New steroids from the soft coral Nephthea chabrolii.

ABSTRACT

A new cytotoxic 19-oxygenated steroid, nebrosteroid Q(1) and two new cytotoxic 19-norergosterols, nebrosteroids R and S (2 and 3) were isolated from the soft coral Nephthea chabrolii collected at San-Hsian-Tai. The structures of nebrosteroids Q-S (1-3) were elucidated by spectral analysis, and their cytotoxicity against selected cancer cells as well as antiviral activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) were measured in vitro.