Heterolactone and Heterolactams A-M, Verticillane Diterpenoids with Anti-Inflammatory and Hepatoprotective Activities from the Soft Coral Heteroxenia ghardaqensis .

Fourteen new verticillane diterpenoids, heterolactone () and heterolactams A-M (-), were isolated from the soft coral . They structurally share the same 6/12 bicyclic carbon skeleton that is not commonly encountered in marine organisms. The structures, including the absolute configurations, were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, calculated ECD spectra, and DP4+ probability analyses. Compounds , , and showed anti-inflammatory activities, and , , and displayed hepatoprotective activities in zebrafish assays.