Studies of Australian Soft Corals. XLIII. The Structure Elucidation of a New Diterpene From Alcyonium molle

Abstract

The isolation of a new cladiellin based diterpene (6), (1S,2R,3S,4R,SR,6S,8E,11S,12R,13S,14S)-3-acetoxy-2,12-dibutanoyloxycladiell-8-ene-4,11-diol is reported from the soft coral Alcyonium molle (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea, Alcyoniidae). The structure was deduced by high-field n.m.r. spectroscopy including ¹³C-^lH shift correlated 2D n.m.r. experiments and n.O.e. measurements. The absolute configuration was based on the kinetic resolution method of Horeau. This highly derivatized diterpene (6) is the first alcyonacean derived metabolite to possess hydroxy functionalities protected as butyrate esters, although this feature is relatively common among gorgonacean metabolites. Gorgosterol (7), which cooccurs with (6) in A. molle was identified and its ¹³C n.m.r. spectrum reported for the first time.