Antibacterial sphingolipid and steroids from the black coral Antipathes dichotoma.

From the black coral Antipathies dichotoma, a sphingolipid (2S*,3S*,4E,8E)-2N-[tetradecanoyl]-4(E),8(E)-icosadiene-1,3-diol (1) and a steroid (22E)-methylcholesta-5,22-diene-1α,3ß,7α-triol (2) were isolated. Other known compounds, 3ß,7α-dihydroxy-cholest-5-ene (3), (22E,24S),5α,8α-epidioxy-24-methylcholesta-6,22-dien-3ß-ol (4) and (22E,24S),5α,8α-epidioxy-24-methylcholesta-6,9(11),22-trien-3ß-ol (5). The structures were established on the basis of NMR spectroscopic analysis and comparison with literature. The antibacterial activity of five compounds was evaluated.