Sesquiterpene metabolites of the antarctic gorgonian Dasystenella acanthina.

The ethereal extract of the Antarctic gorgonian Dasystenella acanthina was found to contain three main nonpolar and relatively transient sesquiterpene metabolites (1-3), which were isolated and submitted to spectral analysis. Two of them were identified as the previously reported compounds trans-beta-farnesene (1) and isofuranodiene (3), whereas the third metabolite, the furanoeudesmane 2, was unknown. The structure elucidation of this new sesquiterpene was solved mainly on the basis of its spectral properties and correlation with known compounds.