A NEW HEXAHYDROXYSTEROL FROM A SOFT CORAL SARCOPHYTON ELEGANCE MOSER FROM THE COASTS OF GULF OF MANNAR IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

A new hexahydroxysterol, (24S) -24-methylcholestane-1β, 3β, 5α, 6β ,25, 26-hexol 25-monoacetate (5) was isolated from a soft coral Sarcophyton elegance Moser collected from the coasts of the Gulf of Manner of Indian Ocean together with five known polyhydroxysterols 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. The structures of the marine natural products, compounds 3, 4, 5 and 6 were derived from spectral data of their acetyl derivatives 3a, 4a, 5a and 6a respectively.