PRESENZA DI UN COMPOSTO INFIAMMATORIO CORRELATO ALLA COMPLANINA NEL VERME DI FUOCO HERMODICE CARUNCULATA (ANNELIDA)

Despite several publications have dealt with natural products from specific marine invertebrate groups, such as nudibranchs, cnidarians and sponges, describing their structure and biological activity, some groups of organisms remain poorly studied, including marine annelids. Isolation and characterization of chemical substances from polychaetes have just started out. Furthermore, chemical and ecological investigations not always are brought forward together. In this study, the inflammatory compound complanine was detected in the fireworm Hermodice carunculata through spectrometric analyses. An analogue of this molecule was found both in the dorsal chaetae directly involved in defence against predators, in the digestive apparatus and in exposed palatable tissues. These findings support a synergy between the stinging and fragile notochaetae and complanine-related compounds, that needs to be injected through mechanical injury to display its effects.