Antimalarial Isocyano and Isothiocyanato Sesquiterpenes with Tri- and Bicyclic Skeletons from the Nudibranch Phyllidia ocellata.

Five new isocyano/isothiocyanato sesquiterpenes (1-5) with tri- or bicyclic carbon skeletons have been characterized from Australian specimens of the nudibranch Phyllidia ocellata. Spectroscopic analyses at 900 MHz were informed by DFT calculations. The 1S, 5S, 8R configuration of 2-isocyanoclovene (1) was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis of formamide 6. A biosynthetic pathway to clovanes 1 and 2 from epicaryolane precursors is proposed. Isocyanides 1, 2, and 4 showed activity against Plasmodium falciparum (IC50 0.26-0.30 µM), while isothiocyanate 3 and formamide 6 had IC50 values of >10 µM.