The discovery and development of new antiviral drugs is a complex and time-consuming process, often hampered by the limited chemical diversity of existing molecular libraries and the ability of viruses to rapidly mutate and develop resistance to single-target drugs. The search for novel antiviral compounds from marine sources like deep-sea soft corals offers a promising avenue to overcome these limitations and address the pressing need for effective antiviral therapies.
Our researcher extracted metabolites from the Irish deep-sea soft coral anthothela grandiflora and discovered and characterized a series of sesquiterpenes with potential antiviral abilities. These compounds, named anthoteibinenes A-E, possess a unique tricyclic structure characterized by unusual N,N-dimethylaminoethyl substituents, a structural feature rarely found in natural products. Anthoteibinene B, C, and E significantly inhibited the replication of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). The lead compound, anthoteibinene B demonstrated 49% inhibition of viral transcription at 0.9 µg/mL (3.1 µM), with no observed cytotoxicity. These deep-sea coral metabolites can be further modified and developed into novel antiviral drugs. For example, the presence of N,N-dimethylaminoethyl substituents can modulate drug properties such as solubility, bioavailability, and cellular uptake further enhancing the antiviral activities of anthoteibinenes B.
Structures of anthoteibinenes A-E