Bostrychia tenella, proveniente dos costões rochosos da Praia Dura, no Estado de São Paulo. Para atingir este objetivo, foram realizados culturas isoladas dos microrganismos e a co-cultura entre o fungo T68 e a cianobactéria CENA139; técnicas de extração por partição volume/volume; métodos cromatográficos como cromatografia em camada delgada (CCD) e cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE), bem como técnicas espectroscópicas e espectrométricas de RMN 1-D e 2-D, CL-EM, CG-EM, além de desreplicação (utilizando o banco de dados MarinLit® e o Dicionário de Produtos Naturais. Foram isoladas três substâncias do fungo estudado: Esterigmatocistina, T68ARf60_a e T68ARf60_b. A micotoxina esterigmatocistina foi isolada também a partir da co-cultura entre o fungo e a cianobactéria. Este trabalho mostrou que houve interações ecológicas competitivas na cultura mista entre Cyanobium sp. CENA139 e o fungo T68, resultando na prevalência da cultura fúngica. Para finalizar, este trabalho avaliou a atividade biológica dos extratos brutos das culturas isoladas e co-cultura, não apresentando atividade antimicrobiana. Entretanto, o extrato bruto T68 mostrou-se fototóxico nos ensaios de fototoxicidade e a substância isolada esterigmatocistina foi citotóxica e fotoxóxica no mesmo ensaio, além de exercer citotoxicidade frente à linhagem tumoral HepG2 no ensaio de citotoxicidade MTT. / This study had as main objective the evaluation of the chemical and biological profiles of two strains of microorganisms, the cyanobacteria Cyanobium sp. CENA139, from Ilha do Cardoso mangroves, São Paulo State, and the endophytic fungus T68, Xylariaceae family, isolated from the red algae Bostrychia tenella, from the rocky shores at Praia Dura, São Paulo State. To accomplish this objective, we performed isolated cultures of the microorganisms and the co-culture between the fungus T68 and the cyanobacteria CENA139; partition extraction techniques; chromatographic methods such as thin layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography. Also, we performed spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques of NMR 1-D and 2-D, LC-MS, GC-MS, besides dereplication using data sources as MarinLit® and the Dictionary of Natural Products. Three compounds were isolated from the endophytic fungus culture: Sterigmatocystin, T68ARf60_a and T68ARf60_b. The mycotoxin sterigmatocystin was also isolated from the co-culture. This study showed that there was competitive ecological interactions between Cyanobium sp. CENA139 and the fungus T68 in the co-culture, resulting in the prevalence of the fungal culture. Finally, this study evaluated the biological potential of the crude extract from both isolated cultures and the co-culture, not exerting antimicrobial activity. Nevertheless, the T68 crude extract was shown to be phototoxic on the phototoxicity assays and the isolated sterigmatocystin was both cytotoxic and phototoxic in the same assay, besides exerting cytotoxicity on the tumor cell line HepG2 in the MTT assay.

