Isolation and Absolute Configurations of Diversiform C17, C21 and C25 Terpenoids from the Marine Sponge Cacospongia sp

A Review of Sponge-Derived Diterpenes: 2009-2022

Sponges are a vital source of pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites, of which the main structural types are alkaloids and terpenoids. Many of these compounds exhibit biological activities. Focusing specifically on diterpenoids, this article reviews the structures and biological activities of 228 diterpenes isolated from more than 33 genera of sponges from 2009 to 2022. The Spongia sponges produce the most diterpenoid molecules among all genera, accounting for 27%. Of the 228 molecules, 110 exhibit cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and antifouling activities, among others. The most prevalent activity is cytotoxicity, present in 54 molecules, which represent 24% of the diterpenes reported. These structurally and biologically diverse diterpenoids highlight the vast, yet largely untapped, potential of marine sponges in the discovery of new bioactive molecules for medicinal use.

Isolation and absolute configuration of alkylpyridine alkaloids from the marine sponge Hippospongia lachne

Marine sponges are well known as prolific producers of structurally diverse molecules with valuable pharmacological potential. As part of our ongoing program to discover bioactive compounds from marine sponges collected from the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, a chemical study on the specimens of Hippospongia lachne was conducted. As a result, eight undescribed compounds, including four zwitterionic alkylpyridinium salts, hippospondines A-D (1-4), and four 3-alkylpyridine alkaloids, hippospondines E (5), F (6), and (±)-hippospondine G (7), were isolated from the marine sponge H. lachne, together with one known 3-alkylpyridine alkaloid (8). The undescribed structures were elucidated by HRESIMS, NMR, DP4+ and CP3 probability analysis, and the Snatzke's method. Hippospondines A-D (1-4) represent the rare example of inner salt type alkylpyridinium alkaloid with a farnesyl moiety. Compounds 1-3 and 8 were subjected to cytotoxic and lymphocyte proliferation assays. Compound 3 exhibited a weak promotion effect on the ConA-induced T lymphocyte proliferation.

A Comprehensive Review of the Classification, Sources, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology of Norditerpenes

Norditerpenes are considered to be a common and widely studied class of bioactive compounds in plants, exhibiting a wide array of complex and diverse structural types and originating from various sources. Based on the number of carbons, norditerpenes can be categorized into C19, C18, C17, and C16 compounds. Up to now, 557 norditerpenes and their derivatives have been found in studies published between 2010 and 2023, distributed in 51 families and 132 species, with the largest number in Lamiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Cephalotaxaceae. These norditerpenes display versatile biological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, as well as inhibitory effects against HIV and α-glucosidase, and can be considered as an important source of treatment for a variety of diseases that had a high commercial value. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the plant sources, chemical structures, and biological activities of norditerpenes derived from natural sources, serving as a valuable reference for further research development and application in this field.

Natural Enantiomers: Occurrence, Biogenesis and Biological Properties

The knowledge that natural products (NPs) are potent and selective modulators of important biomacromolecules (e.g., DNA and proteins) has inspired some of the world's most successful pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Notwithstanding these successes and despite a growing number of reports on naturally occurring pairs of enantiomers, this area of NP science still remains largely unexplored, consistent with the adage "If you don't seek, you don't find". Statistically, a rapidly growing number of enantiomeric NPs have been reported in the last several years. The current review provides a comprehensive overview of recent records on natural enantiomers, with the aim of advancing awareness and providing a better understanding of the chemical diversity and biogenetic context, as well as the biological properties and therapeutic (drug discovery) potential, of enantiomeric NPs.

Meroterpenoids: A Comprehensive Update Insight on Structural Diversity and Biology

Meroterpenoids are secondary metabolites formed due to mixed biosynthetic pathways which are produced in part from a terpenoid co-substrate. These mixed biosynthetically hybrid compounds are widely produced by bacteria, algae, plants, and animals. Notably amazing chemical diversity is generated among meroterpenoids via a combination of terpenoid scaffolds with polyketides, alkaloids, phenols, and amino acids. This review deals with the isolation, chemical diversity, and biological effects of 452 new meroterpenoids reported from natural sources from January 2016 to December 2020. Most of the meroterpenoids possess antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, enzyme inhibitory, and immunosupressive effects.

Cytotoxic Manoalide-Type Sesterterpenes from the Sponge Luffariella variabilis Collected in the South China Sea

Thirteen new linear terpenes, including 11 rare acyclic manoalide derivatives (1-11), one polyprenylphenol derivative (12), and one polyprenylbenzaldehyde derivative (13), together with three known compounds (14-16) were isolated from the sponge Luffariella variabilis collected in the South China Sea. The planar structures were resolved by NMR and MS analyses, while the absolute configurations were fully elucidated by NOESY experiments, combined with experimental and calculated ECD spectra, acetal formation, empirical rules of ¹H and ¹³C NMR shifts, DP4+ probability analyses, and Mosher's method. Compounds 1-7, 10, and 13 demonstrated cytotoxic activities against several human cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2 to 10 μM.

Marine natural products

This review covers the literature published in 2019 for marine natural products (MNPs), with 719 citations (701 for the period January to December 2019) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1490 in 440 papers for 2019), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Pertinent reviews, biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that led to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included. Methods used to study marine fungi and their chemical diversity have also been discussed.

Sesterterpenoids: chemistry, biology, and biosynthesis

Covering: July 2012 to December 2019Over the last seven years, expanding research efforts focused on sesterterpenoids has led to the isolation, identification, and characterization of numerous structurally novel and biologically active sesterterpenoids. These newly reported sesterterpenoids provide diverse structures that often incorporate unprecedented ring systems and new carbon skeletons, as well as unusual functional group arrays. Biological activities of potential biomedical importance including suppression of cancer cell growth, inhibition of enzymatic activity, and modulation of receptor signaling, as well as ecologically important functions such as antimicrobial effects and deterrence of herbivorous insects have been associated with a variety of sesterterpenoids. There has also been a rapid growth in our knowledge of the genomics, enzymology, and specific pathways associated with sesterterpene biosynthesis. This has opened up new opportunities for future sesterterpene discovery and diversification through the expression of new cryptic metabolites and the engineered manipulation of associated biosynthetic machinery and processes. In this paper we reviewed 498 new sesterterpenoids, including their structures, source organisms, country of origin, relevant bioactivities, and biosynthesis.