USEFUL MALTESE MARINE SPECIES

The majority of potentially harmful animal encounters in the Maltese Islands relate to marine species. Not all marine animal species are however harmful. Besides being a source of food, some species have been described to have medicinal properties.

A Mediterranean worm species belonging to the Phylum Echiuroida, Bonelia viridis, has been found to contain a substance named bonellin which causes haemolysis of erythrocytes, besides exhibiting other in vitro bioactivity.

Agius-L; Jaccarini-V; Ballantine-JA; Ferrito-V; Pelter-A; Psaila-AF; Zammit-VA: Photodynamic action of bonellin, an integumentary chlorin of Bonellia viridis, Rolando (Echiura, Bonelliidae). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. B. 1979; 63(1): 109-17 ----------- ABSTRACT: 1. The photodynamic activity of bonellin, an integumentary chlorin of Bonellia viridis, is investigated. 2. 10(-6) M bonellin solutions haemolyze erythrocytes only in the presence of light. Previous illumination (tungsten lamp 2000-4000 lux for 1 hr) of the bonellin solutions does not affect the results. Under lowered oxygen tensions the bioactivity is depressed. Benzoquinone and singlet oxygen quenchers delay the photodynamic effect. 3. Bonellin (2 x 10(-6) M) destroys echinoid gamete function, depresses oxygen uptake of spermatozoa, and arrests development of echinoid and Bonellia eggs. These effects are produced only in the presence of light. 4. Copper bonellin is not photodynamically active. The role of copper may be to protect against photosensitization.