Studies of Australian soft corals. X. The isolation of epoxyisoneocembrene-A from Sinularia grayi and isoneocembrene-A from Sarcophyton ehrenbergi

Abstract

The isolation of an epoxyisoneocembrene-A [(E,E,E)-11,12-epoxy-1- isopropyl-4,8,12-trimethylcyclotetradeca-1,3,7-triene] (1), from the soft coral Sinularia grayi, is reported and its structure demonstrated by chemical and spectroscopic means. The isolation of an isomer of the reported cembrene sarcophytoxide (2) and of isoneocembrene-A (3), an isomer of the termite trail pheromone neocembrene-A, from the soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi is also reported. Chemical transformations enabled (1) to be converted into (3).