Pregnane-type steroids from the formosan soft coral Scleronephthya flexilis

Abstract

Three pregnane-type steroids, including a new metabolite, 3β-methoxy-5, 20- pregnadiene (1) along with two known analogues, 3β-acetoxy-5, 20-pregnadiene (2) and 5α-pregna-1, 20-dien-3-one (3) were isolated from the soft coral Scleronephthya flexilis. Standard spectroscopic techniques were used to determine the structure of new steroid 1. The absolute stereochemistry of steroid 2 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Steroid 3 exhibited potent activity against MOLT-4 tumor cells. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.