An Antimalarial Cembranolide from Tanzania Soft Corals, Lobophytum Crassum (von Marenzeller (1886) and L. Rotundum (Tixier-Durivault (1957)

Abstract

Bioscreening guided fractionation of the extracts of soft corals Lobophytum Crassum and L. Rotundum using brine shrimp larvae cytotoxicity assay led to the isolation of a cembranolide diterpene (E,E,E)-6,10,14-trimethyl-3-methylene-3a,4,7,8,11,12,15,15aoctahydrocylotetradeca[b]furan-2(3H)-one (1). This diterpene, identified as cembranolide compound 1, was found to be active against the multidrug-resistant and chloroquine-sensitive strains of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite in vitro. It also possessed cytotoxic properties.

Keywords: antimalarial, soft corals, cytotoxic, cembranolide, Tanzania

West Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science Vol. 4 (1) 2005: pp. 95-98