An antiplasmodial new (<i>bis</i>)indole alkaloid from the hard coral <i>Tubastraea</i> sp.

Abstract

Tubastarea sp., a stony coral (Dendrophylliidae) from the Great Hanish in the Archipelago of the Hanish Islands, Yemen, contains, in addition to the known aplysinopsin (1) and 6-bromo-3′-deimino-3′-oxoaplysinopsin (2), the new bis(indole) alkaloid (3). The structures of compounds (1–3) were elucidated by interpretation of spectral data. Compound 3 inhibits the growth of Plasmodium falciparum (chloroquine-resistant strain) with an IC50 1.2 µg mL−1.