Anti-inflammatory Sesquiterpenoids from a Sponge-Derived Fungus Acremonium sp.

In the course of our search for bioactive metabolites from a sponge-derived fungus Acremonium sp., new sesquiterpenoids (1-4) were isolated along with known derivatives by bioactivity-guided fractionation. The unique cyclic skeleton of compounds 2 and 3 is unprecedented. The absolute configurations were determined by modified Mosher's method and CD spectroscopy, along with comparison of H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopic data and specific optical rotation values with those reported. The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated compounds (1, 5, 7-13) was evaluated by measuring their inhibitory effects on the production of pro-inflammatory mediators (NO, IL-6, and TNF-alpha) in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. Among the compounds tested, compounds 7 and 9 significantly inhibited the production of NO and TNF-alpha at the concentration of 100 mu M, while compounds 11 and 12 showed selective inhibition of NO production at the same concentration.