Chemical and biological study of secondary metabolites of the sponge Aplysina alcicornis

• Grant number: 23/02821-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: April 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Roberto Gomes de Souza Berlinck
• Grantee: Cauê Arantes Wagner Zuccarino
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 19/17721-9 - The role of Chemistry in holobiont adaptation, AP.TEM

Abstract

Secondary metabolites isolated from sponges of the Order Verongida present a wide range of dibromotyrosine derivatives with varying degrees of bromination. The sponge species addressed in the project, Aplysina alcicornis, is described in only two works of a biological nature, without chemical studies having been carried out with this species. This work is the first proposal for the metabolomic and chemical investigation of the secondary metabolites of the sponge Aplysina alcicornis.The project aims to carry out a detailed chemical study of the sponge Aplysina alcicornis. Fractions already obtained by chromatography of the crude extract on Sephadex LH-20 will be analyzed by HPLC-DAD-ELSD-MS for a deeper study of the composition of the mixture and for the future isolation of secondary metabolites. The same fractions will be analyzed in cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiplasmodial, anti-Leishmania and anti-T. cruzi. From the results of analysis by HPLC-DAD-ELSD-MS and bioactivity of the fractions, two fractions will be selected for in-depth study of purification and structural elucidation of the isolated compounds. Once identified, these will be analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS, in order to investigate fragmentation mechanisms of pure compounds. The data obtained will be added to publicly accessible databases (GNPS and NPAtlas) so that they can be used as a source of information for related studies.