Corals 7.2 Potential Pharmaceuticals from Soft Corals 189
Part A | 7.2
sp. in Curaçao and found to be mildly cytotoxic against the P388 murine leukemia cell line
with IC 50 s of 18:8, 2:7, and 15:6 g mL
1 , respectively [7.193]. The Mediterranean gorgonian P. clavata
resulted in two new alkaloids bufotenine and 1,3,7trimethylisoguanine, which showed significant antiadhesion activity against one bacterial strain while
being nontoxic [7.194].
Genus Plexaurella
Plexaurella grisea from the Caribbean (Dominican Republic) produced sterols and sesquiterpenes with selective activity against the HT 29 (ED 50 D 0:1 g mL
1 )
and P-388 tumor cell lines, respectively [7.195,
196].
Genus Echinomuricea
A xanthine derivative, named caffeine, isolated from
the gorgonian Echinomuricea spendens displayed mild
antifouling activity against marine fouling organisms [7.197]. A new halimane-type diterpenoid, echinohalimane A, was isolated from Echinomuricea sp.;
the compound exhibited cytotoxicity toward various tumor cells and displayed an inhibitory effect on the release of elastase by human neutrophils [7.198]. Echinoclerodane A from Echinomuricea sp. exhibited moderate cytotoxicity toward
MOLT-4 (molybdate uptake transporter), HL-60, DLD1 (dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase), and LoVo (human colon adenocarcinoma) tumor cells, and inhibitory effects on the generation of superoxide anions and the release of elastase by human neutrophils [7.199].
Genus Calicogorgia
Calicoferols first reported from Japanese Calicogorgia sp. Calicoferols A and B were found to be
toxic to brine shrimp; calicoferol D exhibited potent antiviral activity and calicoferols F–I showed
cytotoxicity and PLA2 inhibitory behavior [7.117,
200].
Genus Menella
A south China Sea gorgonian, Menella sp., resulted in
menellins A–C, which exhibited modest anti-inflammatory inhibition effects against RAW264.7 macrophages
with IC 50 of 71:3, 33:9 M [7.201]. A sesquiterpenoid, menelloide A, isolated from Menella sp. inhibited generation of superoxide anions by human neutrophils [7.202].
7.2.7 Family Acanthogorgiidae
Genus Astrogorgia
Astrogorgiadiol from Astrogorgia sp. inhibited cell division in starfish eggs [7.203]. Five compounds of astrogorgols A–N from Chinese Astrogorgia sp. showed
significant inhibitory activities against human tumor related protein kinases, including ALK, AXL, FAK, IGF1R, MET wt, SRC, and VEGF-R2 [7.204]. Twelve new
eunicellin-based diterpenoids, astrogorgins B–M, were
isolated from the Chinese gorgonian Astrogorgia sp.,
among which significant antifouling activity was observed for 14-deacetoxycalicophirin B against the larval
settlement of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite at nontoxic concentrations with an EC 50 D 0:59 g mL
1 ,
while the other analogs were effective within an EC 50
range of 5:1417:8 g mL
1 [7.205].
Genus Acalycigorgia
Xenicane diterpenoids including acalycixeniolide H
and D–G, and five further xenicanes isolated from the
gorgonian, Acalycigorgia inermis inhibited cell division
of fertilized starfish eggs and significant cytotoxicity
against a human leukemia cell line [7.192, 206, 207].
Genus Muricella
A sterol, calicoferol D, from the Korean gorgonian
Muricella sp. showed antiviral activity and brine shrimp
lethality [7.117, 200].
7.2.8 Family Nephtheidae
Genus Nephthea
Cytotoxic sterols were isolated from the soft coral
Nephthea erecta [7.208]. Another Formosan N. brassica yielded two new cytotoxic cembranoid diterpenes,
brassicolide and brassicolide acetate; a new cytotoxic
sesquiterpene, ()-4R-O-acetyl-selin-11-en; and six cytotoxic terpenoids, ()-selin-11-en-4R-ol, 2-hydroxynephthenol, nephthenol, cembrene A, epoxycembrene
A, and ()-ˇ-elemene, all of which showed significant
cytotoxicity in A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma),
HT-29 (human colon adenocarcinoma), KB (human
epidermoid carcinoma), and P-388 (mouse lymphocytic
leukemia) [7.209]. An isolate from Nephthea sp. (called
decaryiol) collected from the Fiji Islands was found to
be cytotoxic towards several tumor cell lines with IC 50
values ranging from 0:158:6 g mL
1 [7.88]. The
Taiwanese N. armata yielded two new cytotoxic 19oxygenated ergosterols, armatinols A and B [7.210].
