Antineoplastic diterpene-benzoate macrolides from the Fijian red alga Callophycus serratus

Three diterpene-benzoate natural products, with novel carbon skeletons and an unusual proposed biosynthesis, were isolated from extracts of the Fijian red alga Callophycus serratus and identified by a combination of X-ray crystallographic, NMR, and mass spectral analyses. Bromophycolide A (1) displayed cytotoxicity against several human tumor cell lines via specific apoptotic cell death. This represents the first discovery of natural products incorporating a diterpene and benzoate skeleton into a macrolide system.