Cembrane diterpenes from the southern African soft coral Cladiella kashmani.

Two known cembrane diterpenes, flaccidoxide (1) and (1Z,3E,7E,11S, 12S,14S)-11,12-epoxy cembra-1,3,7-trien-14-ol (2), and the new cembrane diterpene flaccidoxide-13-acetate (3) were isolated from specimens of Cladiella kashmani collected off Ponto do Oura, Mozambique. The modified Mosher's method established the previously unassigned absolute configuration of 1 as (1Z,3E,7E,11S,12S,13S, 14R)-14-acetoxy-11,12-epoxy cembra-1,3,7-trien-13-ol. Acetylation of 1 yielded 3 and thus confirmed the structure of 3 as (1Z,3E,7E,11S, 12R,13S,14R)-13,14-diacetoxy-11,12-epoxy cembra-1,3,7-triene. All three diterpenes were toxic to the brine shrimp Artemia salina.