해양생물에 함유하는 특이한 carotenoids 조성과 이들carotenoids의 생리활성을 밝히고저 미색동물 및 패류의 육과 표피에 존재하는 carotenoids 성분을 분리, 동정하였으며, 이들 marine carotenoids에 대한 돌연변이 유발억제 및 종양세포 증식억제 활성을 비교, 검토한 결과는 다음과 같다. 멍게류의 총 carotenoids 함량은 육에서는 붉은멍게, 미더덕, 참멍게, 이가보야개멍게, 리테르개멍게 및 흑미더덕의 순으로 함유하였고(18.65~2.39 mg%), 미더덕육이 참멍게 육보다 높게 나타나 특이하였으며, 붉은멍게, 참멍게 외는 육의 총 carotenoids 함량이 표피에 비해 높게 나타났다. 멍게류의 carotenoids 조성은 참멍게, 붉은멍게, 혹미더덕 그리고 미더덕에는 cynthiaxanthin(25.1~42.2%), halocynthiaxanthin(9.7~26.3%), diatoxanthin(8.0~18.7%) 및 β-carotene(7.7~21.2%)이, 리테르개멍게에는 canthaxanthin(19.6%), cynthiaxanthin(15.4%), halocynthiaxanthin(14.8%) 및 (3R, 3'R), (3S, 3'S)-astaxanthin(22.6%)이, 그리고 이가보야개멍게에는 fucoxanthin(26. 6%), cynthiaxanthin(21.8%), halocynthiaxanthin(15.2%) 및 β-carotene(9.3%)이 주성분으로 함유하나, 멍게류의 carotenoids 조성은 전체적으로 서로 유사하였다. 그리고 멍게류의 육과 표피의 carotenoids 조성도서로 유사하였다. 시료 패류중에서 비단조개 육, 키조개 난소, 비단가리비 난소 및 재첩 육의 총 carotenoids 함량(2.51~6.83mg%)이 다른 패류에 비해 매우 높았으며, 패류의 carotenoids 조성은 서식환경이 다른 것처럼 전체적으로 서로 상이하였다. 그러나 비단가리비 난소, 코고둥 육 및 굴 육에는 cynthiaxanthin(15.9~39.0%), zeaxanthin(9.6~21.9%)이, 재첩 육과 키조개 난소에는 cynthiaxanthin(21.5~48.6%), mytiloxanthin(14.6%)이, 그리고 비단조개 육에는 canthaxanthin(60.6%), isozeaxanthin(20.5%)이, 이 외다슬기 육 및 백합 육에는 β-carotene(23.7~34.8%) 및 zeaxanthin(18.2~20.4%)이 주성분으로 함유하였다. 또한 굴육에는 diester형 carotenoids가 유리형 carotenoids와 혼합되어 존재하는 것이 특이하였다. 한편, 멍게류 및 패류에서 분리한 주요 carotenoids의 돌연변이 유발억제 효과는 S. typhimurium TA 98에 대하여 20, 50 그리고 100 μg투여시 농도증가에 비례하여, IQ에서는 astaxanthin, isozeaxanthin, mytiloxanthin 및 halocynthiaxanthin 첨가구에서, AFB1에서는 β-carotene, isozeaxanthin 및 mytiloxanthin첨가구에서 유의적으로 돌연변이 유발이 억제되었다. 또한, 멍게류 및 패류에서 분리한 주요 carotenoids의 종양세포증식억제 효과는 5, 10 그리고 20 μg 투여시 농도증가에 비례하여, 자궁경암(HeLa)세포에서는 β-carotene, cynthiaxanthin, astaxanthin 및 halocynthiaxanthin 첨가구에서, 위암(NCI-H87)세포에서는 β-carotene, astaxanthin, cynthiaxanthin 및 halocynthiaxanthin 첨가구에서, 결장암(HT-29)세포에서는 β-carotene, cynthiaxanthin, mytiloxanthin 및 halocynthiaxanthin 그리고 골육암(MG-63)세포에서는 β-carotene, cynthiaxanthin, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin 및 halocynthiaxanthin 첨가구에서 유의적으로 종양세포 증식이 억제되었다.
