Lobophytones U - Z₁, biscembranoids from the Chinese soft coral Lobophytum pauciflorum.

Chemical examination of a Chinese soft coral Lobophytum pauciflorum resulted in the isolation of seven new biscembranoids named lobophytones U-Z(1) (1-7, resp.), together with methyl sartortuoate (8) and nyalolide (9). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by 1D- and 2D-NMR (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) spectroscopic analysis in association with MS and IR data. All compounds were tested against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) release in mouse peritoneal macrophage. Lobophytone Z (6) inhibited NO production with an IC(50) value of 2.6 μM. Lobophytone H (1) showed inhibitory activities against the bacteria S. aureus and S. pneumoniae.