New diterpenes from a new species of lobophytum soft coral of the South Andaman Coast

Nine New Antibacterial Diterpenes and Steroids from the South China Sea Soft Coral Lobophytum catalai Tixier-Durivault

Five new cembrane-type diterpenes, lobocalines A-E (1-5), and four new steroids, lobocaloids A-D (9-12), along with six known related compounds (6-8 and 13-15) were isolated from the Yalong Bay soft coral Lobophytum catalai Tixier-Durivault. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, NMR calculation with DP4+ analysis, time-dependent density functional theory-electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT-ECD) calculations, X-ray diffraction analyses and comparison with the reported spectroscopic data of known compounds. Further, with the aid of X-ray diffraction analysis, the structure of lobocrasol B (15) was firmly revised as 15a. In in vitro bioassays, compound 2 showed moderate antibacterial activities against fish pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus parauberis KSP28 and Phoyobacterium damselae FP2244 with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 8.7 and 17.3 µg/mL, respectively. All the steroids exhibited antibacterial activities against the S. parauberis KSP28 with MIC values ranging from 12.3 to 53.6 µg/mL. Compounds 2, 7 and 14 have remarkable inhibitory effects on the hemolysin production of Staphylococcus aureus, while compounds 8-12 have medium inhibitory effects on the pyocyanin production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Marine Terpenic Endoperoxides

Organic extracts of marine invertebrates, mainly sponges, from seas all over the world are well known for their high in vitro anticancer and antibiotic activities which make them promising sources of compounds with potential use as pharmaceutical leads. Most of the structures discovered so far have a peculiar structural feature in common: a 1,2-dioxane ring. This is a highly reactive heterocycle that can be considered as an endoperoxide function. Together with other structural features, this group could be responsible for the strong biological activities of the substances present in the extracts. Numerous research programs have focused on their structural elucidation and total synthesis since the seventies. As a consequence, the number of established chiral centres and the similarity between different naturally occurring substances is increasingly higher. Most of these compounds have a terpenoid nature, mainly diterpene and sesterterpene, with several peculiar structural features, such as the loss of one carbon atom. Although there are many reviews dealing with the occurrence of marine peroxides, their activities, or potential pharmaceutical uses, no one has focused on those having a terpene origin and the endoperoxide function. We present here a comprehensive review of these compounds paying special attention to their structural features and their biological activity.

Isolation and structure elucidation of natural products of three soft corals and a sponge from the coast of Madagascar

We investigated the three soft corals Sarcophyton stellatum, Capnella fungiformis and Lobophytum crassum and the sponge Pseudoceratina arabica, which have been collected at the coast of Madagascar. In addition to previously known marine natural products, S. stellatum provided the new (+)-enantiomer of the cembranoid (1E,3E,11E)-7,8-epoxycembra-1,3,11,15-tetraene (2). Capnella fungiformis afforded three new natural products, ethyl 5-[(1E,5Z)-2,6-dimethylocta-1,5,7-trienyl]furan-3-carboxylate (6), ethyl 5-[(1E,5E)-2,6-dimethylocta-1,5,7-trienyl]furan-3-carboxylate (7) and the diepoxyguaiane sesquiterpene oxyfungiformin (9a). The extracts of all three soft corals exhibited moderate activities against the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Extracts of the sponge Pseudoceratina arabica proved to be very active against a series of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Anti-Inflammatory Dembranoids from the Soft Coral Lobophytum crassum

Cembrane-type diterpenoids are among the most frequently encountered natural products from the soft corals of the genus Lobophytum. In the course of our investigation to identify anti-inflammatory constituents from a wild-type soft coral Lobophytum crassum, two new cembranoids, lobophyolide A (1) and B (2), along with five known compounds (3–7), were isolated. The structures of these natural products were identified using NMR and MS spectroscopic analyses. Compound 1 was found to possess the first identified α-epoxylactone group among all cembrane-type diterpenoids. The in vitro anti-inflammatory effect of compounds 1–5 was evaluated. The results showed that compounds 1–5 not only reduced IL-12 release, but also attenuated NO production in LPS-activated dendritic cells. Our data indicated that the isolated series of cembrane-type diterpenoids demonstrated interesting structural features and anti-inflammatory activity which could be further developed into therapeutic entities.

