CHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HALITOXIN FROM AMPHIMEDON VIRIDIS (PORIFERA) FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN BRAZILIAN COAST

The halitoxin complex from the marine sponge Amphimedon viridis, colle cted in the Sao Sebastiao channel (southeastern Brazilian coast), was isolated by gel-filtration chromatography on Sephadex LH-20. Spectrosc opic data (H-1, C-13 and 2D-NMR) of halitoxin from A. viridis indicate d that it has the same two alkylpyridine monomers composition of the p reviously isolated halitoxin from Amphimedon compressa (as Haliclona r ubens). Nevertheless, analysis: by High Performance Gel Permeation Chr omatography indicated that the halitoxin complex of A. viridis has a l ower molecular weight (500, 2000 and 5000 Da; the major component corr esponding to the fraction of 2000 Da MW) when compared to the previous ly isolated halitoxin complex from A. compressa. Some pharmacological properties of the halitoxin complex from A. viridis were evaluated in terms of lethality, antimitosis, hemolysis and neurotoxicity. The poss ible chemotaxonomic Value of alkyl pyridine alkaloids is discussed. Co pyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Inc.