Comatulins A–E, Taurine-Conjugated Anthraquinones from the Australian Crinoid Comatula rotalaria

Chemical investigations of two specimens of the Australian crinoid Comatula rotalaria afforded five new taurine-conjugated anthraquinones, comatulins A–E (1–5), together with 11 known marine natural products (6–16). The chemical structures of all the compounds were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic and spectrometric data analysis. The first X-ray crystal structure of a crinoid-derived acyl anthraquinone, rhodocomatulin 5,7-dimethyl ether (8), is reported here. Compounds 1, 2, 6–13, and two additional naphthopyrone derivatives, 17 and 18, were evaluated for their ability to inhibit HIV-1 replication in vitro; none of the compounds were active at 100 μM. Furthermore, compounds 1, 2, 6–10, 14, 15, 17, and 18 were screened for nematocidal activity against exsheathed third-stage larvae of Hemonchus contortus, a highly pathogenic parasite nematode of ruminants. Compound 17, known as 6-methoxycomaparvin 5,8-dimethyl ether, showed an inhibitory effect on larval motility (IC50 = 30 μM) and development (IC50 = 31 μM) and induced the eviscerated (Evi) phenotype.