Part A | 7.2
sp. in Curaçao and found to be mildly cytotoxic against the P388 murine leukemia cell line
with IC 50 s of 18:8, 2:7, and 15:6 g mL
1 , respectively [7.193]. The Mediterranean gorgonian P. clavata
resulted in two new alkaloids bufotenine and 1,3,7trimethylisoguanine, which showed significant antiadhesion activity against one bacterial strain while
being nontoxic [7.194].
Genus Plexaurella
Plexaurella grisea from the Caribbean (Dominican Republic) produced sterols and sesquiterpenes with selective activity against the HT 29 (ED 50 D 0:1 g mL
1 )
and P-388 tumor cell lines, respectively [7.195,
196].
Genus Echinomuricea
A xanthine derivative, named caffeine, isolated from
the gorgonian Echinomuricea spendens displayed mild
antifouling activity against marine fouling organisms [7.197]. A new halimane-type diterpenoid, echinohalimane A, was isolated from Echinomuricea sp.;
the compound exhibited cytotoxicity toward various tumor cells and displayed an inhibitory effect on the release of elastase by human neutrophils [7.198]. Echinoclerodane A from Echinomuricea sp. exhibited moderate cytotoxicity toward
MOLT-4 (molybdate uptake transporter), HL-60, DLD1 (dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase), and LoVo (human colon adenocarcinoma) tumor cells, and inhibitory effects on the generation of superoxide anions and the release of elastase by human neutrophils [7.199].
Genus Calicogorgia
Calicoferols first reported from Japanese Calicogorgia sp. Calicoferols A and B were found to be
toxic to brine shrimp; calicoferol D exhibited potent antiviral activity and calicoferols F–I showed
cytotoxicity and PLA2 inhibitory behavior [7.117,
200].
Genus Menella
A south China Sea gorgonian, Menella sp., resulted in
menellins A–C, which exhibited modest anti-inflammatory inhibition effects against RAW264.7 macrophages
with IC 50 of 71:3, 33:9 M [7.201]. A sesquiterpenoid, menelloide A, isolated from Menella sp. inhibited generation of superoxide anions by human neutrophils [7.202].
7.2.7 Family Acanthogorgiidae
Genus Astrogorgia
Astrogorgiadiol from Astrogorgia sp. inhibited cell division in starfish eggs [7.203]. Five compounds of astrogorgols A–N from Chinese Astrogorgia sp. showed
significant inhibitory activities against human tumor related protein kinases, including ALK, AXL, FAK, IGF1R, MET wt, SRC, and VEGF-R2 [7.204]. Twelve new
eunicellin-based diterpenoids, astrogorgins B–M, were
isolated from the Chinese gorgonian Astrogorgia sp.,
among which significant antifouling activity was observed for 14-deacetoxycalicophirin B against the larval
settlement of the barnacle Balanus amphitrite at nontoxic concentrations with an EC 50 D 0:59 g mL
1 ,
while the other analogs were effective within an EC 50
range of 5:1417:8 g mL
1 [7.205].
Genus Acalycigorgia
Xenicane diterpenoids including acalycixeniolide H
and D–G, and five further xenicanes isolated from the
gorgonian, Acalycigorgia inermis inhibited cell division
of fertilized starfish eggs and significant cytotoxicity
against a human leukemia cell line [7.192, 206, 207].
Genus Muricella
A sterol, calicoferol D, from the Korean gorgonian
Muricella sp. showed antiviral activity and brine shrimp
lethality [7.117, 200].
7.2.8 Family Nephtheidae
Genus Nephthea
Cytotoxic sterols were isolated from the soft coral
Nephthea erecta [7.208]. Another Formosan N. brassica yielded two new cytotoxic cembranoid diterpenes,
brassicolide and brassicolide acetate; a new cytotoxic
sesquiterpene, ()-4R-O-acetyl-selin-11-en; and six cytotoxic terpenoids, ()-selin-11-en-4R-ol, 2-hydroxynephthenol, nephthenol, cembrene A, epoxycembrene
A, and ()-ˇ-elemene, all of which showed significant
cytotoxicity in A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma),
HT-29 (human colon adenocarcinoma), KB (human
epidermoid carcinoma), and P-388 (mouse lymphocytic
leukemia) [7.209]. An isolate from Nephthea sp. (called
decaryiol) collected from the Fiji Islands was found to
be cytotoxic towards several tumor cell lines with IC 50
values ranging from 0:158:6 g mL
1 [7.88]. The
Taiwanese N. armata yielded two new cytotoxic 19oxygenated ergosterols, armatinols A and B [7.210].