This user account status is Approved
2025
Nunes, Maria João; Varamogianni-Mamatsi, Despoina; Marques, Vanda; Anastasiou, Thekla I; Kagiampaki, Eirini; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Dailianis, Thanos; Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Branco, Luís C; Rodrigues, Cecília M P; Sobral, Rita G; Mandalakis, Manolis; Gaudêncio, Susana P
Chemical profile of extracts from wild and farmed Chondrosia reniformis sponges Journal Article
In: Aquaculture International, vol. 33, no. 6, pp. 558, 2025, ISSN: 0967-6120, 1573-143X.
@article{nunes_chemical_2025,
title = {Chemical profile of extracts from wild and farmed Chondrosia reniformis sponges},
author = {Maria João Nunes and Despoina Varamogianni-Mamatsi and Vanda Marques and Thekla I Anastasiou and Eirini Kagiampaki and Emmanouela Vernadou and Thanos Dailianis and Nicolas Kalogerakis and Luís C Branco and Cecília M P Rodrigues and Rita G Sobral and Manolis Mandalakis and Susana P Gaudêncio},
url = {https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10499-025-02246-8
/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-Nunes-AquaInt-57-preprint.pdf},
doi = {10.1007/s10499-025-02246-8},
issn = {0967-6120, 1573-143X},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-10-13},
urldate = {2025-10-13},
journal = {Aquaculture International},
volume = {33},
number = {6},
pages = {558},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Keklikoglou, Kleoniki; Mandalakis, Manolis; Fanouraki, Eleftheria; Anastasiou, Thekla I; Kagiampaki, Eirini; Vasileiadou, Katerina; Pavloudi, Christina; Arvanitidis, Christos; Pavlidis, Michail
Disrupted darkness: the impact of anthropogenic light at night on melatonin secretion of Hermodice carunculata (Polychaeta, Annelida) Journal Article
In: Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 1031–1040, 2025, ISSN: 1474-905X, 1474-9092.
@article{keklikoglou_disrupted_2025,
title = {Disrupted darkness: the impact of anthropogenic light at night on melatonin secretion of \textit{Hermodice carunculata (Polychaeta, Annelida)}},
author = {Kleoniki Keklikoglou and Manolis Mandalakis and Eleftheria Fanouraki and Thekla I Anastasiou and Eirini Kagiampaki and Katerina Vasileiadou and Christina Pavloudi and Christos Arvanitidis and Michail Pavlidis},
url = {https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s43630-025-00744-5
/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/2025-Keklikoglou-PP-Sci-31.pdf},
doi = {10.1007/s43630-025-00744-5},
issn = {1474-905X, 1474-9092},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-06-20},
urldate = {2025-06-20},
journal = {Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences},
volume = {24},
number = {6},
pages = {1031--1040},
abstract = {Abstract
Anthropogenic light at night (ALAN) can have serious impacts on marine environments. Several studies have demonstrated that ALAN disrupts melatonin production, a hormone critical for regulating circadian rhythm. In this study, the effects of ALAN on melatonin and two of its related indolamines were investigated in the annelid
Hermodice carunculata
. Specifically, melatonin, serotonin and tryptamine levels were measured every three hours over a 24 h period in the heads of the annelids maintained under constant light and a 12 h light/12 h dark photoperiod, representing control conditions. Melatonin concentration was quantified using an enzyme immunoassay, while serotonin and tryptamine were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Melatonin levels in annelid heads remained relatively constant with a pronounced peak at 11:00. A similar pattern was observed under constant light, but the melatonin peak shifted to 14:00. However, serotonin and tryptamine did not exhibit any significant diurnal variations due to constant light exposure. These findings suggest that melatonin secretion in
H. carunculata
is sensitive to ALAN, whereas its related indolamines are potentially not. The disruption of
H. carunculata'
s melatonin secretion pattern may affect its night-time behavior and reproduction, highlighting the need for further studies to assess the ecological effects of ALAN on various marine invertebrates.
Graphical abstract},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Abstract
Anthropogenic light at night (ALAN) can have serious impacts on marine environments. Several studies have demonstrated that ALAN disrupts melatonin production, a hormone critical for regulating circadian rhythm. In this study, the effects of ALAN on melatonin and two of its related indolamines were investigated in the annelid
Hermodice carunculata
. Specifically, melatonin, serotonin and tryptamine levels were measured every three hours over a 24 h period in the heads of the annelids maintained under constant light and a 12 h light/12 h dark photoperiod, representing control conditions. Melatonin concentration was quantified using an enzyme immunoassay, while serotonin and tryptamine were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Melatonin levels in annelid heads remained relatively constant with a pronounced peak at 11:00. A similar pattern was observed under constant light, but the melatonin peak shifted to 14:00. However, serotonin and tryptamine did not exhibit any significant diurnal variations due to constant light exposure. These findings suggest that melatonin secretion in
H. carunculata
is sensitive to ALAN, whereas its related indolamines are potentially not. The disruption of
H. carunculata'
s melatonin secretion pattern may affect its night-time behavior and reproduction, highlighting the need for further studies to assess the ecological effects of ALAN on various marine invertebrates.
Graphical abstract
Anthropogenic light at night (ALAN) can have serious impacts on marine environments. Several studies have demonstrated that ALAN disrupts melatonin production, a hormone critical for regulating circadian rhythm. In this study, the effects of ALAN on melatonin and two of its related indolamines were investigated in the annelid
Hermodice carunculata
. Specifically, melatonin, serotonin and tryptamine levels were measured every three hours over a 24 h period in the heads of the annelids maintained under constant light and a 12 h light/12 h dark photoperiod, representing control conditions. Melatonin concentration was quantified using an enzyme immunoassay, while serotonin and tryptamine were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Melatonin levels in annelid heads remained relatively constant with a pronounced peak at 11:00. A similar pattern was observed under constant light, but the melatonin peak shifted to 14:00. However, serotonin and tryptamine did not exhibit any significant diurnal variations due to constant light exposure. These findings suggest that melatonin secretion in
H. carunculata
is sensitive to ALAN, whereas its related indolamines are potentially not. The disruption of
H. carunculata'
s melatonin secretion pattern may affect its night-time behavior and reproduction, highlighting the need for further studies to assess the ecological effects of ALAN on various marine invertebrates.
Graphical abstract
2023
Varamogianni-Mamatsi, Despoina; Nunes, Maria João; Marques, Vanda; Anastasiou, Thekla I; Kagiampaki, Eirini; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Dailianis, Thanos; Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Branco, Luís C; Rodrigues, Cecília M P; Sobral, Rita G; Gaudêncio, Susana P; Mandalakis, Manolis
In: Marine Drugs, vol. 21, no. 12, pp. 612, 2023, ISSN: 1660-3397.
@article{varamogianni-mamatsi_comparative_2023,
title = {Comparative Chemical Profiling and Antimicrobial/Anticancer Evaluation of Extracts from Farmed versus Wild Agelas oroides and Sarcotragus foetidus Sponges},
author = {Despoina Varamogianni-Mamatsi and Maria João Nunes and Vanda Marques and Thekla I Anastasiou and Eirini Kagiampaki and Emmanouela Vernadou and Thanos Dailianis and Nicolas Kalogerakis and Luís C Branco and Cecília M P Rodrigues and Rita G Sobral and Susana P Gaudêncio and Manolis Mandalakis},
url = {https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023-Varamogianni-Mamatsi-marinedrugs-62.pdf
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/21/12/612},
doi = {10.3390/md21120612},
issn = {1660-3397},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-12-04},
urldate = {2023-12-05},
journal = {Marine Drugs},
volume = {21},
number = {12},
pages = {612},
abstract = {Marine sponges are highly efficient in removing organic pollutants and their cultivation, adjacent to fish farms, is increasingly considered as a strategy for improving seawater quality. Moreover, these invertebrates produce a plethora of bioactive metabolites, which could translate into an extra profit for the aquaculture sector. Here, we investigated the chemical profile and bioactivity of two Mediterranean species (i.e., Agelas oroides and Sarcotragus foetidus) and we assessed whether cultivated sponges differed substantially from their wild counterparts. Metabolomic analysis of crude sponge extracts revealed species-specific chemical patterns, with A. oroides and S. foetidus dominated by alkaloids and lipids, respectively. More importantly, farmed and wild explants of each species demonstrated similar chemical fingerprints, with the majority of the metabolites showing modest differences on a sponge mass-normalized basis. Furthermore, farmed sponge extracts presented similar or slightly lower antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, compared to the extracts resulting from wild sponges. Anticancer assays against human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) revealed marginally active extracts from both wild and farmed S. foetidus populations. Our study highlights that, besides mitigating organic pollution in fish aquaculture, sponge farming can serve as a valuable resource of biomolecules, with promising potential in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Marine sponges are highly efficient in removing organic pollutants and their cultivation, adjacent to fish farms, is increasingly considered as a strategy for improving seawater quality. Moreover, these invertebrates produce a plethora of bioactive metabolites, which could translate into an extra profit for the aquaculture sector. Here, we investigated the chemical profile and bioactivity of two Mediterranean species (i.e., Agelas oroides and Sarcotragus foetidus) and we assessed whether cultivated sponges differed substantially from their wild counterparts. Metabolomic analysis of crude sponge extracts revealed species-specific chemical patterns, with A. oroides and S. foetidus dominated by alkaloids and lipids, respectively. More importantly, farmed and wild explants of each species demonstrated similar chemical fingerprints, with the majority of the metabolites showing modest differences on a sponge mass-normalized basis. Furthermore, farmed sponge extracts presented similar or slightly lower antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, compared to the extracts resulting from wild sponges. Anticancer assays against human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) revealed marginally active extracts from both wild and farmed S. foetidus populations. Our study highlights that, besides mitigating organic pollution in fish aquaculture, sponge farming can serve as a valuable resource of biomolecules, with promising potential in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.
