Polyketides and Meroterpenes from the Marine-Derived Fungi Aspergillus unguis 158SC-067 and A. flocculosus 01NT-1.1.5 and Their Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Activities

Mar Drugs. 2021 Jul 26;19(8):415. doi: 10.3390/md19080415.

Abstract

Ten secondary metabolites, including a new grifolin analog, grifolin B (1); a new homovalencic acid derivative, 12-hydroxyhomovalencic acid (7); and a compound isolated from a natural source for the first time (9), along with seven known compounds, grifolin (2), averantin (3), 7-chloroaverantin (4), 1'-O-methylaverantin (5), 7-hydroxy-2-(2-hydroxypropyl)-5-pentylchromone (6), homovalencic acid (8), and bekeleylactone E (10), were isolated from two fungal strains. The structures of 1-10 were identified by detailed analysis and comparison of their spectroscopic data with literature values. Compounds 9 and 10 showed moderate cytotoxic activity against a panel of cancer cell lines (PC-3, HCT-15, MDA-MB-231, ACHN, NCI-H23, NUGC-3), with the GI50 values ranging from 1.1 µM to 3.6 µM, whereas 1 displayed a weak 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity without cytotoxicity against all tested cell lines.

Keywords: Aspergillus sp.; antioxidant; cytotoxicity; marine-derived fungi; meroterpenes; polyketides.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Aquatic Organisms
  • Aspergillus / chemistry*
  • Biphenyl Compounds
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Humans
  • Picrates
  • Polyketides / pharmacology*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Terpenes / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Antioxidants
  • Biphenyl Compounds
  • Picrates
  • Polyketides
  • Terpenes
  • 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl

Supplementary concepts

  • Aspergillus unguis