Novel polyhydroxylated steroids from the East China Sea gorgonian Echinogorgia sassapo reticulata with suppressive activity of leukotriene C4 generation and degranulation in bone marrow-derived mast cells

The gorgonian Echinogorgia sassapo reticulata contains two new bioactive polyhydroxylated steroids, sassapols A (1), B (2), and five related known compounds (3-7). Compound 6 has been encountered for the first time in natural sources. The structures of these new compounds were defined by spectroscopic analysis. All the compounds (1-7) isolated from E. sassapo reticulata were tested for anti-inflammatory activity. Compounds 1, 3, 5, and 7 inhibited both the generation of leukotriene C-4 and the degranulation reaction in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells.