Complanine is a

quaternary ammonium compound In organic chemistry, quaternary ammonium cations, also known as quats, are positively-charged polyatomic ions of the structure , where R is an alkyl group, an aryl group or organyl group. Unlike the ammonium, ammonium ion () and the primary, sec ...

isolated from the marine fireworm '' Eurythoe complanata''. It causes an inflammatory effect upon contact with the skin or mucous membranes.

Occurrence

It was previously known that handling the fireworm caused it to release a chemical that induces

inflammation Inflammation (from ) is part of the biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin ''calor'', '' ...

of the skin of marine predators and mammals (including humans). Complanine was the first compound isolated from the fireworm which causes these effects. The chemical structure of Complanine was determined by spectroscopical methods and the absolute configuration was confirmed with a total synthesis. It is presumed that this compound's function is to deter predators of the fireworm.

References

{{reflist Invertebrate toxins Quaternary ammonium compounds Carboxamides Secondary alcohols