Herein, we describe the isolation and spectroscopic identification of eight new tetrabrominated tyrosine alkaloids 2⁻9 from the Polynesian sponge Suberea ianthelliformis, along with known major compound psammaplysene D (1), N,N-dimethyldibromotyramine, 5-hydroxy xanthenuric acid, and xanthenuric acid. Cytotoxicity and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities were evaluated for some of the isolated metabolites. They exhibited moderate antiproliferative activity against KB cancer cell lines, but psammaplysene D (1) displayed substantial cytotoxicity as well as acetylcholinesterase inhibition with IC50 values of 0.7 μM and 1.3 μM, respectively.
Keywords: Suberea ianthelliformis; acetylcholinesterase inhibition; brominated tyrosine alkaloids; cytotoxicity.