Five new isoprenoids, 3,4,8,16-tetra-epi-lobocrasol (1), 1,15β-epoxy-deoxysarcophine (2), 3,4-dihydro-4α,7β,8α-trihydroxy-Δ²-sarcophine (3), ent-sarcophyolide E (4), and 16-deacetyl- halicrasterol B (5) and ten known compounds 6‒15, were characterized from the marine soft coral Sarcophyton glaucum, collected off Taitung coastline. Their structures were defined by analyzing spectra data, especially 2D NMR and electronic circular dichroism (ECD). The structure of the known compound lobocrasol (7) was revised. Cytotoxicity potential of the isolated compounds was reported, too. Full article

Three new steroids, petasitosterones A and B (1 and 2) and a spirosteroid petasitosterone C (3), along with eight known steroids (4–11), were isolated from a Formosan marine soft coral Umbellulifera petasites. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and comparison of spectroscopic data with those reported. Compound 3 is a marine steroid with a rarely found A/B spiro[4,5]decane ring system. Compounds 1–3 and 5 displayed inhibitory activity against the proliferation of a limited panel of cancer cell lines, whereas 2 and 5 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production. The inhibitory activities for superoxide anion generation and elastase release of compounds 1–11 were also examined to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential, and 2–4 were shown to exhibit significant activities. Full article

Two new cubitanoids, nanoculones A and B (1 and 2), and three new cembranoids, nanolobols A–C (3–5), as well as six known compounds, calyculone I (6), sinulariuol A (7), sinulariols C, D, H, and J (8–11), were isolated from the soft coral Sinularia nanolobata, collected off the coast of the eastern region of Taiwan. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Cytotoxicity of compounds 1–11 was evaluated. The nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activity of selected compounds was further measured by assay of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated NO production in activated RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that none of 1–11 exhibited cytotoxicity against the tested cancer cell lines, whereas compound 8 was found to significantly reduce NO production. Full article

Two new 15-hydroxycembranoid diterpenes, 2β-hydroxy-7β,8α-epoxynephthenol (1) and 2β-hydroxy-11α,12β-epoxynephthenol (2), were isolated from extracts of the octocoral Nephthea columnaris along with a new natural cembrane, epoxynephthenol (3) and a known sterol, nephalsterol A (4). The structures of cembranes 1–3 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and comparison of the spectroscopic data with those of related analogues. The cytotoxicity of metabolites 1–4 against a panel of tumor cells is also described. Full article

Four new eunicellin-type hirsutalins S–V (1–4), along with a known compound (–)-6α-hydroxy polyanthellin A (5), were isolated from the soft coral Cladiella hirsuta. The structures of the metabolites were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Cytotoxity of compounds 1–5 against the proliferation of a limited panel of cancer cell lines was measured. Anti-inflammatory activity of compounds 1–5 was evaluated by measuring their ability in suppressing superoxide anion generation and elastase release in fMLP/ CB-induced human neutrophils. Full article

Three pregnane-type steroids, including a new metabolite, 3β-methoxy-5,20-pregnadiene (1) along with two known analogues, 3β-acetoxy-5,20-pregnadiene (2) and 5α-pregna-1,20-dien-3-one (3) were isolated from the soft coral Scleronephthya flexilis. Standard spectroscopic techniques were used to determine the structure of new steroid 1. The absolute stereochemistry of steroid 2 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Steroid 3 exhibited potent activity against MOLT-4 tumor cells. Full article

New eunicellin-type hirsutalins N–R (1–5), along with two known eunicellins, (6 and 7) were isolated from the soft coral Cladiella hirsuta. The structures of the metabolites were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Cytotoxic activity of compounds 1–7 against the proliferation of a limited panel of cancer cell lines was measured. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of compounds 1–7 was evaluated by measuring their ability in suppressing superoxide anion generation and elastase release in fMLP/CB-induced human neutrophils. Full article

A natural diastereomeric mixture of 5-(6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-chroman-2-yl)-2-methyl-pentanoic acid methyl ester (1), was isolated from the soft coral Sinularia arborea. The structure of 1 was elucidated by spectroscopic methods and 1 displayed a significantly inhibitory effect on the generation of superoxide anion by human neutrophils. Full article

New cembranoids, sarcocrassocolides P–R (1–3) and four known compounds (4–7) were isolated from the soft coral Sarcophyton crassocaule. The structures of the metabolites were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 3–5 and 7 were shown to exhibit cytotoxicity toward a limited panel of cancer cell lines and all compounds 1–7 displayed potent in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells by inhibiting the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein. Compound 7 also showed significant activity in reducing the accumulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein in the same macrophage cells. Full article

Two novel diterpenoids, sinularbols A (1) and B (2), which were found to possess a new carbon skeleton were isolated from the soft coral Sinularia arborea. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and 2 displayed a moderately inhibitory effect on the generation of superoxide anion by human neutrophils. Full article

Previous studies on the chemical constituents of soft corals belonging to the genus Sinularia have led to the isolation of a number of interesting secondary metabolites and some of these were found to possess extensive bioactivities [1–3]. Continuation investigation on the chemical constituents of the marine invertebrates collected off the waters of Taiwan, two new cembrane-type diterpenoids, arbolides A (1) and B (2), and a known steroid, crassarosterol A (3) [4], were isolated from the soft coral Sinularia arborea (family Alcyonacea) (Figure 1). In this paper, we describe the isolation, structure determination and cytotoxicity of compounds 1–3. Full article