Anastasiou, Thekla I; Kagiampaki, Eirini; Kondylatos, Gerasimos; Tselepides, Anastasios; Peristeraki, Panagiota; Mandalakis, Manolis
In: Marine Drugs, vol. 21, no. 10, pp. 520, 2023, ISSN: 1660-3397.
@article{anastasiou_assessing_2023,
title = {Assessing the Toxicity of Lagocephalus sceleratus Pufferfish from the Southeastern Aegean Sea and the Relationship of Tetrodotoxin with Gonadal Hormones},
author = {Thekla I Anastasiou and Eirini Kagiampaki and Gerasimos Kondylatos and Anastasios Tselepides and Panagiota Peristeraki and Manolis Mandalakis},
url = {https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-Anastasiou-Mardrugs-55.pdf
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/21/10/520},
doi = {10.3390/md21100520},
issn = {1660-3397},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-10-11},
urldate = {2023-10-17},
journal = {Marine Drugs},
volume = {21},
number = {10},
pages = {520},
abstract = {Given the dramatic increase in the L. sceleratus population in the southeastern Aegean Sea, there is growing interest in assessing the toxicity of this pufferfish and the factors controlling its tetrodotoxin (TTX) content. In the present study, liver, gonads, muscle and skin of 37 L. sceleratus specimens collected during May and June 2021 from the island of Rhodes, Greece, were subjected to multi-analyte profiling using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in order to quantitate TTX and evaluate whether this biotoxin interrelates with hormones. TTX and its analogues 4-epiTTX, 11-deoxyTTX, 11-norTTX-6-ol, 4,9-anhydroTTX and 5,11/6,11-dideoxyTTX were detected in all tissue types. Liver and gonads were the most toxic tissues, with the highest TTX concentrations being observed in the ovaries of female specimens. Only 22% of the analyzed muscle samples were non-toxic according to the Japanese toxicity threshold (2.2 μg TTX eq g−1), confirming the high poisoning risk from the inadvertent consumption of this species. Four steroid hormones (i.e., cortisol, testosterone, androstenedione and β-estradiol) and the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) were detected in the gonads. Androstenedione dominated in female specimens, while GnRH was more abundant in males. A positive correlation of TTX and its analogues with β-estradiol was observed. However, a model incorporating sex rather than β-estradiol as the independent variable proven to be more efficient in predicting TTX concentration, implying that other sex-related characteristics are more important than specific hormone-regulated processes.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Given the dramatic increase in the L. sceleratus population in the southeastern Aegean Sea, there is growing interest in assessing the toxicity of this pufferfish and the factors controlling its tetrodotoxin (TTX) content. In the present study, liver, gonads, muscle and skin of 37 L. sceleratus specimens collected during May and June 2021 from the island of Rhodes, Greece, were subjected to multi-analyte profiling using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in order to quantitate TTX and evaluate whether this biotoxin interrelates with hormones. TTX and its analogues 4-epiTTX, 11-deoxyTTX, 11-norTTX-6-ol, 4,9-anhydroTTX and 5,11/6,11-dideoxyTTX were detected in all tissue types. Liver and gonads were the most toxic tissues, with the highest TTX concentrations being observed in the ovaries of female specimens. Only 22% of the analyzed muscle samples were non-toxic according to the Japanese toxicity threshold (2.2 μg TTX eq g−1), confirming the high poisoning risk from the inadvertent consumption of this species. Four steroid hormones (i.e., cortisol, testosterone, androstenedione and β-estradiol) and the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) were detected in the gonads. Androstenedione dominated in female specimens, while GnRH was more abundant in males. A positive correlation of TTX and its analogues with β-estradiol was observed. However, a model incorporating sex rather than β-estradiol as the independent variable proven to be more efficient in predicting TTX concentration, implying that other sex-related characteristics are more important than specific hormone-regulated processes.
Varamogianni-Mamatsi, Despoina; Anastasiou, Thekla I; Vernadou, Emmanouela; Kouvarakis, Nikos; Kagiampaki, Eirini; Kalogerakis, Nicolas; Dailianis, Thanos; Mandalakis, Manolis
Uptake of aquaculture-related dissolved organic pollutants by marine sponges: Kinetics and mechanistic insights from a laboratory study Journal Article
In: Science of The Total Environment, vol. 899, pp. 165601, 2023, ISSN: 00489697.
@article{varamogianni-mamatsi_uptake_2023,
title = {Uptake of aquaculture-related dissolved organic pollutants by marine sponges: Kinetics and mechanistic insights from a laboratory study},
author = {Despoina Varamogianni-Mamatsi and Thekla I Anastasiou and Emmanouela Vernadou and Nikos Kouvarakis and Eirini Kagiampaki and Nicolas Kalogerakis and Thanos Dailianis and Manolis Mandalakis},
url = {https://imbbc.hcmr.gr/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-Varamogianni-Mamatsi-STEnv-40-preprint.pdf
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969723042249},
doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165601},
issn = {00489697},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-08-01},
urldate = {2023-08-14},
journal = {Science of The Total Environment},
volume = {899},
pages = {165601},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}