title: Unusual Cytotoxic Steroidal Saponins from the Gorgonian Astrogorgia dumbea.
abstract: Three steroidal saponins, including astrogorgiosides A (1) and B (2) bearing acetamido-glucose moieties, and astrogorgioside C (3) with a 19-nor and bearing an aromatized B ring steroid aglycone, together with a known major saponin dimorphoside A (4), were obtained from the gorgonian Astrogorgia dumbea collected near Dongshan Island in East China Sea. Structures of these compounds were elucidated by in-depth spectral and chemical methods, including 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS spectra, and acidic hydrolysis. For the first time, acetamido-glucose moiety is being reported from a gorgonian. The B-ring aromatized steroid aglycone of compound 3 is also rare in marine natural products. Compounds 1-3 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 26.8-45.6 µM against human tumor cells Bel-7402 and K562.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of East China Sea & Oceanic Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ya-Nan
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of East China Sea & Oceanic Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qing
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Guang
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of East China Sea & Oceanic Fishery Resources Exploitation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Qi
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002681:China; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000737:chemistry*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D012503:Saponins