We recently reported a series of new meroditerpenoids including naphthoquinone derivatives, tetraprenyltoluquinone-related metabolites, and tetraprenyltoluquinol-related metabolites from the soft coral Nephthea chabrolii AUDOUIN (Alcyonacea, Nephthedae). 1,2) In continuation of our search for cytotoxic metabolites from a soft coral N. chabrolii, collected from Taiwanese waters, we have further isolated six new metabolites including two new sesquiterpenoids, chabrolidione A and B (1 and 2), two C 18 terpenoid-related carboxylic acids, ketochabrolic acid (3) and isoketochabrolic acid (4), and one naphthoquinone derivative chabrolonaphthoquinone C (5) along with two known compounds (ϩ)-aristolone (6) 3,4) and teuhetenone A (7).5) The structures of 1-5 were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses and by comparison of the spectral data with those of the related metabolites. The relative configuration of 1 was established by careful analysis on the NOE correlations of their NOESY spectra. Cytotoxicity of these compounds toward several cancer cell lines was also evaluated.Soft corals specimen was collected off the coast of Pingtung county, southern Taiwan, and extracted exhaustively with in EtOH. After evaporation of the solvent, the residue of EtOH extract was triturated sequentially with n-hexane, and then with EtOAc. The EtOAc and n-hexane extracts were successively subjected to silica gel gravity column chromatography and normal phase HPLC purification to afford compounds 1-7.Chabrolidione A (1) was obtained as a colorless oil. On the basis of its HR-EI-MS (m/z 236.1773, M ϩ ) and 1 H-and 13 C-NMR spectral data, the molecular formula of 1 was established as C 15 H 24 O 2 . The existence of the ketone functional group (n max 1712 cm Ϫ1 ) in 1 was observed from IR spectrum. Inspection of the 13 C-NMR and DEPT spectral data (Table 1) of 1, indicated the presence of 15 carbon signals of a sesquiterpenoid. These signals were ascribable to carbons of three methyls, five sp 3 methylenes, one sp 2 methylene, and three sp 3 methines. The remaining three signals appearing in the lower field region of the spectrum are due to the quaternary carbons of one olefinic carbon (d 149.0) and two ketone carbonyls (d 208.6, 214.3). By the assistance of extensive 2D NMR study (COSY, HMQC, HMBC), the 4,5-seco-guaiane skeleton 6) of 1 was proposed (Fig. 1). The relative stereochemistry of 1 was confirmed to be 1S*, 7S*, 10S* from the following NOESY correlations (Fig. 2): H-10, H-8a (d 1.82), and H-6a (d 2.42) with H-1; H-7 with H-6b (d 2.62); H 3 -14 with H-9b (1.78). It was found that 1 has been obtained previously by chemical reaction.7) However, this compound was discovered for the first time from natural sources.The new metabolite chabrolidione B (2) Road, Checheng, Pingtung 944, Taiwan, R.O.C.: e Institute of Marine Biotechnology, National Dong Hwa University; Checheng, Pingtung 944, Taiwan, R.O.C.: and f Asian Pacific Ocean Research Center, National Sun Yatsen University; Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan, R.O.C. Rece...