To investigate the composition of carotenoids present in marine organisms and the biological activity of the carotenoids, carotenoids of the muscles and tunic of tunicates and shellfishes were isolated and identified. Anitmutagenic activities of the carotenoids for S. typhimurium TA 98 and cytotoxic activity for cancer cell lines were determined. Total carotenoid contents in the muscle of tunicata ranged from 18.65 mg% to 2.39 mg%. The highest amount of the total carotenoid was found in the muscle of Halo-cynthia aurantium, followed by Styela clava (HERDMAN), H. roretzi, H. hilgendorfi f. igaboya, H. hilgen-dorfi f. retteri, S. plicata (LESUEUR) in order. Interestingly, total carotenoid content in the muscle of S. clava (HERDMAN) was higher than that of H. roretzi. Total carotenoid content of all tunicata, other than H. aurantium and H. roretzi, were higher in muscle than tunic. The major carotenoids in H. roretzi, H. aurantium, S. plicata (LESUEUR), and S. clava (HERDMAN) were cynthiaxanthin (25.1~42.2%), halocynthiaxanthin (9.7~26.3%), diatoxanthin (8.0~18.7%) and β-carotene (7.7%~21.7%). Similar-ly, cantaxanthin (19.6%), cynthiaxanthin (15.4%), halocynthiaxanthin (14.8%), and (3R,3'R), (3S,3'S)-astaxanthin (22.6%) in H. hilgendorfi f. retteri and fucoxanthin (26.6%), cynthiaxanthin (21.8%), halocynthiaxanthin (15.2%), and β-carotene (9.3%) in H. hilgendorfi f. igaboya were major carotenoids in both tunicate. However, the composition of carotenoids in muscle and tunic of tunicata was similar each other. Among the shellfishes examined, total carotenoid content of the muscle of Peronidia venulosa (Schrenck) and Corbicula fluminea, and of the gonad of Atrina pinnata and Chlamys farreri, was ranged from 2.51 to 6.83 mg% which were relatively higher than that of other shellfishes. The composition of the carotenoids of shellfishes, which might depend upon their living environments, was varied. But cynthiaxanthin (15.9~39.0%) and zeaxanthin (9.6~21.9%) in gonad of C. farreri, and muscles of Buccinum Volutharpa perryi (JAY) and Crassostrea gigas, cynthiaxanthin (21.5~48.6%) and mytiloxanthin (14.6%) in muscle of C. fluminea and gonad of A. pinnata, and canthaxanthin (60.6%) and isozeaxanthin (20.5%) in muscles of P. venulosa (Schrenck), and β-carotene (23.7~34.8%) and zeaxanthin (18.2~20.4%) in muscles of Semisulcospira libertina and Meretrix lusoria were major carotenoids. Interestingly, diester type-carotenoids were present along with free type-carotenoids in muscles of C. gigas. Antimutagenic effect of the carotenoids isolated from tunicata and shellfishes against 2-amino-3-methylimidazol [4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) for S. typhimurium TA 98 was proportional to the amount (20, 50 and 100 μg/plate) treated. Mutagenicity of IQ was significantly reduced by astaxanthin, isozeaxanthin, mytiloxanthin and halocynthiaxanthin, whereas the mutagenicity of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was significantly reduced by β-carotene, isozeaxanthin, and mytiloxnthin. Growth inhibition effect of carotenoids isolated from tunicata and shellfishes for cancer cell was proportional to the amount (5, 10, and 20 μg/plate) treated. The growth of HeLa cell by β-carotene, cynthiaxanthin, astaxanthin and halocynthiaxanthin, NCI-H87 cell by β-carotene, astaxanthin, cynthiaxanthin, and halocynthiaxanthin, HT-29 cell by β-carotene, cynthiaxanthin, mytiloxanthin and halocynthiaxanthin, and MG-63 cells by β-carotene, cynthiaxanthin, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin and halocynthiaxanthin were statistically reduced.