Bin Gui Wang

Isolation, Characterization, and Antioxidant Activity of Bromophenols of the Marine Red Alga Rhodomela confervoides

A total of 19 naturally occurring bromophenols, with six new and 13 known structures, were isolated and identified from the methanolic extract of the marine red alga Rhodomela confervoides. The new compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods as 3,4-dibromo-5-((methylsulfonyl)methyl)benzene-1,2-diol (1), 3,4-dibromo-5-((2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)methyl)benzene-1,2-diol (2), 5-(aminomethyl)-3,4-dibromobenzene-1,2-diol (3), 2-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl)acetic acid (4), 2-methoxy-3-bromo-5-hydroxymethylphenol (5), and (E)-4-(2-bromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl)but-3-en-2-one (6). Each compound was evaluated for free radical scavenging activity against DPPH (α,α-diphenyl-β-dipicrylhydrazyl) and ABTS [2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)diammonium salt] radicals. Most of them exhibited potent activities stronger than or comparable to the positive controls butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and ascorbic acid. The results from this study suggest that R. confervoides is an excellent source of natural antioxidants, and inclusion of these antioxidant-rich algal components would likely help prevent the oxidative deterioration of food.

Urceolatin, a structurally unique bromophenol from Polysiphonia urceolata.

6-Bromo-1-(3-bromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl)phenanthro[4,5-bcd]furan-2,3,5-triol (urceolatin, 1), a highly oxygenated bromophenol containing an unprecedented naturally occurring benzylphenanthro[4,5-bcd]furan unit, was isolated from the marine red alga Polysiphonia urceolata. Its structure was established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compound 1 displayed significant DPPH radical-scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 7.9 microM, which is 10-fold more potent than that of the positive control, butylated hydroxytoluene.

New nitrogen-containing bromophenols from the marine red alga Rhodomela confervoides and their radical scavenging activity

In addition to nine known bromophenol derivatives, five new nitrogen-containing bromophenols were isolated from an ethyl acetate extract of the marine red alga Rhodomela confervoides. By using spectroscopic methods, the structures of the new compounds were identified as 3-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl)pyrrolidine-2,5-dione (1), methyl 4-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzylamino)-4-oxobutanoate (2), 4-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzylamino)-4-oxobutanoic acid (3), 3-bromo-5-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzamide (4), and 2-(3-bromo-5-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)acetamide (5). All of these bromophenols showed potent scavenging activity against DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radicals, with IC(50) values ranging from 5.22 to 23.60μM. These compounds also displayed moderate activity against ABTS (2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) radicals, with Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity values (TEAC) ranging from 2.11 to 3.58mM. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the bromophenols obtained from R. confervoides may have potential application in food and/or pharmaceutical fields as natural antioxidants.

Isolation, Synthesis, and Radical-Scavenging Activity of Rhodomelin A, a Ureidobromophenol from the Marine Red Alga Rhodomela confervoides

A novel ureidobromophenol, rhodomelin A (1), was characterized from Rhodomela confervoides. Its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. Both enantiomers of 1 were synthesized using a convergent strategy starting from d/l-pyroglutamic acids, respectively, allowing assignment of the R-configuration for the naturally occurring isomer by chiral HPLC analysis. Rhodomelin A represents the first example of a naturally occurring ureidopyrrolidone alkaloid incorporating a γ-aminobutyric acid unit. The scavenging activity of 1 toward DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate)) radicals was assayed.