Mangrove plants are rich source of bioactive secondary metabolites with unique structural features and various pharmaceutical potentials. Dr. GUO Yuewei’s group in Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), China has carried out chemical and biological studies on two mangrove plants, Sonneratia paracaseolaris and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Unique compounds were obtained.

Iamges by SIMM

A novel a-alkylbutenolide dimer, paracaseolide A, characterized by an unusual tetraquinane oxa-cage bislactone skeleton bearing two linear alkyl chains, was isolated from the mangrove plant S. paracaseolaris. Paracaseolide A represents the first example of an a-alkylbutenolide dimer from a natural source. In bioassay, paracaseolide A exhibited significant inhibitory activity against dual specificity phosphatase CDC25B, a key enzyme for cell cycle progression, with an IC50 value of 6.44 mM. On Aug 29, 2011, this new discovery was published online by Organic Letters (DOI: 10.1021/ol201809q).

In addition, palmarumycins BG1-BG7, seven new compounds related to palmarumycins, were isolated from the aerial parts of B. gymnorrhiza as well as a new preussomerin derivative BG1. Their absolute configurations were determined by TDDFT CD calculations of the solution conformers. Palmarumycin BG5 displayed inhibitory activity against HL 60 and MCF-7 cell lines (IC50 1.9 and 3.1 mM, respectively). The result was published on Journal of Organic Chemistry (2011, 76, 1821-1830). A related review with the title of “Structure, bioactivities, biosynthetic relationships and chemical synthesis of the spirodioxynaphthalenes” was also published on Natural Product Reports (2010, 27, 1840-1870).

These research works were supported by grants from Chinese Minister of Science and Technology, Natural Science Foundation of China, and Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai municipality.

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