Monanchocidin: a new apoptosis-inducing polycyclic guanidine alkaloid from the marine sponge Monanchora pulchra.

Monanchocidin (1), a guanidine alkaloid with an unprecedented skeleton system derived from a polyketide precursor, (ω-3)-hydroxy fatty acid, and containing a 2-aminoethyl- and 3-aminopropyl-substituted morpholine hemiketal ring, has been isolated from the sponge Monanhora pulchra. The structure of 1 was assigned on the basis of detailed analysis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra, mass spectrometry, and results of chemical transformations. Compound 1 shows pro-apoptotic and cytoxic activities.