Argentina, south-west Atlantic) J. Mar. Biol. Assoc. United Kingd. 2009;89:1571–1580. doi: 10.1017/S002531540900071X. - DOI
    1. Galil B.S., Marchini A., Occhipinti-Ambrogi A. East is east and West is west? Management of marine bioinvasions in the Mediterranean Sea. Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci. 2018;201:7–16. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2015.12.021. - DOI
    1. Viard F., Comtet T. Biological Invasions in Changing Ecosystems: Vectors, Ecological Impacts, Management and Predictions. De Gruyter; Berlin, Germany: 2015. Applications of DNA-based methods for the study of biological invasions; pp. 411–435.