*Article* **Anti-Inflammatory Cembranoids from a Formosa Soft Coral** *Sarcophyton cherbonnieri*

### **Chia-Chi Peng 1,**†**, Chiung-Yao Huang 1,**†**, Atallah F. Ahmed 2,3, Tsong-Long Hwang 4,5,6 and Jyh-Horng Sheu 1,7,8,\***


Received: 25 September 2020; Accepted: 13 November 2020; Published: 19 November 2020

**Abstract:** The present investigation on chemical constituents of the soft coral *Sarcophyton cherbonnieri* resulted in the isolation of seven new cembranoids, cherbonolides F–L (**1**–**7**). The chemical structures of **1**–**7** were determined by spectroscopic methods, including infrared, one- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) NMR (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY), MS experiments, and a chemical reduction of hydroperoxide by triphenylphosphine. The anti-inflammatory activities of **1**–**7** against neutrophil proinflammatory responses were evaluated by measuring their inhibitory ability toward *<sup>N</sup>*-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine/cytochalasin B (fMLF/CB)-induced superoxide anion generation and elastase release in primary human neutrophils. The results showed that all isolates exhibited moderate activities, while cherbonolide G (**2**) and cherbonolide H (**3**) displayed a more active effect than others on the inhibition of elastase release (48.2% ± 6.2%) and superoxide anion generation (44.5% ± 4.6%) at 30 μM, respectively.

**Keywords:** *Sarcophyton cherbonnieri*; cembranoid; anti-inflammatory activity; elastase release; superoxide anion generation
