Summary: | Two new steroids, dendronesterones D (<b>1</b>) and E (<b>2</b>), featuring with 1,4-dienone moiety, along with three known steroids, methyl 3-oxochola-4,22-diene-24-oate (<b>3</b>), 5α,8α-epidioxy-24(<i>S</i>)- methylcholesta-6,22-dien-3β-ol (<b>4</b>), and 5α,8α-epidioxy-24(<i>S</i>)-methylcholesta-6,9(11),22-trien-3β-ol (<b>5</b>), were isolated from an octocoral <i>Dendronephthya</i> sp. The structures of steroids <b>1</b> and <b>2</b> were elucidated by using spectroscopic methods and steroid <b>1</b> was found to exhibit significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells by inhibiting the expression of the iNOS protein.
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