Au stade de carcinome in situ, la tumeur mammaire peut être retirée chirurgicalement. mais, à des stades plus avancés, les cellules tumorales peuvent subir une transition épithélio-mésenchymateuse, devenir invasive et chimioresistante. Les produits naturels représentent la majorité de nos médicaments et La biodiversité marine, dont les micro-organismes, est à l'origine de plusieurs médicaments sur le marché, en oncologie. Notre stratégie consiste en la caractérisation de molécules extraites de 70 souches fongiques associées aux algues brunes. Les extraits bruts et les molécules sont selectionnées sur leur capacité à inhiber la prolifération et la migration des cellules tumorales. Un test de viabilité a mis en évidence un extrait issu d'une souche de Paradendryphiella arenaria, très actif sur la lignée épithéliale MCF7 (IC50 de 0.37 µg / mL) et la lignée invasive MCF7-Sh-WISP2 (0.19 µg /mL). La purification de son extrait a permis l'isolement de la hyalodendrine, très cytotoxique (IC50 de 0.07 µg / mL sur les mcf7 et 0.046 µg / mL sur les MCF7-Sh-WISP2), ainsi qu'un nouveau dérivé de pentanorlanostane et du methoxycarbonyl methyl cholate. L'étude du mécanisme d'action de la hyalodendrine a montre des modifications des protéines p53, HSP60, HSP70 et PRAS40. Parallèlement, un test de migration des cellules MCF7-Sh-WISP2 simplifié en plaque 96 puits, a identifié un extrait brut très actif mais non cytotoxique, de Penicillium echinatum. Les molecules de l'extrait one été etudiee de manière déréplicative par élaboration d'un réseau moléculaire. L'ensemble de ces résultats ont montré le fort potentiel thérapeutique de champignons marins par leurs activités anti-metastatiques. / At the in situ carcinoma stage, the breast tumor can be surgically removed. But at later stages, tumor cells can undergo an epithalial-mesenchymal transition, become invasive and chemoresistant. Natural products represent the vast majority of our drugs on the market, especially in oncotherapy. Our experimental strategy consists in isolating and characterizing molecules extracted from 70 fungal strains associated to brown algae. Crude extracts and molecules are then selected for their capacity to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and migration. A first viability assay highlited a crude extract derived from the fungus Paradendryphiella arenaria, very active against the epithelial cancer cell line MCF7 (IC50 of 0.37 µg / mL) and its invasive counterpart MCF7-Sh-WISP2 (0.19 µg / mL). The purification of its extract allowed the isolation of the very cytotoxic hyalodendrin (IC50 of 0.07 µg / mL on MCF7 and 0.046 µg / mL on MCF7-Sh-WISP2), as well as a new pentanorlanostan derivative and the methoxycarbonyl methyl cholate. The mechansim of action of the hyalodendrin revealed p53, HSP60, HSP70 and PRAS40 protein modifications. In parallel, a simplified 96 well plate migration assay let identify a very active but non cytotoxic crude extract, from Penicillium echinatum. The molecules of this extract were studied by dereplication using a molecular network. Together, these results showed the strong therapeutic potential of marine fungi trhough their anti-metastatic activities.

The aplyronines are a family of 24-membered macrolides of polyketide origin, isolated from the Japanese sea hare Aplysia kurodai. They exhibit an exceptional biological activity profile, acting through an actin and tubulin dual-targeting mechanism, with subnanomolar growth inhibitory potency against a diverse range of cancer cell lines. These characteristics render the aplyronines ideal payloads for antibody-drug conjugates but their prohibitively low natural abundance calls for an efficient total synthesis to overcome the supply issue. This dissertation describes the efforts towards developing a second-generation Paterson synthesis of the macrocyclic core of the aplyronines, focused on improving the scalability and selectivity of key transformations. Chapter 1 details the isolation, biological background and previous synthetic efforts towards the aplyronines to illustrate their therapeutic potential and the challenges associated with material sourcing by chemical synthesis. Chapter 2 presents the existing body of work on the aplyronine project within the Paterson group, highlighting the lessons learned over the past two decades and shortcomings to be addressed. Chapter 3 discusses a revised protecting group strategy towards the C1-C27 macrocyclic alcohol 159 with fewer manipulation steps. A refined reaction sequence featuring titanium aldol methodology and an enzymatic desymmetrisation process delivered multigram stocks of the C15-C27 aldehyde 161 upon scale- up, testifying to the robustness of the devised route. Synthesis of the C1-C14 northern fragment 253 closely followed the existing boron aldol approach with optimisation of the C11-C12 alkylation step, geared towards enhancing the regioselectivity. Chapter 4 describes the coupling of the two major fragments using an Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction to assemble the C1-C27 backbone of the cyclic aplyronine core and suitably adjusted endgame steps to enable a one-step oxidative unmasking of the macrolactonisation sites. The first-generation intermediate 159 was accessed via site-specific Yamaguchi esterification and orthogonal deprotection of the C27 allyl carbonate. Discussion in Chapter 5 includes the appendage of the C28-C34 side chain 118, prepared by the known sequence, and suggestions for the future direction of the second-generation route with the outlook of linker appendage for the purposes of antibody-drug conjugate development.