Secocrassumol, a seco-cembranoid from the Dongsha Atoll soft coral Lobophytum crassum

Chemical investigations on the Dongsha Atoll soft coral Lobophytum crassum led to the purification of a new seco-cembranoid, secocrassumol. The structural elucidation was established by extensive NMR, HRESIMS and CD data. The absolute configuration at C-12 was determined as S using a modified Mosher's acylation. Secocrassumol differs from previously known marine seco-cembranoid in that it possesses an unprecedented skeleton functionalized at C11-C12 bond cleavage. Secocrassumol showed antiviral activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) with an IC50 value of 5.0 μg/mL.

New cytotoxic cembranolides from the soft coral Lobophytum michaelae

Six new cembranolides, michaolides L–Q (1–6), and a known cembranolide, lobomichaolide (7) were isolated from the CH₂Cl₂ extract of the soft coral Lobophytum michaelae. Their structures were established by extensive spectral analysis. The anti-HCMV (human cytomegalovirus) activity of 1–7 and their cytotoxicity against selected cell lines were evaluated.

Cembranoids from the Dongsha Atoll soft coral Lobophytum crassum

Chemical investigation of the Dongsha Atoll soft coral Lobophytum crassum has afforded four new cembranoids, crassumols A-C (1-3) and 13-acetoxysarcophytoxide (4). The structures of these isolated compounds were elucidated by extensive NMR and HRESIMS experiments. The cytotoxicity and anti-HCMV (Human cytomegalovirus) activities of 1-4 were evaluated in vitro. Compound 4 exhibited cytotoxicity against A-549 (human lung carcinoma) cell line with an ED(50) of 3.6 μg/mL.

New cembranolides from the Dongsha Atoll soft coral Lobophytum durum

Chemical investigations of the Dongsha Atoll soft coral Lobophytum durum resulted in the isolation of five new cembranolides, durumolides M-Q (1-5). The structures of compounds 1-5 were characterized by the interpretation of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compound 4 exhibited cytotoxicity against P-388 (mouse lymphocytic leukemia) cell line with an ED₅₀ of 3.8 μg/mL. Moreover, compound 5 showed significant antiviral activity against human cytomegalovirus with an IC₅₀ of 5.2 μg/mL.

Sphaeroane and neodolabellane diterpenes from the red alga Sphaerococcus coronopifolius

Investigation of minor metabolites in the extracts of the red alga Sphaerococcus coronopifolius collected from the rocky coasts of Corfu Island in the Ionian Sea yielded two new diterpene alcohols, sphaerollanes I, and II (1, 2) featuring neodolabellane skeletons, and the new sphaeroane diterpene alcohol 16-hydroxy-9S*-acetoxy-8-epi-isosphaerodiene-2 (3), along with two previously reported metabolites 4, 5. The structures of the new natural products, as well as their relative stereochemistry, were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectral analysis, including 2D-NMR experiments.

Anti-inflammatory cembranolides from the soft coral Lobophytum durum

Chemical investigation of the soft coral Lobophytum durum resulted in the isolation of seven new cembranolides, durumolides F-L (1-7), as well as one previously characterized cembranolides, sinularolide D (8). The molecular structures of these isolated metabolites were determined mainly through NMR techniques and HRESIMS analysis. Moreover, the absolute configurations of 1 and 5 were established by application of modified Mosher's method. The antibacterial activities, anti-inflammatory effects, and anti-HCMV (Human cytomegalovirus) endonuclease activity of metabolites 1-8 were also evaluated in vitro. Anti-inflammatory activity of metabolites 1 and 6 (10 microM) significantly reduced the levels of the iNOS protein to 0.8+/-0.6% and 5.7+/-2.2%, respectively, and COX-2 protein to 47.8+/-9.0% and 71.6+/-5.8%, respectively. Metabolites 1-8 (100 microg/disk) exhibited weak antibacterial activity against Salmonella enteritidis.

