DEBROMOSCEPTRIN, AN ALKALOID FROM THE CARIBBEAN SPONGE AGELAS-CONIFERA

As the result of a structurally guided isolation to identify lead comp ounds for the treatment of opportunistic infections of AIDS, the dihyd rochloride salt of a new symmetrical pyrrole dimer debromosceptrin (1) , and two known pyrrole analogues (2 and 3) were isolated from the Car ibbean sponge Agelas conifera collected from Belize. The structure of debromosceptrin was identified by analysis of spectral data. N-15 spec tral data assignments were made for compounds 1-3. Compounds 2 and 3 s howed marginal inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.