| Main results |
- Collected 84 coral samples of Sinularia flexibilis species in 12 months. Samples were identified, classified, and preserved at the Institute of Oceanography in Nha Trang.
- Analyzed total lipid content, composition and content of: lipid classes and phospholipid subclasses, fatty acids in each month, molecular species of some major phospholipid subclasses of soft coral Sinularia flexibilis.
- Initially evaluated the month-to-month fluctuations of the main lipid components, lipid markers for the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis:
+ Total lipid content: reached the highest content during the period from March to May, the content is lower from June to September and the lowest content was observed in October and November. There was a significant decrease in total lipid content between May and June; September and October. It is elevated from February to March, especially unstable during October and December.
+ The composition of lipid classes of the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis includes 6 main classes: PL, ST, TAG, MADAG, W, FFA. The content of PL during summer months from April to August is lower than that from September to February. It is increased dramatically from November to December and decreased between April and May, December and January. The content of ST was higher during October to March and lower during April to September, although the difference was not significant. The remaining classes including W, MADAG, TAG tend to increase during the summer months and decrease in the remaining months. The increase and decrease in the composition of lipid classes in 12 months was studied closely related to the presence of symbiotic microalgae zooxanthellae in the sample, which is directly influenced by environmental conditions and the process of maturation and reproduction of this coral species.
+ In polar lipid, classes of phospholipids including PE and PC (main classes), the others including PI, PS, CAEP and LPC account for a small account of total. The content of phospholipid classes in the total phospholipids was quite stable during the 12 months studied - consistent with the assessment of the sustainability of phospholipid membranes during the formation, reproduction and development of corals.
+ Fatty acid composition of soft coral Sinularia flexibilis includes 33 identified fatty acids, mainly n-3, n-6 fatty acids. During the summer months from March/April to August/September the increase of saturated fatty acids was recorded, in which the main fatty acids including 16:0, 18:0; from September/October to March/April is the predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids in which the main fatty acid is 20:4n-6, marker fatty acids of soft coral 24:5n-6 and 24:6n-3, marker fatty acids of symbiotic microalgae 18:4n-3, 20:5n-3, 20:6n-3. This change is consistent with the increase in ambient temperature during the summer months leading to the decline of zooxanthellae in corals, leading to a decrease in the main lipid composition of the symbiotic microalgae.
+ Identify 50 molecular species, including: 15 molecule species of PE; 13 molecule species of PC; 3 molecule species of CAEP; 7 molecule species of PS and 8 molecule species of PI. The main molecular speices in each class of this coral species are PE 18:1e/20:4, PC 18:0e/20:4, CAEP 18:2b/16:0, PS 18:0e/25:4, PI 18:0/24:5. The molecular species PC 16:0e/16:2; PC 16:0e/18:4; PC 18:0e/18:4; PC 18:0e/18:3 are the demonstration of fatty acid transport from symbionts to host corals in the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis.
- Conducted biological activities studies of total lipid extracts of coral samples in months, analyzed the chlorophyll A content of coral samples studied by months of the year.
- Conducted biological activities studies of 12 samples of soft coral Sinularia flexibilis toal lipid, with Hep-G2 liver cancer cell line, the results showed that all 12 selected samples showed cytotoxic activity with the IC 50 value ranges from 47.68 to 97.51 µg/mL.
- The chlorophyll content was directly proportional to the total lipid content in the 12 months studied, the content from June to November is lower than that in the remaining months.
- Publication, training
Published 01 article in an international journal and 01 article in a domestic journal.
Trained 01 master student. Novelty and actuality and scientific meaningfulness of the results:The results on lipid composition of the soft coral sample Sinularia flexibilis (Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam) were obtained for 12 months, including data on:total lipid content, chlorophyll content in the sample,composition, content of fatty acids, composition of lipid classes, composition of phospholipid classes and biological activities assessment of total lipid. Indicate the main fatty acids, lipids, phospholipids, and molecule species of soft coral Sinularia flexibilis. |
