Xestvenane from Marine Sponge

Distribution (分布)

The Northeastern Pacific sponge Xestospongia vanilla is a rich source of triterpenoids and their glycosides (saponins). The only other sponge　containing saponins is Asteropus sarsinosum. Except for these, the only known source of saponins is echinoderms (sea urchin and starfish). Specimens of X. vanilla were scuba-collected by hand from the Deer group of islands in Barkley Sound and the Queen Charlotte Islands group, British Columbia. One kilogram of dried specimen yielded 5 to 50 mg of each xestovanin.