Abimael D. Rodríguez

Marine pharmacology in 2007–8: Marine compounds with antibacterial, anticoagulant, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis, and antiviral activities; affecting the immune and nervous system, and other miscellaneous mechanisms of action

Abstract The peer-reviewed marine pharmacology literature in 2007–8 is covered in this review, which follows a similar format to the previous 1998–2006 reviews of this series. The preclinical pharmacology of structurally characterized marine compounds isolated from marine animals, algae, fungi and bacteria is discussed in a comprehensive manner. Antibacterial, anticoagulant, antifungal, antimalarial, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis and antiviral activities were reported for 74 marine natural products. Additionally, 59 marine compounds were reported to affect the cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems as well as to possess anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, 65 marine metabolites were shown to bind to a variety of receptors and miscellaneous molecular targets, and thus upon further completion of mechanism of action studies, will contribute to several pharmacological classes. Marine pharmacology research during 2007–8 remained a global enterprise, with researchers from 26 countries, and the United States, contributing to the preclinical pharmacology of 197 marine compounds which are part of the preclinical marine pharmaceuticals pipeline. Sustained preclinical research with marine natural products demonstrating novel pharmacological activities, will probably result in the expansion of the current marine pharmaceutical clinical pipeline, which currently consists of 13 marine natural products, analogs or derivatives targeting a limited number of disease categories.

Marine Pharmacology in 2009-2011: Marine Compounds with Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, Anti-Inflammatory, Antiprotozoal, Antituberculosis, and Antiviral Activities; Affecting the Immune and Nervous Systems, and other Miscellaneous Mechanisms of Action †

The peer-reviewed marine pharmacology literature from 2009 to 2011 is presented in this review, following the format used in the 1998–2008 reviews of this series. The pharmacology of structurally-characterized compounds isolated from marine animals, algae, fungi and bacteria is discussed in a comprehensive manner. Antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis, and antiviral pharmacological activities were reported for 102 marine natural products. Additionally, 60 marine compounds were observed to affect the immune and nervous system as well as possess antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, 68 marine metabolites were shown to interact with a variety of receptors and molecular targets, and thus will probably contribute to multiple pharmacological classes upon further mechanism of action studies. Marine pharmacology during 2009–2011 remained a global enterprise, with researchers from 35 countries, and the United States, contributing to the preclinical pharmacology of 262 marine compounds which are part of the preclinical pharmaceutical pipeline. Continued pharmacological research with marine natural products will contribute to enhance the marine pharmaceutical clinical pipeline, which in 2013 consisted of 17 marine natural products, analogs or derivatives targeting a limited number of disease categories.

Bipinnatins K–Q, Minor Cembrane-Type Diterpenes from the West Indian Gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia kallos: Isolation, Structure Assignment, and Evaluation of Biological Activities⊥

An extensive chemical study of the secondary metabolites found in the crude organic extract of the gorgonian octocoral Pseudopterogorgia kallos has led to the isolation of seven new cembranolides, bipinnatins K-Q ( 2- 8), and one known compound, bipinnatin E ( 9). The molecular structures of compounds 2- 8, many of which contain unusual structural features, were assigned mainly by 2D NMR spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallographic analysis. The discovery of compounds 2- 8 may lend support to previously proposed mechanisms for the biosynthesis of recently isolated bioactive natural products from the same gorgonian specimen. The in vitro cytotoxicity of bipinnatins 4, 6, and 7 against the NCI tumor cells MCF breast cancer, NCI-H460 non-small cell lung cancer, and SF-268 CNS cancer was evaluated. However, only bipinnatin Q ( 6) displayed significant cytotoxic activity. Some of the compounds isolated proved to be inhibitors of acetylcholine receptors.

Monamphilectine A, a potent antimalarial β-lactam from marine sponge Hymeniacidon sp: isolation, structure, semisynthesis, and bioactivity.

Monamphilectine A (1), a new diterpenoid β-lactam alkaloid showing potent antimalarial activity, was isolated in milligram quantities following bioassay-directed extraction of a Puerto Rican marine sponge Hymeniacidon sp. Its structure, established by interpretation of spectral data, was confirmed unequivocally by chemical interconversion and comparison of physical, chemical, and bioactivity data with the natural product. The one-step semisynthesis of monamphilectine A was based on a multicomponent Ugi reaction that also established its absolute stereostructure.

