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Updated: May 14, 2026

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Based Targeted Metabolomics of Hard Coral Samples
Published on: October 13, 2023
Steroidal carboxylic acids from soft coral Paraminabea acronocephala
Chih-Hua Chao1, Yang-Chang Wu, Zhi-Hong Wen
1Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan. chaochihhua@hotmail.com
Abstract:
Three new steroidal carboxylic acids, paraminabic acids A-C (1-3) were isolated from a Formosan soft coral Paraminabea acronocephala. The structures of these compounds were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. Application of the PGME method allowed the establishment of the absolute configurations at C-25 and C-24 for 1 and 2, respectively. Compound 3 showed potent cytotoxicity toward Hep3B, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and A-549 cancer cell lines, with IC(50) values ranging from 2.05 to 2.83 μg/mL. Compounds 2 and 3 were found to inhibit the accumulation of the pro-inflammatory iNOS protein.
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For acyclic saturated monocarboxylic acids, the longest hydrocarbon chain containing the –COOH carbon is identified as the parent chain. Then, the last -e of the parent hydrocarbon name is replaced with a suffix -oic acid.

