New antimalarial polyketide endoperoxides from the marine sponge Plakinastrella mamillaris collected at Fiji Islands

Plakortides R-U, four new polyketide endoperoxides, have been isolated from the marine sponge Plakinastrella mamillaris. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive NMR spectroscopic (H-1 and C-13, COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and ROESY) and MS analyses and by chemical methods. In addition, a new method for the unambiguous stereochemical elucidation of 3,6-disubstituted 1,2-dioxines, frequently isolated from Plakinidae sponges, is reported. Pharmacological analysis demonstrated that plakortide U is endowed with in vitro antiplasmodial activity against a chloroquine-resistant strain. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.