Terpenoids from the Marine-Derived Fungus Aspergillus sp. RR-YLW-12, Associated with the Red Alga Rhodomela...

Two new meroterpenoids, aspermeroterpenes D and E (1 and 2), two new ophiobolin-type sesterterpenoids, the C-18 epimers of 18,19-dihydro-18-methoxy-19-hydroxyophiobolin P (6 and 7), and two new drimane-type sesquiterpenoids, 3S-hydroxystrobilactone A (8) and 6-epi-strobilactone A (9), along with 11 known terpenoids (3-5 and 10-17) were isolated from the cultures of the algicolous fungus Aspergillus sp. RR-YLW-12, derived from the red alga Rhodomela confervoides. The structures and relative configurations of new compounds were established by detailed spectroscopic analysis of NMR and HRMS experiments, and the absolute configurations were assigned by X-ray diffraction experiments and comparison of their experimental and calculated ECD spectra. Compound 1 features a rare 6/6/6/6/5 pentacyclic system with a meroterpenoid skeleton, and the structure of terretonin E (3) was revised in this study. Compound 4 showed significant inhibitory activities against three microalgae, Prorocentrum donghaiense, Heterosigma akashiwo, and Chattonella marina, with IC₅₀ values of 10.5, 5.2, and 3.1 μg/mL, respectively.