New anti-inflammatory norcembranoids from the soft coral Sinularia numerosa

Abstract

Two new norcembranoids, sinumerolide A (1) and its epimer, 7E-sinumerolide A (2), were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the soft coral Sinularia numerosa. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were established using spectroscopic methods. In the in vitro anti-inflammatory effect test, norcembranoids 1 and 2 were found to inhibit the accumulation of the pro-inflammatory inducible nitric oxide synthase protein of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells significantly.