Page 119 - 2025中醫藥與天然藥物聯合學術研討會-中醫藥與天然藥物的挑戰Ｘ機遇與未來大會手冊

PC-02

Cembrane-type diterpenoids in soft coral Sclerophytum flexibile and the

impact of changes in its associated microbiome

2,3
4,5
2
Li-Guo Zheng, #,1,2 Wei-Zhong Chen, You-Ying Chen, Jimmy Kuo, Ping-Jyun Sung,*
,2
Jui-Hsin Su* ,2

1 Doctoral Degree Program in Marine Biotechnology, National Sun Yat-sen University,
Kaohsiung 804201, Taiwan
2 National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung 944401, Taiwan
3 Graduate Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung 944401,
Taiwan
4 Xiamen Key Laboratory of Natural Products Resources of Marine Medicine, Xiamen
Medical College, Xiamen 361023, China
5 Fujian Provincial University Marine Biomedical Resources Engineering Research Center,
Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen 361023, China
* E-mail: pjsung@nmmba.gov.tw; x2219@nmmba.gov.tw

Abstract
The soft coral Sclerophytum flexibile contains one of the most promising marine natural
products: cembrane-type diterpenoids. Numerous studies have indicated that these cembranoids
exhibit a variety of biological activities, including significant anti-inflammatory effects. Since
2016, we have been sustainably cultivating S. flexibile using aquaculture techniques to produce
these valuable bioactive compounds while protecting natural habitats. However, in 2022, we
observed that the levels of active cembranoids gradually decreased in cultured corals over time.
To investigate this problem, we used liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-
MS/MS) to analyze the cembranoid content of both wild and cultured corals. We identified that
bioactive cembrane-type diterpenoids were maintained at high levels in wild S. flexibile. In
addition, we found significant differences in the coral microbiome composition between wild
and cultured corals by using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Wild corals were enriched with
Proteobacteria and Spirochaetes, while cultured corals had relatively higher levels of Firmicutes
and Bacteroidetes. Differences were also revealed at the bacterial family level. In conclusion,
the bacterial communities of wild and cultured corals differ greatly. These findings suggest that
changes in the coral microbiome may lead to reduced production of bioactive compounds in
cultured corals.

Keywords: Sclerophytum flexibile; Soft coral; Cembranoids; Associated Microbiome