Synthesis and Cheminformatics-Directed Antibacterial Evaluation of Echinosulfonic Acid-Inspired Bis-Indole Alkaloids.

Synthetic efforts toward complex natural product (NP) scaffolds are useful ones, particularly those aimed at expanding their bioactive chemical space. Here, we utilised an orthogonal cheminformatics-based approach to predict the potential biological activities for a series of synthetic bis-indole alkaloids inspired by elusive sponge-derived NPs, echinosulfone A () and echinosulfonic acids A-D (-). Our work includes the first synthesis of desulfato-echinosulfonic acid C, an α-hydroxy bis(3'-indolyl) alkaloid (), and its full NMR characterisation.

α-Synuclein Aggregation Inhibitory and Antiplasmodial Activity of Constituents from the Australian Tree .

Amyloid protein aggregates are linked to the progression of neurodegenerative conditions and may play a role in life stages of , the parasite responsible for malaria. We hypothesize that amyloid protein aggregation inhibitors may show antiplasmodial activity and vice versa. To test this hypothesis, we screened antiplasmodial active extracts from 25 Australian eucalypt flowers using a binding affinity mass spectrometry assay to identify molecules that bind to the Parkinson's disease-implicated protein α-syn.

Camaldulensals A-C, the First Meroterpenoids Possessing Two Spatially Separated Formyl Phloroglucinols Conjugated to a Terpene Core from the Leaves of Dehnh.

Three new bis-formyl phloroglucinol-meroterpenoids (-), three new euglobal type formyl phloroglucinol-meroterpenoids (-), and one new dimeric formyl phloroglucinol () were isolated from the leaves of . Camaldulensal A () is the first bis-isovaleryl-formyl-phloroglucinol-sesquiterpenoid. It features a novel 6/6/10/3/6/6 fused ring system and contains six stereogenic centers.

NMR Fingerprints of Formyl Phloroglucinol Meroterpenoids and Their Application to the Investigation of subsp. .

NMR fingerprints provide powerful tools to identify natural products in complex mixtures. Principal component analysis and machine learning using H and C NMR data, alongside structural information from 180 published formyl phloroglucinols, have generated diagnostic NMR fingerprints to categorize subclasses within this group. This resulted in the reassignment of 167 NMR chemical shifts ascribed to 44 compounds.

Amphiphilic Polyamine α-Synuclein Aggregation Inhibitors from the Sponge .

Bioassay-guided investigation of the sponge resulted in the isolation and identification of two new amphiphilic polyamines, aaptolobamines A () and B (). Their structures were determined through analysis of NMR and MS data. MS analysis also indicated that contained a complex mixture of aaptolobamine homologues.

α-Synuclein Aggregation Inhibitory Procerolides and Diphenylalkanes from the Ascidian .

The aggregation of the neuronal protein α-synuclein (α-syn) is intrinsically linked to the development and progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently we screened the MeOH extracts from 283 marine invertebrates for α-syn binding activity using an affinity mass spectrometry (MS) binding assay and found that the extract of the ascidian displayed activity. A subsequent bioassay-guided purification led to the isolation of one new α-syn aggregation inhibitory butenolide procerolide E () and one new α-syn aggregation inhibitory diphenylbutyrate methyl procerolate A ().

α-Synuclein Aggregation Inhibitory Prunolides and a Dibrominated β-Carboline Sulfamate from the Ascidian .

Seven new polyaromatic bis-spiroketal-containing butenolides, the prunolides D-I (-) and -prunolide C (), a new dibrominated β-carboline sulfamate named pityriacitrin C (), alongside the known prunolides A-C (-) were isolated from the Australian colonial ascidian . The prunolides D-G (-) represent the first asymmetrically brominated prunolides, while -prunolide C () is the first reported with a -configuration about the prunolide's bis-spiroketal core. The prunolides displayed binding activities with the Parkinson's disease-implicated amyloid protein α-synuclein in a mass spectrometry binding assay, while the prunolides (- and ) were found to significantly inhibit the aggregation (>89.

Terrestrial dissolved organic matter source affects disinfection by-product formation during water treatment and subsequent toxicity.

Restoring woody vegetation to riparian zones helps to protect waterways from excessive sediment and nutrient inputs. However, the associated leaf litter can be a major source of dissolved organic matter (DOM) leached into surface waters. DOM can lead to the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) during drinking water treatment.