Muricenones A and B: New Degraded Pregnanes from a Gorgonian of the Genus Muricea.

The gorgonian Muricea sp. contains two new degraded pregnanes, muricenones A (1) and B (2), whose structures have been defined by spectroscopic analysis. The uncommon carbon framework of muricenones may be biosynthetically derived by oxidative cleavage and loss of one carbon atom of the A-ring of the steroidal nucleus. The new compounds, 1 and 2, isolated from Muricea sp., selectively inhibit the growth of the A-549 human lung carcinoma cell line. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2002)