Terpenes from the Soft Corals Litophyton arboreum and Sarcophyton ehrenbergi

Abstract

The new cembrane diterpene (3E,11E)-cembra-3,8(19),11,15-tetraene-7alpha-ol (1), nephthenol (2), and all-trans-peridinin (3) have been isolated from the soft coral Litophyton arboreum. The tetraterpene 3, (+)-7,8-epoxy-7,8-dihydrocembrene C (4), emblide (5), sarcophytoxide (6), sarcoglaucol-16-one (7), guajacophine (8), and 1,4-peroxymuurol-5-ene (9) have been obtained from the soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi. The compounds were characterized primarily by NMR spectroscopy. Some of the terpenes were tested for their antiproliferative activity against the cell lines HUVEC and K-562 and for cytotoxicity against the cell line HeLa, and they showed moderate activities.

New Terpenes from the Egyptian Soft Coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi

“…For cembranoid-type diterpenes, a wide range of biological activities have been reported including antitumor, ichthyotoxic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antibacterial, antiangiogenic, antimetastatic, anti-osteoporotic, and cytotoxic properties [5]. Diterpenes have been isolated previously from Sarcophyton ehrenbergi [6,7,8,9,10]; however, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first chemical investigation of the Red Sea soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi (Figure 1). In the course of our research for bioactive substances from marine sources [11,12], chromatographic separation of an ethyl acetate extract of the alcyonacean soft coral, S. ehrenbergi has led to the isolation of three compounds 1 – 3 as well as the previously reported marine cembranoid diterpene sarcophine ( 4 ) (Figure 2).…”

Cytotoxic, Cytostatic and HIV-1 PR Inhibitory Activities of the Soft Coral Litophyton arboreum

“…Litophyton arboreum is a common octocoral, widely distributed on the Red Sea coral reefs. A previous chemical study of L. arboreum growing in different parts of the Red Sea showed the presence of cembranoide diterpenes [7], which had moderate cytotoxicity in HeLa cells. Collections of this soft coral from other parts of the world showed different metabolites of this soft coral, e.g., furanocembranoides, which demonstrated antiproliferative activities against the cell lines L-929 and K-562 [8], sesquiterpenes, sterols, and fatty acid derivatives [9,10] all believed to contain medicinal properties.…”

Cembrane Diterpenes Chemistry and Biological Properties

“…[24], Lobopytum sp. (53)(54)(55) [25], Sinularia ovispiculata (56) [26], Cladiella kashmani (57) [27], Alcyonium flaccidum (56) [28]. Five new cembradiene diterpenoids (58)(59)(60)(61)(62)(63) have been isolated from an undescribed Caribbean gorgonian of the genus Eunicea [29].…”

“…Compound 143 at concentration of 10 μM did not inhibit the COX-2 protein expression, but reduced the levels of the iNOS protein (66.9 ± 5.2%) by LPS stimulation [53]. The new cembrane diterpene, crassumolide E (150) [55], (3E,11E)-cembra-3,8(19),11,15-tetraene-7 -ol (151) [56] have been isolated from the soft coral Lobophytum crassum, and Litophyton arboretum respectively. Two new cembranoid diterpenes, diepoxysarcophytonene (152) and sarconphytonol (153), were isolated from the Hainan soft coral Sarcophyton latum [57], while bisepoxide (154), from the soft coral Sarcophyton torturosum was reported by Leone and his coworkers [58].…”