SECONDARY METABOLITES OF THE YELLOW AND GRAY MORPHS OF THE SOFT CORAL PARERYTHROPODIUM-FULVUM-FULVUM - COMPARATIVE ASPECTS

The yellow and gray morphs of the soft coral Parerythropodium fulvum fulvum (Cnidaria: Octocorallia) have been investigated during a three-year period. Fifteen metabolites have been identified; of these, one (8) is a new acetate of lemnacarnol, and six others (3, 11, 12, 14, 16, and 17) are new sesquiterpenes of known skeletons. The structure of the yellow morph's volatile dye, designated fulfulvene [3], has been established. It has been found that fulfulvene, together with other sesquiterpenes and other yet unidentified compounds, is lost during freeze-drying. Although some of the 15 identified compounds appeared in all extracts, others were found to be specific to either the gray or yellow morph, and some were rarely present. Gc studies of the volatile compounds have indicated significant differences for the various colonies, but no significant variation of the 15 identified compounds was evident when the chemistry of the male, female, and unidentified colonies was compared. The gc-ms analysis the volatile compounds of the yellow morph suggests it to contain, inter alia, alkylated benzenes. Comprehensive H-1- and C-13-nmr assignments of compounds 1, 2, and 18 are described.