Brominated Aromatic Furanones and Related Esters from the Ascidian <i>Synoicum</i> sp.

Abstract

Nine new compounds, tris-aromatic furanones (1, 2, 3a, 3b, and 4) and related bis-aromatic diesters (5a, 5b, 6a, and 6b), are described from the ascidian Synoicum sp. collected off the coast of Chuja-do, Korea. The structures of these compounds, designated as cadiolides E and G-I (1-4) and synoilides A and B (5 and 6), were determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configuration at the asymmetric center of cadiolide G (2) was assigned by ECD analysis. Of these new compounds, cadiolide I and the synoilides possess unprecedented carbon skeletons. Several of these compounds exhibited significant inhibition against diverse bacterial strains as well as moderate inhibition against the enzymes sortase A, isocitrate lyase, and Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase.