Polyhydroxy steroids and saponins from China Sea starfish Asterina pectinifera and their biological activities

Abstract

A new polyhydroxy sterol ester, (25S)-5α-cholestane-3β,6α, 7α,8,15α,16β-hexahydroxyl-26-O-14′Z-eicosenoate (1), together with seven known steroid derivatives (2-8), were isolated from the EtOH extract of the whole body of China Sea starfish Asterina pectinifera. The structure of 1 was determined by using extensive spectra analysis (IR, 1D and 2D NMR, and MS), chemical degradation, and comparison with the known compound (25S)-5α-cholestane-3β,6α,7α,8,15α,16β, 26-heptol (2). All the isolates were evaluated for their antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and their cytotoxicity against human liver carcinoma HepG2 cell line in vitro. Compounds 3-6, and 8 exhibited antiviral activity against HSV-1 virus with the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.2, 0.05, 0.2, 0.22, and 0.07μM, respectively. While compounds 4 and 5 exhibited cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells with IC 50 values of 0.2 and 1.6μM, respectively. © 2010 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.