<p>Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most lethal cancer and ranks as the eighth most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. This is due to its rapid proliferation, strong metastatic potential and its delayed detection. One major risk factor for developing pancreatic cancer is the aggressive inflammatory disease chronic pancreatitis. Chronic inflammation frequently precedes the development of certain pancreatic cancers.</p><p>Inflammation is a protective and necessary process by which the body can alert the immune system of the existence of a wound or infection and mount an immune response to remove the harmful stimuli and start wound healing. The cross-talking of cells of the immune system and infected cells happens through cytokines, soluble proteins that activate and recruit other immune cells to increase the system’s response to the pathogen. Failure to resolve the injury can result in persistent cytokine production that in turn allows a cell that is damaged or altered to survive when in normal conditions it would be killed. Inflammation is thought to create a microenvironment that facilitates the initiation and/or growth of pancreatic cancer cells.</p><p>Cytokines use two important kinases for their signaling: Janus Kinases (JAKs) and Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STATs). The JAKs are activated upon the binding of cytokines to their corresponding receptors. When activated, the JAKs activate STATs through tyrosine phosphorylation. The STATs transduce signals to the nucleus of the cells to induce expression of critical genes essential in normal physiological cellular events such as differentiation, proliferation, cell survival, apoptosis and angiogenesis. STAT3 (a member of the STAT family) is constitutively activated in some pancreatic cancers, promoting cell cycle progression, cellular transformations and preventing apoptosis. Therefore, STAT3 is a promising target for cancer treatment. Novel therapies that inhibit STAT3 activity in cancers are urgently needed. Natural products are a very good resource for the discovery of new drugs against pancreatic cancer.</p><p>Covering more than 70% of the Earths surface, The Ocean is an excellent source of bioactive natural products. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute’s Center for Marine Biomedical and Biotechnology Research (HBOI-CMBBR) situated in Florida, aims to find new marine natural products useful in disease prevention and drug therapy. Their current focus is to look for novel treatments for preventing both the formation of new pancreatic tumors and the metastasis of existing tumors.</p><p>The hypothesis of this degree project was that novel inhibitors of STAT3 useful in the treatment of pancreatitis and/or pancreatic cancer could be found from marine-natural products. The first specific aim of this degree project was to set up an assay to identify bioactive marine natural products as inhibitors of inflammation. Furthermore the assay was validated using a commercially available inhibitor of inflammation (Cucurbitacin I). The last aim was to further validate the assay by screening pure compounds and peak library material from the HBOI marine specimen collection.</p><p>At the end of the experimentation time, the assay still was not set-up as there were difficulties in proper cell culture techniques and the cell line did not respond as advertised. While the results were not as expected, the work performed resulted in familiarization with research laboratory practices and increased laboratory skills. Moreover, the results from the assays point to future directions to accomplish this project.</p> / Development of a screening assay for inhibitors of inflammation useful against pancreatic cancer

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / FundaÃÃo de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Cearà / As macroalgas marinhas sÃo consideradas fontes promissoras de compostos bioativos para estudos fitoquÃmicos. Tais compostos possuem diferentes propriedades biolÃgicas, funcionando como antibacterianos, antifÃngicos, antivirais, anti-inflamatÃrios, anti-helmÃnticos, antileishmaniose, antimalÃria, antioxidantes, antitumorais cuja utilizaÃÃo como fÃrmacos tem despertado o interesse de muitos pesquisadores. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar a investigaÃÃo fitoquÃmica do extrato etanÃlico da macroalga marinha verde Ulva fasciata. O material foi coletado em abril de 2008, na Praia do Pacheco, no municÃpio de Caucaia-CE. As macroalgas in natura foram desidratadas em estufa com recirculaÃÃo de ar a 40ÂC por 15 horas e, em seguida, trituradas, obtendo-se 500 g, os quais foram submetidos primeiramente a uma extraÃÃo a frio com hexano (UFH), e posteriormente com etanol a 70% (UFE). Para o isolamento e a purificaÃÃo dos constituintes fixos foi empregada uma combinaÃÃo de tÃcnicas cromatogrÃficas clÃssicas em que foram isolados UF-1, UF-2 e UF-3. Na amostra UF-1 foi observada a presenÃa de um constituinte majoritÃrio (86,17%) com tempo de retenÃÃo de 24,940 min, cujo espectro de massas o caracterizou por apresentar o Ãon molecular M+ 284. A sugestÃo fornecida pela anÃlise CG-EM e a comparaÃÃo visual do espectro do composto analisado com os da literatura, bem como pela proposta mecanÃstica de formaÃÃo dos principais fragmentos reforÃaram sua identificaÃÃo como hexadecanoato de etila com um Ãndice de similaridade de 96%. Os compostos UF-2 e UF-3 foram encaminhados para o Centro Nordestino de AplicaÃÃo e Uso da RessonÃncia MagnÃtica Nuclear (CENAUREMN) da Universidade Federal do CearÃ, para a determinaÃÃo sua estrutura quÃmica atravÃs de tÃcnicas espectroscÃpicas de RMN 1H e 13C uni- e bidimensionais (1H, 1H-COSY, gs-HMQC, gs-HMBC, ROESY, NOESY e TOCSY), bem como por espectrometria de massa (EM). / Marine macroalgae have been considered promising sources of bioactive compounds. These compounds exhibit different biological properties, such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antihelminthic, antileshmaniose, antimalaria, antioxidants, and antitumor. Their use as medicine has spurred the interest of many researches. The objective of this work was to carry out a phytochemistry investigation of the ethanolic extract of green marine macroalga Ulva fasciata. The plant material was collected in April 2008 at Pacheco Beach, Caucaia-CE. Macroalgae in natura were dehydrated in an air-circulation oven at 40ÂC for 15 hours. After the drying process, the material was cut into small pieces. 500 grams were submitted to a cold extraction with hexane (UFH) followed by an extraction with 70% ethanol (UFE). Both isolation and purification from fixed constituents were performed using a combination of classic chromatographic techniques. Three samples were isolated and named UF-1, UF-2 and UF-3. The presence of a major constituent (86.17%) with retention time of 24.940 min was observed in the first sample (UF-1), and its mass spectrum was characterized by the molecular ion M+ 284. The GC-MS analysis suggestion and the comparison of its spectrum with literature reinforce its identification as ethyl hexadecanoate with a similarity index of 96%. Compounds UF-2 and UF-3 have been taken to the Northeastern Center of Application and Use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (CENAUREMN) of Federal University of Ceara, to determine the chemical structure by spectroscopy techniques such as uni- and bidimensional (1H, 1H-COSY, gs-HMQC, gs-HMBC, ROESY, NOESY and TOCSY) 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR, as well as mass spectrometry (MS).

O ambiente marinho tem sido reconhecido como uma importante fonte de metabólitos secundários biologicamente ativos. Neste contexto, fungos endofíticos associados a algas ganharam importância nas últimas décadas, como alvos alternativos para a pesquisa de produtos naturais. O presente trabalho teve como o objetivo o estudo químico e biológico de duas linhagens de fungos endofíticos associados à alga vermelha Bostrychia radicans. Inicialmente foi realizada a triagem química e biológica (atividade antitumoral e antimicrobiana) dos extratos brutos das duas linhagens selecionadas, linhagens M20 (Hypocrea lixii) e M23 (Eutypella sp), obtidos a partir de cultivos em escala piloto, tanto variando-se os meios de cultivo e bem como períodos de crescimento. O extrato da linhagem M20 cultivada em arroz apresentou potencial citotóxico interessante quando submetido a ensaios utilizando células tumorais HCT-116. Ainda, após a análise química, esta linhagem foi selecionada para o cultivo em escala ampliada, visando o isolamento e elucidação estrutural dos metabólitos secundários presentes neste fungo. O estudo químico em escala ampliada da linhagem M20, espécie Hypocrea lixii, proporcionou o isolamento e identificação de quatro metabólitos: ácido 3-hidroxi-5-metóxi-6-metil-1,3-diidro-isobenzofurano-4- carboxílico (S1), 3,7-dimetóxi-6-metil-1-oxo-1,3-diidro-isobenzofurano-4-carbaldeído (S3), galactitol (S4), convolvulol (S5), além do isolamento de dois metabólitos que ainda não foram completamente elucidados, S2 e S6. Os metabólitos S1 e S3 são metabólitos inéditos como produtos naturais. Além disso, foi possível a identificação de 14 substâncias via cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas (CG-EM), entre elas hidrocarbonetos, ácidos graxos, inclusive insaturados, aldeídos, aldeídos ?,?-insaturados e esteróide. As substâncias S1 e S4 foram submetidas à avaliação de atividade biológica (atividade antibacteriana, antifúngica, anticolinesterásica e antitumoral), porém nenhum resultado positivo foi constatado. Foi realizada avaliação da atividade tumoral das frações da linhagem M20, e as frações M20F e M20H apresentaram atividade citotóxica seletiva para linhagens de células tumorais. Em um segundo momento foi realizado o cultivo em escala ampliada da linhagem M23 (Eutypella sp) que proporcionou o isolamento da R-5-metilmeleína (S7). Dessa forma, o estudo químico de fungos endofíticos associados à alga Bostrychia radicans mostrou-se promissor na busca de novas estruturas químicas, visto que já foram isoladas e identificadas duas estruturas inéditas como produtos naturais. / The marine environment has been recognized as an important source of biologically active secondary metabolites. In this context, endophytic fungi associated with algae gained importance in recent decades, as alternative to natural products research targets. The present work had as goal the chemical and biological study of two strains of endophytic fungi associated with red algae Bostrychia radicans. The chemical and biological screening (antimicrobial and antitumor activity) of the crude extracts of two selected strains, M20 (Hypocrea lixii) and M23 (Eutypella sp), were obtained from pilot-scale cultivation, by means of culture media and growth period variation. The M20 strain extract, grown in rice, showed an interesting cytotoxic potential front HCT -116 tumor cells and after chemical analysis, this strain was selected for cultivation on a large scale, with the purpose of secondary metabolites isolation. Chemical studies of M20 species strain Hypocrea lixii, performed on an enlarged scale, afforded the isolation and identification of four metabolites: 3-hydroxy-5-methoxy-6- methyl-1,3-dihydro-isobenzofuran-4-carboxylic acid (S1), 3,7 dimethoxy-6-methyl-1-oxo- 1,3-dihydro-isobenzofuran-4-carbaldehyde (S3), galactitol (S4), convolvulol (S5), in addition the isolation of two metabolites which have not yet been fully elucidated, S2 and S6. The S1 and S3 metabolites are novel metabolites as natural products. Furthermore, it was possible to identify 14 compounds by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), including hydrocarbons, fatty acids, besides unsaturated ones, aldehydes, ?,?-unsaturated aldehydes and steroid. The S1 and S4 compounds were subjected to biological activity evaluation (antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor and acetylcholinesterase potential), but without any positive result. Assessment of tumor activity of fractions of the M20 strain was performed, and the M20F and M20H fractions showed selective cytotoxicity to tumor cell lines. In a second step, the M23 strain (Eutypella sp) was grown on a large scale, resulting in the R-5-metilmeleina (S7) isolation. Thus, the chemical study of endophytic fungi associated to Bostrychia radicans algae proved to be promising concerning the search for new chemical compounds discovery, since it yielded two new structures as natural products.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The high rate of rediscovery of known compounds has led to a decline in the discovery of novel natural products. The high biodiversity of organisms growing in extreme conditions such as oceans has led to the increased interest by researchers for their use as a source of novel natural products. Marine bacteria are known for their extensive biosynthetic capacity to produce diverse natural products, which are suitable for various biotechnology applications such as in agriculture, for treatment of fungal plant pathogens, and as antibiotics, for treatment of bacterial infections. This study aimed at discovering novel secondary metabolites from marine bacteria previously associated with novel marine invertebrate species endemic to the South African coast. The methodologies used in this study included a bioassay guided fractionation coupled to genome sequencing and mining. For the bioassay guided fractionation approach, the study first focused on screening marine bacteria for antimicrobial activity when cultured on 4 different media, against fungal strains previously shown to be virulent olive trunk pathogens. In parallel, the bacterial isolates with the most inhibitory activity against the fungal pathogens were also screened for antimicrobial activity against 4 indicator strains including Gram-negative Escherichia coli 1699 (E. coli), Pseudomonas putida, and Gram-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC14990, and Bacillus cereus ATCC10702. One of the marine bacterial isolates, PE6-126, showed diverse antimicrobial activity including antibacterial and antifungal activity against the tested strains. The genome sequencing data revealed that this isolate was B. cereus based on the average nucleotide identity (ANI) (>99%) to reference strains. antiSMASH analysis of the genome revealed nine predicted secondary metabolite clusters including bacteriocins (2), non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) (2), siderophore (1), sactipeptide (1), betalactone (1), linear azol(in)e-containing peptides (LAP) - bacteriocin (1) and a terpene (1). Some of these pathways had low to no sequence similarity to known pathways, indicating the potential of these pathways to produce novel compounds. One of the pathways showed very high sequence similarity to the thuricin CD pathway in Bacillus thuringiensis. Considering that thuricin CD has been reported to have antimicrobial activity against B. cereus (ATCC1072), it was hypothesised that it could also be produced by PE6-126. However, the antimicrobial extract from PE6-126 was tested for sensitivity to proteinase K and heat treatment, which thuricin CD is known to be sensitive to. The results revealed that the antimicrobial activity was not lost after treatment, implying that a different metabolite could be responsible for the anti-B. cereus activity. In addition, PE6-126 initially displayed antimicrobial activity against a multi-drug resistant E. coli 1699, suggesting some of the antimicrobial compound/(s) produced by this strain could potentially be novel. The bioassay-guided fractionation approach coupled to Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) did not lead to identification of the antimicrobial compound/(s), therefore it remains a question whether the secondary metabolite pathways predicted by antiSMASH lead to the production of the active compound/(s). The results from this study showed that even well studied species have the potential to synthesize as yet undescribed compounds, based on the novelty of some of the pathways. This study highlights the importance of employing a genome-guided approach in drug discovery, as there may be many novel compounds to discover from biosynthetic pathways that have not yet been characterised. Further research is needed to identify the antimicrobial compound/(s) produced by PE6-126.

La réaction de métathèse a connu un essor considérable au cours de ces dernières années et le prix Nobel décerné aux chimistes Yves Chauvin, Robert H. Grubbs et Richard R.Schrock est venu récompenser ce travail. Cette réaction a été impliquée pour la synthèse de molécules naturelles d’origine marine. Les thiocyanatines A et B isolées en 2001 ont été ainsi préparées en utilisant la réaction de métathèse croisée. Il s’agit du premier exemple de métathèse en présence de groupements thiocyanates. De plus, ces deux synthèses utilisent la technologie micro-ondes. Le largazole, isolé en 2008, est une cible synthétique très important du fait de son activité anticancéreuse. Ce manuscrit retrace la synthèse d’une partie de cette molécule mais également une étude méthodologique pour la formation de motifs thiazoles par micro-ondes. Enfin, la rugulactone, isolée en 2009, a été préparée selon une stratégie tandem de métathèse cyclisante / métathèse croisée et cette dernière a été appliquée à la synthèse d’analogues. / The metathesis realized an important development during the last few years and the Nobelprize given to the chemists Yves Chauvin, Robert H. Grubbs et Richard R. Schrock came toreward this work. This reaction has been involved for the synthesis of natural molecules of marine origin. Thiocyanatines A and B, isolated in 2001, have been so prepared by using the reaction of cross metathesis. This is the first example of metathesis with the presence ofthiocyanates groups. Moreover, these two syntheses are using the microwave technology. Largazole, isolated in 2008, is a very important synthetic target because of its anticancerous activity. This manuscript is explaining the synthesis of one part of this molecule but it also provides a methodological study for the formation of thiazoles motives by microwave. Then,Rugulactone, isolated in 2009, has been prepared with a tandem strategy of ring clossing metathesis / cross metathesis and this one has been applied to the synthetis of analogues.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been intensively used as flame retardants (FRs) and have become ubiquitous environmental pollutants. PBDEs form hydroxylated PBDEs (OH-PBDEs) as metabolites. Further, some OH-PBDEs and methoxy-PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs) are natural products. These are all compounds of environmental and health concern and it is therefore important to confirm their identity and to assess their environmental levels and toxicities. Hence, it is vital to obtain authentic reference standards of individual PBDEs and OH/MeO-PBDEs. The thesis main aim was to develop synthesis methods of congener specific PBDEs, OH- and MeO-PBDEs. The second aim was to identify and quantify PBDEs, OH- and MeO-PBDEs in environmental samples. The third was to propose an abbreviation system for FRs. O-Arylation of brominated phenols, using either symmetrical or unsymmetrical brominated diphenyliodonium salts, was selected for synthesis of PBDEs and OH-/MeO-PBDEs. A total of 16 MeO-PBDEs, 11 OH-PBDEs, 1 diMeO-PBDE and 1 EtO-MeO-PBDE were synthesised. Three novel unsymmetrical diaryliodonium triflates were synthesised and used in synthesis. Optimisations were made to construct a reliable general method for congener specific PBDE synthesis, which was used in the synthesis of 8 representative PBDE congeners. The products were generally characterised by electron ionisation mass spectrometry (EIMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Identification of PBDEs and OH-PBDEs in various matrixes was based on gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric analyses. Fourteen OH-PBDE congeners were identified in a pooled human blood sample. One previously uncharacterised natural PBDE analogue was identified as 6-OH-6’-MeO-BDE-194, and quantified in Swedish blue mussels. PBDE congeners and other BFRs were identified and quantified in workers and dust from a smelter in Sweden. A structured and practical abbreviation system was developed for halogen- and phosphorus containing FRs. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Submitted. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p>

Marine organisms are widely recognized sources of an impressive array of structurally unusual compounds. Marine natural products have exhibited interesting biomedical activities, provided targets for synthetic organic chemists, and afforded opportunities for elucidation of enzymatic mechanisms involved in biosyntheses of these molecules. Secondary metabolite pathways probably evolved to mediate interactions between organisms in their natural habitats; however, the ecological functions of natural products remain poorly understood for the vast majority of cases. In the present series of investigations, I evaluate the hypothesis that macroalgal natural products play a role in defending these organisms against potentially pathogenic microbes in the marine environment. Further, I combine these ecology-driven investigations with evaluation of algal natural products as sources of novel human drugs. This combined approach resulted in discovery of 15 novel natural products from two tropical red algae, Callophycus serratus and an unidentified crustose red alga. These new molecules included seven novel carbon-carbon connectivity patterns, not previously reported in the synthetic or natural product literature, illustrating the abundance of secondary metabolite diversity among marine macroalgae. Further, many compounds exhibited both biomedical and ecological activities, suggesting the synergistic potential of combined biomedical/ecological investigations in providing drug leads as well as insights into the natural functions of secondary metabolites. Bromophycolides and callophycoic acids, natural products from C. serratus, inhibited growth of the marine fungal pathogen Lindra thalassiae. Spatially-resolved desorption ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) revealed that antifungal natural products were found at specific sites on algal surfaces. The heterogeneous presentation of antimicrobial chemical defenses on host surfaces suggests the potential importance of spatial scale in understanding host-pathogen interactions, and illustrates the capacity of mass spectrometry imaging in understanding chemically-mediated biological processes. Finally, assessment of antimicrobial chemical defenses among extracts from 72 collections of tropical red algae revealed that nearly all algae were defended against at least one marine pathogen or saprophyte and further suggested the untapped potential of ecological investigations in the discovery of novel chemistry.