Hyrtiazepine, an Azepino-indole-Type Alkaloid from the Red Sea Marine Sponge <i>Hyrtios erectus</i>

Abstract

Biological and chemical investigations of the methanolic crude extract of the Red Sea marine sponge Hyrtios erectus led to the isolation of a novel azepino-indole-type alkaloid named hyrtiazepine (2) and 5-hydroxy-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid methyl ester (3), together with the known metabolites hyrtiosulawesine (1), 5-hydroxyindole-3-carbaldehyde (4), hyrtiosin A (5), and hyrtiosin B (6). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of mass spectrometry and detailed 2D NMR spectroscopic data. Hyrtiosulawesine (1) displayed a significant antiphospholipase A2 activity with an IC50 value of 14 microM in a fluorometric assay using Crotalus adamanteus venom phospholipase A2.