Nine bromotyrosine alkaloids (BTAs),
including debromoianthelline
(1), pseudoceratinic acid (2a), methyl pseudoceratinate
(2b), 13-oxo-ianthelline (3), aiolochroiamides
A–D (4a,b and 5a,b), and 7-hydroxypurealidin J (6), were isolated
from a Bahamian Aiolochroia crassa (Hyatt;
previously, Pseudoceratina crassa).
The structures of 1–6 were established
from 1H, 13C, and 2D NMR spectra, IR, and mass
spectrometry data. Compounds 2–4 comprise
an O-methyl-2,6-dibromotyrosyl ketoxime (subunit
A) amide linked to variable groups (subunit B). Compound 1 is debromoianthelline, and 2a and 2b are
amides of 3-aminopropanoic acid and methyl 3-aminopropanoate, respectively.
BTAs 3 and 4 are linked to 5-(2-aminoethyl)-2-iminoimidazolidin-4-one
and a hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-d]imidazol-2(1H)-imine nucleus, respectively, whereas 5 is
a self-dimerization motif of an aryl pyruvamide. Alkaloid 6 contains a spirocyclohexadienyl-isoxazoline-carboxamide amide coupled
to 2-aminohistamine similar to that found in purealidin J and aerophobin-1
but with hydroxylation at C-7. The 2,4-diaminobutanoic acid residue
in 3 was determined to be a 2:1 L- and D- mixture based
on hydrolysis followed by derivatization with L-FDTA and LCMS. Diastereomeric
pairs, 4a,b and 5a,b, were racemic. The relative configurations of 4a, 4b, 5a, and 5b were assigned by
comparison of 1H and 13C chemical shifts with
those calculated by DFT. Compounds 5a,b,
ningalamide B (9), and ianthelline (7) moderately
inhibited butyrylcholinesterase and Candida and Cryptococcus spp.