Anti-Inflammatory, Antiallergic and COVID-19 Main Protease (M-pro) Inhibitory Activities of Butenolides from a Marine-Derived Fungus Aspergillus costaricaensis

Uras I. S., Korinek M., Albohy A., Abdulrazik B. S., Lin W., Ebada S. S., ...More

CHEMISTRYSELECT, vol.7, no.12, 2022 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 7 Issue: 12
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.1002/slct.202200130
  • Journal Name: CHEMISTRYSELECT
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier
  • Keywords: Aspergillus, butenolides, natural products, receptors, SARS-CoV-2 M-pro, SECONDARY METABOLITES, TERREUS, NEUTROPHIL, BUTYROLACTONES, NAPHTHOPYRONES, DERIVATIVES, DISCOVERY, STRAIN
  • Lokman Hekim University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence of several variants in a relatively high mutation rate (twice per month) strengthened the importance of finding out a chemical entity that can be potential for developing an effective medicine. In this study, we explored ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of a marine-derived fungus Aspergillus cosatricaensis afforded three butenolide derivatives, butyrolactones I, VI and V (1-3), two naphtho-gamma-pyrones, TMC-256 A1 (4) and rubrofusarin B (5) and methyl p-hydroxyphenyl acetate (6). Structure identification was unambiguously determined based on exhaustive spectral analyses including 1D/2D NMR and mass spectrometry. The isolated compounds (1-6) were assessed for their in vitro anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, elastase inhibitory activities and in silico SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M-pro). Results exhibited that only butenolides (1 and 2) revealed potent activities similar to or more than reference drugs unlike butyrolactone V (3) suggesting them as plausible chemical entities for developing lead molecules.