Plakortin (1) is a remarkably simple 1,2-dioxane derivative, extracted from the marine sponge Plakortis simplex, showing a submicromolar activity against chloroquine-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Using plakortin as a novel antimalarial hit, we have prepared a series of semisynthetic derivatives in order to gain insights into the structural requirements of simple 1,2-dioxanes for exhibiting
Metabolites from the sponge Plakortis simplex. Determination of absolute stereochemistry of plakortin. Isolation and stereostructure of three plakortin related compounds
the dodecanoic acid derivatives 4 and 5, were isolated from the Caribbean marine sponge Plakortis simplex, and their structures fully characterized by spectroscopic and chemical means. The absolutestereochemistries of the known plakortin (1) and of compounds 3–5 were determined by applying Mosher's and Kusumi's methods on opportune degradation products. The isolated compounds exhibited cytotoxic activity