A Pair of Undescribed Alkaloid Enantiomers from Marine Sponge-Derived Fungus Hamigera avellanea and Their Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities

Abstract

From marine sponge-associated fungus Hamigera avellanea, thirteen secondary metabolites including a pair of undescribed alkaloid enantiomers (+)-hamiavemin A (4S) (+)-1 and (-)-hamiavemin A (4R) (-)-1. Compound 1 was enantiomers resolved by the Chiralpak AS-3 column, using a hexane/isopropanol mobile phase. Their structures were determined based on extensive analyses of HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra. The absolute configuration of (+)-1 and (-)-1 were assigned tentatively by ECD calculations. Among the isolates, compound 6 showed strongest antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Candida albicans with the MIC values of 2, 2, 16, 32, 64, and 16 μg/mL, respectively, which were stronger than that of the positive control compound, kanamycin (MIC values ranging from 4 to 128 μg/mL). In addition, compounds 1, 2, and 9 showed moderate cytotoxic activity against three cancer cell lines, HepG2, A549, and MCF-7 with the IC50 values ranging from 55.35±1.70 to 83.02±2.85 μg/mL.

Keywords: Hamigera avellanea; alkaloid; antibacterial activity; cytotoxic activity; hamiavemin A.