An antiplasmodial new (bis)indole alkaloid from the hard coral Tubastraea sp.

Abstract

Tubastarea sp., a stony coral (Dendrophylliidae) from the Great Hanish in the Archipelago of the Hanish Islands, Yemen, contains, in addition to the known aplysinopsin (1) and 6-bromo-3′-deimino-3′-oxoaplysinopsin (2), the new bis(indole) alkaloid (3). The structures of compounds (1–3) were elucidated by interpretation of spectral data. Compound 3 inhibits the growth of Plasmodium falciparum (chloroquine-resistant strain) with an IC₅₀ 1.2 µg mL⁻¹.

Keywords:

• scleratinian coral
• Tubastraea
• (bis)indole alkaloid
• cycloaplysinopsin C
• antiplasmodial activity

Acknowledgements

Financial supports from Ardoukoba Association and Daniel Jouvance society are gratefully acknowledged. We express our thanks to Alain Blond for recording NMR spectra and Jean-Paul Brouard for mass spectra.