Cembranoid-Related Metabolites and Biological Activities from the Soft Coral Sinularia flexibilis
Chia-Hua Wu,
Chih-Hua Chao,
Tzu-Zin Huang,
Chiung-Yao Huang,
Tsong-Long Hwang,
Chang-Feng Dai,
Jyh-Horng Sheu
Affiliations
Chia-Hua Wu
Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
Chih-Hua Chao
School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
Tzu-Zin Huang
Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
Chiung-Yao Huang
Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
Tsong-Long Hwang
Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Medicine, and Chinese Herbal Medicine Research Team, Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
Chang-Feng Dai
Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Jyh-Horng Sheu
Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan
Five new cembranoid-related diterpenoids, namely, flexibilisins D and E (1 and 2), secoflexibilisolides A and B (3 and 4), and flexibilisolide H (5), along with nine known compounds (6–14), were isolated from the soft coral Sinularia flexibilis. Their structures were established by extensive spectral analysis. Compound 3 possesses an unusual skeleton that could be biogenetically derived from cembranoids. The cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activities of the isolates were investigated, and the results showed that dehydrosinulariolide (7) and 11-epi-sinulariolide acetate (8) exhibited cytotoxicity toward a limited panel of cancer cell lines and 14-deoxycrassin (9) displayed anti-inflammatory activity by inhibition of superoxide anion generation and elastase release in N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine/cytochalasin B (fMLF/CB)-induced human neutrophils.
