cembrene-a and Leukemia-P388

Two new cytotoxic cembranoid diterpenes, brassicolide (1) and brassicolide acetate (2); a new cytotoxic sesquiterpene, (-)-4alpha-O-acetyl-selin-11-en (3); and six cytotoxic terpenoids, (-)-selin-11-en-4alpha-ol (4), 2-hydroxynephthenol (5), nephthenol (6), cembrene A (7), epoxycembrene A (8), and (-)-beta-elemene (9), have been isolated from the Formosan soft coral Nephthea brassica. The structures of compounds 1-9 were determined by spectral, chemical, and X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Cnidaria; Crystallography, X-Ray; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Heterocyclic Compounds, 2-Ring; Humans; KB Cells; Leukemia P388; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Methylene Chloride; Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment; Spectrophotometry, Infrared; Taiwan; Tumor Cells, Cultured