Three new highly oxidative cembranoids, sarcophytrols D-F (1-3), were obtained from the South China Sea soft coral Sarcophyton trocheliophorum, along with two known related ones (4 and 5). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses and by comparison with literature data. The discovery of these new secondary metabolites enriched the family of cembranoids deduced from the title animal.
Keywords: Cembranoids; Sarcophyton trocheliophorum; Sarcophytrol; Soft coral; Structure elucidation.