A new tool to investigate the structural characteristics of sesterterpenoids in marine and terrestrial organisms

The design of a relational database, based on highly controlled taxonomies and ontologies [1], that will form the core of a site open to interdisciplinary collaboration is presented [2,3]. In the logical scheme (▶ Fig. 1) the centrality of the organism concept in relation to the compound whose chemical classes, activities and extraction mechanisms are stored is highlighted. Bibliographic information covers the years from 1918 to 2022. The sesterterpenoids are classified based on their structural complexity, from linear pentaprenyl, to car- bocyclic and heterocyclic ring-containing scaffolds. Marine and terrestrial or- ganisms, including higher plants and insects are reported. Phylum Porifera is the richest source, yet the original producers are often believed to be their as- sociated microbes, even if scarcely proved. Certain spongivore molluscs bio- accumulate or biotransform sponge-derived sesterterpenoids for their own defense, while a few molluscs and cnidarians produce them de novo. In envi- ronmental and human pathogenic microorganisms, the production of sester- terpenoids changes in response to stressors and dictates fluctuation in com- plex microbial communities. Bioactivities as antimicrobial, ichthyo- and phy- to-toxic, nematocidal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and modulation of neu- rodegenerative processes are reported, as well as activity in the treatment of metabolic diseases such as type-II diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and obesity and as immunosuppressive molecules. For each compound information about the extraction procedure is provided, including pretreatment of the sample, solvent(s) of extraction and partitioning, and analytical technique. The data- base is built and tested with data provided by all co-authors. At present, over 350 living organisms (from 4 kingdoms) producing more than 1300 com- pounds have been catalogued.