Planta Med 2013; 79 - PK8
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1348632

Marine Sponges from Hilo Hawaii and the Au'Au Channel Maui: Description, Identification, Biological Activity and Structure

K Hagiwara 1, JE Garcia Hernández 2, N de Voogd 3, D Kelman 1, NK Tabandera 1, MKH Ireland 4, AD Wright 1
  • 1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
  • 2Department of Marine Sciences, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
  • 3National Museum of Natural History Naturalis, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
  • 4Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112

Sponges are relatively rare in the waters around the Big Island of Hawaii in contrast to other Hawaiian islands and other tropical costal waters around the world. This paucity probably reflects the relative geological age of the Big Island and its remoteness. In an effort to document sponges from this area a survey of waters close to Hilo was undertaken and led to the collection of 13 distinct sponge samples. To date, the majority of these samples have been identified as belonging to the genus Haliclona. For comparative purposes five mesophotic sponges were collected from depths below 80 m, employing an ocean going remotely operated vehicle (ROV), from the Au'au channel off Maui island, a much richer source of sponge biodiversity. Comparison of FRAP based antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity of extracted samples from both the Big Island and Maui together with preliminary NMR studies, including that of a new potent antioxidant and antimicrobial meroterpenoid, puupehenol, will be presented.