Unprecedented hemiketal cembranolides with anti-inflammatory activity from the soft coral Lobophytum durum

Chemical investigations of the soft coral Lobophytum durum have led to the isolation of three unprecedented hemiketal cembranolides, durumhemiketalolides A-C (1-3). Full NMR spectroscopic assignments are provided for all isolated metabolites. The anti-inflammatory activities of 1-3 were evaluated in vitro.

Chemical Constituents of a Marine Soft Coral of the Genus Lobophytum

Chemical investigations on the marine soft coral Lobophytum sp., collected from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, yielded two new acyl glycerol monoalkyl ethers along with two known compounds of this series (1a-d), and a new ceramide (4a). The structures of the new and known compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic studies and chemical reactions.

HIV-inhibitory cembrane derivatives from a Philippines collection of the soft coral Lobophytum species

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an aqueous extract of a Philippine Islands collection of the soft coralLobophytum sp. concentrated its HIV-inhibitory activity into fractions rich in cembranoid diterpenes. Lobohedleolide (1), (7Z)-lobohedleolide (2), and a new compound, 17-dimethylaminolobohedleolide (3), were purified from these fractions by HPLC. The structures of compounds 1-3 were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses and by comparison of their spectral data with previously reported values. The relative stereochemistry of the gamma-lactone ring substituents of 3 was determined by 1D NOESY experiments. While several other cembranoids that contain a dimethylamino functional group have been reported from the soft coral Sinularia sp., compound 3 represents the first cembrane diterpene with this functional group isolated from a Lobophytum species. Diterpenoids 1-3 exhibited moderate HIV-inhibitory activity (EC(50) approximately 3-5 microg/mL) in a cell-based in vitro anti-HIV assay.

Lipase-catalyzed monoesterification of 1-O-hexadecylglycerol in organic solvents

A simple method is presented to esterify 1-O-hexadecyl-rac-glycerol using lipases in different organic solvents. The following fatty acids were used: C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and C18:2. Monoesterification was achieved by using a limiting amount of fatty acid. Both the 1-O-hexadecyl-3-O-acylglycerol and the 2-O-acylglycerol were obtained in a total yield of 75% and a ratio 7:1 in dichloromethane after 3 d. Chromatographic data for the monoesters, useful for the identification of the natural products, are given (gas-liquid chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, reverse-phase thin-layer chromatography). The structure was confirmed by a chemical synthesis of 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-hexadecanoylglycerol. The 3-O-glyceride was also formed by acyl migration, as the minor component. The monoesters were separated by column chromatography and characterized by 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra.

Purification and characterization of deep sea shark Centrophorus squamosus liver oil 1-O-alkylglycerol ether lipids

The 1-O-alkylglycerol composition of the liver oil of the deep sea shark Centrophorus squamosus, a species which provides edible flesh, has been determined. After various fractionations of the oil, the unsaponifiable fraction was characterized by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, electron impact, and positive-ion chemical ionization. The oil is composed of 60% unsaponifiable matter, containing 45% squalene, 4.5% cholesterol, and 10% of linear saturated and monounsaturated glycerol ethers with 14-18 carbon atoms. After a first separation by chromatography on silicic acid, monounsaturated glycerol ethers have been separated from the saturated homologues, in particular from 1-O-octadecylglycerol (batyl alcohol) and 1-O-hexadecylglycerol (chimyl alcohol), via urea complexation. This newer application of the urea method, already used in the past to extract saturated from polyunsaturated fatty acids, allowed the purification of the main components of the complex unsaturated glycerol ether fraction, namely, 1-O-octadecen-9'ylglycerol (selachyl alcohol) and 1-O-hexadecen-9'ylglycerol.