Bioactive Cycloperoxides Isolated from the Puerto Rican Sponge Plakortis halichondrioides

Two new five-membered-ring polyketide endoperoxides, epiplakinic acid F methyl ester (1) and epiplakinidioic acid (3), and a peroxide-lactone, plakortolide J (2), were isolated from the Puerto Rican sponge Plakortis halichondrioides, along with two previously reported cyclic peroxides, 4 and 5. The structures of the new metabolites were determined by spectroscopic and chemical analyses. The absolute stereostructures of 1, 2, and 5 were determined by degradation reactions followed by application of Kishis method for the assignment of absolute configuration of alcohols. Biological screening of cycloperoxides 1-5 and semisynthetic analogues 7-12 for cytotoxic activity against various human tumor cell lines revealed that compounds 3, 4, and 11 are very active. Upon assaying for antimalarial and antitubercular activity, some of the compounds tested showed strong activity against the pathogenic microbes Plasmodium falciparum and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Neopetrosiamine A, biologically active bis-piperidine alkaloid from the caribbean sea sponge Neopetrosia proxima.

A new tetracyclic bis-piperidine alkaloid, neopetrosiamine A (1), has been extracted from the marine sponge Neopetrosiaproxima collected off the west coast of Puerto Rico. The structure of compound 1 was elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data coupled with careful comparisons of its (1)H and (13)C NMR data with those of a well-known 3-alkylbis-piperidine alkaloid model. The new alkaloid displayed strong in vitro cytotoxic activity against a panel of cancer cell lines as well as in vitro inhibitory activity against the pathogenic microbes Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium falciparum.

Identification of the Binding of Sceptrin to MreB via a Bidirectional Affinity Protocol

A bidirectional affinity system was used to screen for marine natural products that bound to Escherichia coli proteins. A system was developed and applied to isolate the natural product sceptrin from an Agelas conifera extract and its affinity partner MreB from E. coli lysate. The use of a dual immunoaffinity fluorescent (IAF) tag permitted this process to co-immunoprecipitate the bacterial equivalent of actin, MreB, from E. coli lysate. MreB was subsequently validated as a target for sceptrin using a resistance mapping approach. The combination of these studies suggests that natural products and their protein targets can be isolated in concert using a melody of forward and reverse affinity matrices. While the structure of sceptrin was elucidated by NMR analysis, the bulk of effort was conducted without knowing the structure of the natural product, thereby elevating a key bottleneck in the development of high-throughput methods for natural product discovery.

Anti-muscarinic activity of a family of C11N5 compounds isolated from Agelas sponges.

In a search for potential target sites for C11N5 compounds obtained from marine sponges of the genusAgelas we evaluated their interaction with muscarinic acetylcholine receptors from rat brain membranes. In competition experiments with3H-QNB these compounds displayed the following rank order of potency: sceptrin>oroidin≥dibromosceptrin≥clathrodin. Sceptrin (50 μM) was shown to be a competitive inhibitor of3H-QNB binding as revealed by Scatchard analysis. The results demonstrate the ability of these compounds to interact with multiple target molecules in the micromolar range.

Dolabellane-Type Diterpenoids with Antiprotozoan Activity from a Southwestern Caribbean Gorgonian Octocoral of the Genus Eunicea

Ten new diterpenes, 1-10, having a dolabellane skeleton were isolated from a Colombian gorgonian coral of the genus Eunicea. Their structures, as well as those of known compounds 11-18, were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and, in some instances, by chemical conversion and X-ray crystallographic analysis. The absolute structure of 7 was established by chemical conversion from 11, a co-occurring dolabellane congener of known absolute structure. Most of these diterpenoids showed antimalarial activity against the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

Novel Cyclopropane Fatty Acids from the Phospholipids of the Caribbean Sponge Pseudospongosorites suberitoides

The cyclopropane fatty acids 17-methyl-trans-4,5-methyleneoctadecanoic acid, 18-methyl-trans-4,5-methylenenonadecanoic acid, and 17-methyl-trans-4,5-methylenenonadecanoic acid were characterized for the first time in nature in the phospholipids (mainly PE, PG and PS) of the hermit-crab sponge Pseudospongosorites suberitoides. Pyrrolidine derivatization was the key in identifying the position of the cyclopropyl and methyl groups in the acyl chains and 1H NMR was used to determine the trans stereochemistry of the cyclopropane ring. The phospholipids from the sponge also contained an interesting series of iso-anteiso Δ5,9 fatty acids with chain-lengths between 17 and 21 carbons, with the fatty acids (5Z,9Z)-18-methyl-5,9-nonadecadienoic acid and the (5Z,9Z)-17-methyl-5,9-nonadecadienoic acid being described for the first time in sponges. The anteiso α-methoxylated fatty acid 2-methoxy-12-methyltetradecanoic acid was also identified for the first time in nature in the phospholipids of this interesting marine sponge. The novel cyclopropyl fatty acids could have originated from the phospholipids of a cyanobacterium living in symbiosis with the sponge.