Two new sesquiterpenoids from the soft coral Sinulariapolydactyla (Ehreberg)

Abstract

Two new sesquiterpenoids, polydactins A (1) and B (2) and a known sesquiterpene, 10α-hydroxycadin-4-en-15-al (3), were isolated from the soft coral Sinularia polydactyla (Ehreberg). Their structures were determined mainly by spectroscopic methods. Polydactin A (1) showed moderate cytotoxic activities against human oral epidermoid carcinoma cell lines (KB) and human breast carcinoma (MCF) tumour cell lines (in vitro).

Keywords:

• soft coral
• Sinularia polydactyla
• sesquiterpenoids
• anti-tumour
• polydactin A
• polydactin B

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from National High Technology Development Project of China (863 Project, No. 2001AA620403) and a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.29932030). We acknowledge Z.C. Tang of Qingdao Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica, for identification of the soft coral species.