Cytotoxic Veraguamides, Alkynyl Bromide-Containing Cyclic Depsipeptides from the Marine Cyanobacterium cf. Oscillatoria margaritifera

Researchers have discovered a family of cytotoxic cyclodepsipeptides, veraguamides A-C and H-L, from the marine cyanobacterium cf. Oscillatoria margaritifera collected in Coiba National Park, Panama. These compounds exhibit potent cytotoxicity against human lung cancer cells, with veraguamide A showing an LD50 of 141 nM. The structures were elucidated using advanced NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques. Notably, four veraguamides (A, B, K, L) contain a rare alkynyl bromide functionality, previously observed in only one other marine natural product, jamaicamide A. This discovery highlights the potential of Coiba's marine biodiversity for developing novel cancer therapies.

Mevers, E., Liu, W.-T., Engene, N., Mohimani, H., Byrum, T., Pevzner, P. A., Dorrestein, P. C., Spadafora, C., & Gerwick, W. H. (2011). Cytotoxic Veraguamides, Alkynyl Bromide-Containing Cyclic Depsipeptides from the Marine Cyanobacterium cf. Oscillatoria margaritifera. Journal of Natural Products, 74(5), 928–936. https://doi.org/10.1021/np200077f