Abstract
A new furanone metabolite of the rubrolide family, rubrolide R as diacetate (1), was isolated from a new species of the ascidian Synoicum, besides the known compounds rubrolide A (as diacetate), cadiolide B and prunolide A. The structure of the new rubrolide was elucidated by a study of spectral data. The crude extract and isolated compounds (prunolide A and cadiolide B) showed antiviral activity against the Japanese encephalitis virus. Prunolide A showed cytotoxic activity against breast cancer cell lines at a concentration of < 1 μM.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), New Delhi, for financial support; CDRI, Lucknow, for performing the antiviral activity analysis; Advanced Cancer Treatment Research and Educational Centre (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Research Centre, Mumbai, for performing the cytotoxic activity analysis; and Dr V.K. Meenakshi, APC Mahalakshmi College, Tuticorin, for the identification of the ascidian.