Five new pregnane-type steroids, sclerosteroids J–N (1–5), and a diterpenoid with a new chemotype 3-methyl-5-(10′-acetoxy-2′,6′,10′-trimethylundecyl)-2-penten-5-olide (6), have been isolated from a soft coral Scleronephthya gracillimum. The structures of the metabolites were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compound 4 exhibited cytotoxicity against HepG2, A549, and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines. Furthermore, steroids 2 and 4 were found to significantly inhibit the accumulation of the pro-inflammatory iNOS protein, and 1, 2, 4 and 5 could effectively reduce the accumulation of COX-2 protein in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Full article

Five new eunicellin-based diterpenoids, krempfielins E–I (1–5) and seven known compounds (6–12) were isolated from the organic extract of a Taiwanese soft coral Cladiella krempfi. The structures of the new metabolites were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Metabolites 5, 6, 10 and 12 were shown to exhibit cytotoxicity against a limited panel of cancer cell lines. Furthermore, compounds 6 and 10 could potently inhibit the accumulation of the pro-inflammatory iNOS protein, and 6 and 12 could significantly reduce the expression of COX-2 protein in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Full article

A new sterol, (22R,23R,24R)-5α,8α-epidioxy-22,23-methylene-24-methyl-cholest-6,9(11)-dien-3β-ol (1), and two known sterols, (22R,23R,24R)-5α,8α-epidioxy-22,23-methylene-24-methylcholest-6-en-3β-ol (2) and 24-methylenecholestane-1α,3β,5α, 6β,11α-pentol (3), were isolated from the soft coral Sinularia gaweli. The structure of sterol 1 was established by spectroscopic methods and by comparison of the spectral data with those of known analogues. The cytotoxicity of sterols 1–3 towards various tumor cells is reported. Full article

Seven new sesquiterpenoids, lochmolins A–G (1–7), were isolated from a Taiwanese soft coral Sinularia lochmodes. The structures of these metabolites were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic study. Compounds 1–4 were found to inhibit the accumulation of the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory COX-2 protein in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Full article

In order to search for novel bioactive substances from marine organisms, we have investigated the organic extracts of the Taiwanese octocoral Briareum excavatum collected at Orchid Island. Three new briarane-type diterpenoids, briacavatolides A–C (1–3) as well as two known briaranes, briaexcavatolide U (4) and briaexcavatin L (5) were isolated from the acetone extract. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive NMR spectroscopic analysis and physical data. The anti-HCMV (human cytomegalovirus) activity of 1–5 and their cytotoxicity against selected cancer cell lines were evaluated. Full article

Three new cembranoids, sarcocrassocolides M–O (1–3), have been isolated from the soft coral Sarcophyton crassocaule. The structures of the metabolites were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1–3 were shown to exhibit moderate cytotoxicity toward a limited panel of cancer cell lines and display significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells by inhibiting the expression of the iNOS protein. Full article

One new sterol, crassarosterol A (1), and four new steroidal glycosides, crassarosterosides A–D (2–5) were isolated from the Formosan soft coral Sinularia crassa. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined using the Mosher’s method. The absolute configurations for the sugar moieties of 2–5 were determined by HPLC analysis on the o-tolylthiocarbamates derived from the liberated sugar after acid hydrolysis. Compounds 2 and 4 could significantly inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory iNOS protein at 10 µM. In contrast, 1–3 were found to stimulate the expression of COX-2 protein at this concentration. Steroids 1 and 4 also showed cytotoxicity toward the selected human liver cancer cells. Full article

Four new eunicellin-based diterpenoids, krempfielins A–D (1–4), along with two known compounds (5 and 6) have been isolated from a soft coral Cladiella krempfi. The structures of the new metabolites were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with spectroscopic data of related known compounds. Compounds 5 and 6 were shown to exhibit cytotoxicity against a limited panel of cancer cell lines. Furthermore, compounds 2, 3, 5 and 6 were shown to exert significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity against LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Full article

Eight new cembranoids, crassarines A–H (1–8) were isolated from the Formosan soft coral Sinularia crassa. Compounds 1–3 represent the rare cembranoids with a 1,12-oxa-bridged tetrahydrofuran ring, while 4 and 5 are the firstly discovered 1,11-oxa-bridged tetrahydropyranocembranoids. The absolute configuration of 6 was determined using the Mosher’s method. Compounds 6 and 8 were found to significantly inhibit the expression of both pro-inflammatory iNOS and COX-2 proteins at 10 µM, respectively, while compounds 4–8 were found to be non-cytotoxic toward the selected human liver cancer cells. Full article

Five new nardosinane-type sesquiterpenoids, paralemnolins Q–U (1–5), along with three known compounds (6–8), were isolated from the Formosan soft coral Paralemnalia thyrsoides. The structures of new metabolites were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods, and the absolute configuration of 1 was determined by the application of Mosher’s method on 1. Among these metabolites, 1 and 3 are rarely found nardosinane-type sesquiterpenoids, possessing novel polycyclic structures. Compounds 1, 3, 6 and 7 were found to possess neuroprotective activity. Full article

Seven new cembranoids, sarcocrassocolides F–L (1–7), have been isolated from a soft coral Sarcophyton crassocaule. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Most new compounds exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against a limited panel of cancer cell lines, and the structure–activity relationship was studied. Compounds 1–7 were found to display significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells by inhibiting the expression of the iNOS protein. Compound 4 was also found to effectively reduce the level of COX-2 protein. Full article