Five new cembrane diterpenoids, named sinuflexibilins A-E (1-5), along with nine other known diterpenoids (6-14), have been isolated from the organic extract of a Hainan soft coral Sinularia sp. Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses and by comparison of their spectral data with those of related metabolites. Compound 13, flexibilide, exhibited significant inhibitory activity of NF-κB activation using the cell-based HEK293 NF-κB luciferase reporter gene assay.
Keywords: NF-κB inhibitor; Sinularia sp.; cembrane diterpenoids.