title: Bioactive polyoxygenated steroids from the South China sea soft coral, Sarcophyton sp.
abstract: Seven new polyoxygenated steroids (1-7) were isolated together with seven known analogues (8-14) from the South China Sea soft coral, Sarcophyton sp. The structures of the new compounds were identified on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis and comparison with reported data. All the steroids are characterized with 3β,5α,6β-hydroxy moiety, displaying carbon skeletons of cholestane, ergostane, gorgostane and 23,24-dimethyl cholestane. In the in vitro bioassay, metabolites exhibited different levels of antimicrobial activity against bacterial species Escherichia coli and Bacillus megaterium, and fungal species Microbotryum violaceum and Septoria tritici. No inhibition was detected towards microalga Chlorella fusca. Preliminary structure-activity analysis suggests that the 11α-acetoxy group may increase both antibacterial and antifungal activities. The terminal-double bond and the cyclopropane moiety at the side chain may also contribute to the bioactivity.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Marine Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China. yiyanghua@126.com
authors.forename: Zenglei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Pan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Taofang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Baoshu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yanghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa / Q000737:chemistry*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D002681:China; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D013256:Steroids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D013256:Steroids