Interrogating the bioactive pharmacophore of the latrunculin chemotype by investigating the metabolites of two taxonomically unrelated sponges

This study involved a campaign to isolate and study additional latrunculin analogues from two taxonomically unrelated sponges, Cacospongia mycofijiensis and Negombata magnifica. A total of 13 latrunculin analogues were obtained by four different ways, reisolation (1−4), our repository (5, 6), new derivatives (7−12), and a synthetic analogue (7a). The structures of the new metabolites were elucidated on the basis of a combination of comprehensive 1D and 2D NMR analysis, application of DFT calculations, and the preparation of acetonide derivative 7a. The cytotoxicities against both murine and human cancer cell lines observed for 1, 2, 7, 7a, 8, 9, and 12 were significant, and the IC50 range was 0.5−10 μM. Among the cytotoxic derivatives, compound 9 did not exhibit microfilament-disrupting activity at 5 μM. The implications of this observation and the value of further therapeutic study on key latrunculin derivatives are discussed.