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Published on: September 20, 2024
Anti-Acanthamoeba Activity of Brominated Sesquiterpenes from Laurencia johnstonii
Sara García-Davis1,2, Ines Sifaoui3, María Reyes-Batlle4
1Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Canarias (CIBICAN), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico F. Sánchez, 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. sara.garciadv@uanl.edu.mx.
Abstract:
Focused on our interest to develop novel antiparasistic agents, the present study was aimed to evaluate the biological activity of an extract of Laurencia johnstonii collected in Baja California Sur, Mexico, against an Acantamoeba castellanii Neff strain. Bioassay-guided fractionation allowed us to identify the amoebicidal diastereoisomers α-bromocuparane (4) and α-isobromocuparane (5). Furthermore, bromination of the inactive laurinterol (1) and isolaurinterol (2) yielded four halogenated derivatives, (6)⁻(9), which improved the activity of the natural sesquiterpenes. Among them, the most active compound was 3α-bromojohnstane (7), a sesquiterpene derivative which possesses a novel carbon skeleton johnstane.
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