Natural Cembrane Diterpenoids From the Soft Coral <i>Sinularia querciformis</i>

Chemical examination of <i>Sinularia querciformis</i> afforded one new cembranoid, querciformolide F (<b>1</b>), along with four known cembranoids, sinulariolone (<b>2</b>), granosolide A (<b>3</b>), querciformolide A (<b>4</b>), and sinulariolide (<b>5</b>). The structures of these compounds were determined by extensive spectroscopic (IR, ESIMS, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR) analysis and by comparison with those previously reported in the literature. Compounds <b>2</b> to <b>4</b> were found to exhibit significant anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 mouse macrophages through attenuating the expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) proteins.