Isolation and synthesis of a new aromatic compound, brefelamide, from Dictyostelium cellular slime molds and its inhibitory effect on the proliferation of astrocytoma cells

We have explored the diversity of secondary metabolites produced by cellular slime molds to examine the possible use of such cellular slime molds as a resource for novel drug development. A new aromatic amide, brefelamide (1), was isolated from methanol extracts of the fruiting bodies of Dictyostelium brefeldianum and D. giganteum. The structure of 1 was determined by spectral means including EIMS and ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The total synthesis of 1 was carried out to confirm the structure and obtain sufficient samples for performing biological evaluation. Interestingly, compound 1 inhibited the cellular proliferation of 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells.