Bioguided fractionation of Agelas cerebrum crude extract resulted in isolation of four bromopyrrole and four bromopyrrole aminoimidazole alkaloids, identified as 5-bromopyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (1), 4-bromopyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (2), 3,4-bromopyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (3), 4,5-bromopyrrole-2-carboxylic acid (4), oroidin (5), bromoageliferin (6), dibromoageliferin (7) and dibromosceptrin (8) on the basis of spectroscopic data analyses (UV, IR, HRMS, 1D and 2D NMR) and comparison with literature data. This is the first report of compounds 2 and 3 in a marine sponge belonging to the Agelas genus and the first evidence of the presence of 1 from a natural source.

Interest in natural products as a source for innovation in drug discovery and agrochemicals is still growing worldwide. Natural products, whose immense diversity has been appreciated for many years, may become in a rich source of novel chemical structures. Our country is a rich source of both biological and chemical diversity which may be useful as a source of novel chemical structures. Even when natural products have been used as medicinal agents for many years in Cuba, their use as agrochemicals are still limited. Thus, the present review focuses on recent advances in the studies on natural products performed by the "Centro de Estudios de Productos Naturales, CEPN" during the past ten years, highlighting on those with potential use as biomedical and agrochemicals. 15 plant species were studied; Agave brittoniana Trel. Subsp. brachypus A Álvarez de Zayas (Agavaceae); Juniperus barbadensis L. var. Lucayana (Britt.) RP Adams (Cupressaceae); Melia azedarach Linn. (Meliaceae); Tectona grandis Linn. f. (Lamiaceae); Lantana camara Linn. (Verbenaceae); Lantana trifolia Cham. (Verbenaceae); Citrus sinensis (Linn.) Osbeck cv Valencia (Rutaceae); Maytenus buxifolia (A Rich) Griseb (Celastraceae); Maytenus elaeodendroides Griseb (Celastraceae); Maytenus urquiolae B Mory (Celastraceae); Solanum americanum W. Mill (Solanaceae); Thalassia testudinum Kon. (Hydrocharitaceae); Sesbania rostrata Bremek & Oberm (Fabaceae); Pluchea carolinensis G Don (Asteraceae) and Ageratina havanensis (HB & K) RM King & Robinson (Asteraceae). By means of a bio-guided fractionation, isolated structures as well as semi-purified fractions were assayed as antioxidant, antiparasitic, antibiotic, insecticides, antifungal, and skin regenerating and healing effects. The strategy employed allows us to discover novel secondary metabolites with potential for industrial development as pharmaceuticals and/or agrochemicals. Besides, in addition to the goal of discovering new bioactive agents, the presence of unique bioactive compounds notably contribute to increase the knowledge of plant species in Cuba.

Hydrogen peroxide bleaching of sodium alginate from seaweeds oh the Sargassum genus was studied. The influence of H2O2 concentration (percentage of H2O2 on a dry weight alginate basis, w/w) and NaOH/H2O2 ratio (% NaOH/% H2O2, both referred to a dry weight alginate basis, w/w) on the molecular weight, color removal and content of Fe3+ ions of bleached alginate samples was investigated by UV and IR spectroscopies, colorimetric determination of Fe3+ ions and vapor pressure osmometry. Higher yield, purity and molecular weight of alginate were obtained using 3% (or less) of hydrogen peroxide and a NaOH/H2O2 ratio of 1.2 for bleaching.