Page 172 - 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-54

Off-site Breeding, Secondary Metabolite Profiling, and Anticancer

Evaluation of Lobophytum sp. from a Medicinal Coral Germplasm Bank:

Isolation of 13-Acetoxysarcocrassolide

1,2
1
2
1
Shang-Yi Tu, 1,6,7 Y u -Hsuan Lin, Tsen-Ni Tsai, Szu-Hsiang Tsai, Yi-Chang Liu, Y u -
,1,7
Ming Hsu, Ying-Chi Du, Fang-Rong Chang, Mei-Chin Lu*
5
4
3

1 Graduate Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung 944, Taiwan
2 Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical
University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807378, Taiwan
3 Research Center for Precision Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University,
Kaohsiung, 807378, Taiwan
4 Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Taipei, Taiwan
5 Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807378,
Taiwan
6 Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University,
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
7 National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan
* E-mail: jinx6609@nmmba.gov.tw

Abstract
Soft corals represent a major source of marine natural products, owing to the unique
structures and diverse biological activities of their secondary metabolites. Our research team
has collected 178 species of soft corals from Kenting and established a medicinal coral
germplasm bank, primarily comprising six genera within the subclass Octocorallia
(Lobophytum, Sarcophyton, Sinularia, Briareida, Capnella, and Xenia). In this study, crude
extracts from 19 Lobophytum species were screened for cytotoxicity against Molt4 leukemia
cells to identify the major bioactive components. Among them, the Lo43 extract demonstrated
the strongest cytotoxic effect, with 13-acetoxysarcocrassolide (13-AC) identified as the active
constituent through bioassay-guided fractionation. HPLC analysis further confirmed that 13-
AC is the predominant compound in the Lo43 extract, and its production can be enhanced
through co-cultivation with nutrient solutions. In conclusion, the medicinal coral germplasm
bank established through artificial cultivation provides a valuable platform for bioactivity
screening and active compound isolation, helping to address the limited availability of marine-
derived compounds for drug development. Moreover, these cultivation techniques can also be
applied to the propagation of wild corals, supporting both pharmaceutical innovation and the
sustainable development of marine ecosystems.

Keywords: Medicinal Coral Germplasm Bank; Anti-cancer; Lobophytum sp.; 13-Acetoxy-
sarcocrassolide (13-AC)