Discovery and preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis of 1,14-sperminediphenylacetamides as potent and selective antimalarial lead compounds

Screening of synthesized and isolated marine natural products for in vitro activity against four parasitic protozoa has identified the ascidian metabolite 1,14-sperminedihomovanillamide (orthidine F, 1) as being a non-toxic, moderate growth inhibitor of Plasmodium falciparum (IC(50) 0.89?M). Preliminary structure-activity relationship investigation identified essentiality of the spermine polyamine core and the requirement for 1,14-disubstitution for potent activity. One analogue, 1,14-spermine-di-(2-hydroxyphenylacetamide) (3), exhibited two orders of magnitude increased anti-P. f activity (IC(50) 8.6nM) with no detectable in vitro toxicity. The ease of synthesis of phenylacetamido-polyamines, coupled with potent nM levels of activity towards dual drug resistant strains of P. falciparum makes this compound class of interest in the development of new antimalarial therapeutics.