Dioxopiperazine alkaloids produced by the marine mangrove derived endophytic fungus Eurotium rubrum

Abstract

Cultivation of the fungal strain Eurotium rubrum, an endophytic fungus that was isolated from the inner tissue of stems of the mangrove plant Hibiscus tiliaceus, resulted in the isolation of two new dioxopiperazine derivatives, namely, dehydrovariecolorin L (1) and dehydroechinulin (2), together with eight known dioxopiperazine compounds including variecolorin L (3), echinulin (4), isoechinulin A (5), dihydroxyisoechinulin A (6), preechinulin (7), neoechinulin A (8), neoechinulin E (9), and cryptoechinuline D (10). The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by extensive analysis of their spectroscopic data as well as by comparison with literature. Compounds 1, 2, 9, and 10 were investigated for their α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity. In addition, the new compounds, 1 and 2, were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against the P-388, HL-60, and A549 cell lines. © 2008 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG.