Structure-Activity Relationships of Holothuroid's Triterpene Glycosides and Some In Silico Insights Obtained by Molecular Dynamics Study on the Mechanisms of Their Membranolytic Action

The article describes the structure-activity relationships (SAR) for a broad series of sea cucumber glycosides on different tumor cell lines and erythrocytes, and an in silico modulation of the interaction of selected glycosides from the sea cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix with model erythrocyte membranes using full-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The in silico approach revealed that the glycosides bound to the membrane surface mainly through hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The mode of such interactions depends on the aglycone structure, including the side chain structural peculiarities, and varies to a great extent. Two different mechanisms of glycoside/membrane interactions were discovered. The first one was realized through the pore formation (by cucumariosides A₁ (40) and A₈ (44)), preceded by bonding of the glycosides with membrane sphingomyelin, phospholipids, and cholesterol. Noncovalent intermolecular interactions inside multimolecular membrane complexes and their stoichiometry differed for 40 and 44. The second mechanism was realized by cucumarioside A₂ (59) through the formation of phospholipid and cholesterol clusters in the outer and inner membrane leaflets, correspondingly. Noticeably, the glycoside/phospholipid interactions were more favorable compared to the glycoside/cholesterol interactions, but the glycoside possessed an agglomerating action towards the cholesterol molecules from the inner membrane leaflet. In silicosimulations of the interactions of cucumarioside A₇ (45) with model membrane demonstrated only slight interactions with phospholipid polar heads and the absence of glycoside/cholesterol interactions. This fact correlated well with very low experimental hemolytic activity of this substance. The observed peculiarities of membranotropic action are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data on hemolytic activity of the investigated compounds in vitro.

Triterpene Glycosides from the Sea Cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix. Structure and Cytotoxic action of Cucumarioside D with a Terminal 3-O-Me-Glucose Residue Unique for this Species

New minor triterpene glycoside, cucumarioside D (1) identified earlier as a candidate to new glycoside using LC-ESI QTOF-MS has been isolated from the sea cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix as individual substance. The structure of the glycoside was elucidated using 2D NMR spectroscopy and MS. The glycoside has non-sulfated pentasaccharide carbohydrate chain branched by the second sugar (quinovose) and having 3-O-methylglucose as a terminal monosacharide residue that is an unique structural feature of sea cucumber triterpene glycosides from this species. A moderate cytotoxic activity of the glycoside 1 against the ascyte form of Echlich carcinoma cells and hemolytic activity has been found.

Triterpene Glycosides from the Sea Cucumber Eupentacta Fraudatrix. Structure and Biological Action of Cucumariosides I1, I3, I4, Three New Minor Disulfated Pentaosides

Three new minor triterpene glycosides, cucumariosides I1 (1), I3 (2) and I4 (3) have been isolated from the Far Eastern sea cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix. Structures of the glycosides were elucidated by 2D NMR spectroscopy and MS. Glycosides 1–3 belong to the group of cucumariosides I, having branched pentasaccharide carbohydrate moieties with two sulfate groups and possessing 3- O-methyl-D-xylose as a terminal monosaccharide unit that is a characteristic feature of all the glycosides isolated from E. fraudatrix. Glycosides 1 and 2 differ from each other by the side chain structures in the holostane aglycone moieties, while cucumarioside I4 (3) has a 23,24,25,26,27-pentanorlanostane aglycone with an 18(16)-lactone. Cytotoxic activities of glycosides 1–3 against mouse spleen lymphocytes and ascite form of mouse Ehrlich carcinoma cells, along with hemolytic activity against mouse erythrocytes and antifungal activity were studied. Glycoside 1, having an aglycone side chain with a 24(25)-double bond, possesses moderate activity in all the tests, while glycoside 2, having 23(24)-double bond and 25-hydroxy group in the side chain, and glycoside 3 with an aglycone with an 18(16)-lactone and shortened side chain have either low activity or are non-active.

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 ((1)H and (13)C NMR, (1)H-(1)H 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.

Triterpene Glycosides from the Sea Cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix. Structure and Biological Activity of Cucumariosides B1 and B2, Two New Minor Non-Sulfated Unprecedented Triosides

Two new minor triterpene glycosides, cucumariosides B1 (1) and B2 (2) have been isolated from the Far Eastern sea cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix. Structures of the glycosides were elucidated by 2D NMR spectroscopy and MS. Glycosides 1 and 2 belong to the cucumariosides B group and have unprecedented trisaccharide carbohydrate moieties without sulfate groups. Glycosides 1 and 2 differ from each other in side chain structures in the aglycone moieties. These minor substances are probably intermediate metabolites in the biosynthesis of triterpene pentaosides. Cytotoxic activities of glycosides 1 and 2 against mouse spleen lymphocytes and the cells of the ascite form of mouse Ehrlich carcinoma were studied, along with hemolytic activity against mouse erythrocytes and antifungal activity. Cucumarioside B1 (1) was not active in any of the tests, while cucumarioside B2 (2) demonstrated moderate hemolytic activity and low cytotoxic action against Ehrlich carcinoma cells.

Triterpene Glycosides from the Sea Cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix. Structure and Biological Action of Cucumariosides A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, A12 and A15, Seven New Minor Non-sulfated Tetraosides and Unprecedented 25-Keto, 27-Norholostane Aglycone

Seven new minor triterpene glycosides, cucumariosides A1 (1), A3 (2), A4 (3), A5 (4), A6 (5), A12 (6) and A15 (7) have been isolated from the Far Eastern sea cucumber Eupentacta fraudatrix. Structures of the glycosides were elucidated by 2D NMR spectroscopy and MS. Glycosides 1–7 belong to the group of cucumariosides A, having linear tetrasaccharide carbohydrate moieties without any sulfate group and possessing 3- O-methyl-D-xylose as a terminal monosaccharide unit. The latter peculiarity is rare in sea cucumber glycosides, but typical for the glycosides from E. fraudatrix. Glycosides 1–7 differ from each other by side chain structures in the aglycone moieties; three of them have unique structural features. The first is the presence of a 25-butoxy-group in the side chain of cucumarioside A3 (2), the second is a 23 E,25-diene system in cucumarioside A6 (5) and the third is a 25-keto-27-nor-holostane aglycone in cucumarioside A12 (6); these were never previously found in sea cucumber glycosides. Cytotoxic activity of glycosides 1–7 against mouse spleen lymphocytes and the cells of the ascite form of mouse Ehrlich carcinoma, along with hemolytic activity against mouse erythrocytes and antifungal activity were studied. Glycosides 1 and 5 were the most active in all the tests.