Callyptide A, a new cytotoxic peptide from the Red Sea marine sponge Callyspongia species

In the course of our continuing efforts to allocate bioactive secondary metabolites from Red Sea marine invertebrates, we have investigated the sponge Callyspongia species. The cytotoxic dichloromethane fraction of the methanolic extract of the sponge afforded a new cytotoxic peptide named callyptide A (1). Its structure was determined by extensive 1D and 2D NMR (COSY, HSQC and HMBC) studies and high-resolution mass spectral determination. The configuration of the amino acids was determined by Marfey’s analysis. Callyptide A was found to exhibit growth inhibitory activity when tested against different cancer cell lines.