Algicidal sesquiterpene hydroquinones from the brown alga Dictyopteris undulata.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a methanol extract of the brown alga, Dictyopteris undulata, led to the isolation of a novel sesquiterpene hydroquinone named zonarenone, together with seven known sesquiterpene hydroquinones, zonarol, isozonarol, yahazunol, zonaroic acid, chromazonarol, isochromazonarol, and 2-(3,7,11-trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrienyl)hydroquinone. The structure of zonarenone was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic information. The isolated compounds, excepting zonaroic acid, showed moderate to high cell lysis activity against the red tide microalgal species, Heterosigma akashiwo and Heterocapsa circularisquama, at a concentration of 1 µg/mL.