Bromotryptamine and Bromotyramine Derivatives from the Tropical Southwestern Pacific Sponge Narrabeena nigra

This paper presents the first chemical study of a sponge from the genus Narabeena. The experiments isolated a large diversity of simple bromotryptamine and bromotryptamine derivatives. Analogues of these families were also found in other marine invertebrates, suggesting a microbial origin for these compounds. 

Overproduction of chemicals known as reactive oxygen species (ROS) vausesoxidative stress that can be related to neurodegenerative diseases. This oxidative stress occurs xhan ROS are overproducted and because of a deficiency of an antioxidant response. Therefore, compounds able to protect neurons against oxidative damage are excellent candidates to be used in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. In this study, experiments performed using the bromotryptamine coumpounds discovered all suggested the potential of these natural products as a therapeutic tool to prevent neuronal cell death in age-associated diseases. 

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