Dehydroconicasterol and aurantoic acid, a chlorinated polyene derivative, from the Indonesian sponge Theonella swinhoei.

The chlorinated polyene aurantoic acid (1) and the 4-methylene sterol dehydroconicasterol (2) were isolated from the Indonesian sponge Theonella swinhoei, and their structures were elucidated by interpretation of spectroscopic data. Aurantoic acid is a unique member in the class of naturally occurring conjugated polyene derivatives, while dehydroconicasterol is the likely biogenetic precursor of the major Theonella 4-methylene sterols.