Antiproliferative Isoprenoid Derivatives from the Red Sea Alcyonacean .

From the soft coral seven isoprenoid derivatives were isolated, including a new xenicane diterpene, xeniolide O () and a new gorgostane derivative gorgst-3β,5α,6β,11α,20()-pentol-3-monoacetate (), along with three known sesquiterpenes (), a known diterpene (), and a known steroid (). The extensive analyses of the NMR, IR, and MS spectral data led to determination of their chemical structures. Compounds displayed a cytotoxic effect against breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), and cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa), with IC values ranging between 1.

Marine-Derived Macrocyclic Alkaloids (MDMAs): Chemical and Biological Diversity.

The curiosity and attention that researchers have devoted to alkaloids are due to their bioactivities, structural diversity, and intriguing chemistry. Marine-derived macrocyclic alkaloids (MDMAs) are considered to be a potential source of drugs. Trabectedin, a tetrahydroisoquinoline derivative, has been approved for the treatment of metastatic soft tissue sarcoma and ovarian cancers.

Curcumin analogues and their hybrid molecules as multifunctional drugs.

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane or 1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) is an interesting compound that is characterized by a special chemical structure with a diversified biological and pharmaceutical properties. A huge number of studies have explored the medicinal properties of curcumin, including antitumoral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihepatotoxic, antihyperlipidemic, antiviral, and anti-Alzheimer's disease effects. Despite its range of reported pharmacological effects, it has poor bioavailability during oral administration and poor solubility and so, it is limited in its clinical applicability.

Experimental and theoretical study of donor-π-acceptor compounds based on malononitrile.

A set of different donor-π-acceptor compounds having dicyanovinyl as the acceptor and aryl moieties as donors were synthesized by Knoevenagel condensation. The UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectra were investigated in different solvents. The optical band gab energy (Eg) was linearly correlated with the Hammett resonance effect of the donor to reveal that the higher the value of Hammett resonance effect of a donor, the lower the Eg of the molecule.

Bio-active maneonenes and isomaneonene from the red alga Laurencia obtusa.

Three previously undescribed compounds, maneonenes and isomaneonene derivatives; in addition to five known compounds, two cuparene, one chamigrene, and two cis-maneonenes were isolated from the Red Sea red alga Laurencia obtusa. The chemical structures of all unknown metabolites were characterized employing spectroscopic methods and then were further confirmed by single crystal X-ray analysis. Jeddahenyne A has C-5-C-12 etheric linkage and C-13-C-14 carbon-carbon double bond; Jeddahenyne B has in addition to the aforementioned etheric linkage a C-13 carbonyl function and absence of halogenation, unusual features for the maneonenes while 12-debromo-12-methoxy isomaneonene A shows unrecorded methoxylation at C-12.

Isolaurenidificin and Bromlaurenidificin, Two New C-Acetogenins from the Red Alga Laurencia obtusa.

Chromatographic fractionation of the CH₂Cl₂/MeOH extract of the Red Sea red alga gave two new hexahydrofuro[3,2-]furan-based C-acetogenins, namely, isolaurenidificin () and bromlaurenidificin (). The chemical structures were elucidated based on extensive analyses of their spectral data. Compounds and showed no toxicity ( > 12 mM) using as test organism.

Isolation, antimicrobial and antitumor activities of a new polyhydroxysteroid and a new diterpenoid from the soft coral Xenia umbellata.

A new C-30 steroid, 3β-,5α-,6β-,11α-,20β-pentahydroxygorgosterol (1), and a new diterpenoid, xeniumbellal (2), along with three known aromadendrane-type sesquiterpenes, aromadendrene (3), palustrol (4) and viridiflorol (5), were isolated from the soft coral Xenia umbellata. Chemical structures were determined by analyzing their NMR and MS data. The antimicrobial and antitumor activities of the isolated compounds were examined.

Synthesis and evaluation of the biostability and cell compatibility of novel conjugates of nucleobase, peptidic epitope, and saccharide.

This article reports the synthesis of a new class of conjugates containing a nucleobase, a peptidic epitope, and a saccharide and the evalution of their gelation, biostability, and cell compatibility. We demonstrate a facile synthetic process, based on solid-phase peptide synthesis of nucleopeptides, to connect a saccharide with the nucleopeptides for producing the target conjugates. All the conjugates themselves (1-8) display excellent solubility in water without forming hydrogels.

A review of steroids from Sarcophyton species.

This review reports the structural diversity of steroids from Sarcophyton species based on literature from the beginning of marine steroid research until now. There are 65 compounds studied from eight species. Most of them are polyhydroxy-type steroids of C-27-C-31 carbon skeleton.

Bioactive C15 acetogenins from the red alga Laurencia obtusa.

The petroleum ether extract of the red alga Laurencia obtusa afforded three new C(15) acetogenins (cyclic ether enyne): (12Z)-cis-maneonene-D (1), (12E)-cis-maneonene-E (2), and (12Z)-trans-maneonene-C (3), along with one known cis-maneonene-A (4). Blood neutrophils were prepared, cultured, and incubated for 24, 48, and 72 h in medium with and without isolated compounds. Blood neutrophils were prepared, cultured, and incubated for 24, 48 and 72 h in medium with and without the isolated compounds.