The chemical examination of the soft coral Sclerophytum levi collected from the Red Sea led to isolation and structurally elucidation of a new mono- acyl glycerol ester, [(2R)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl] (2R)-2-hydroxypentadecanoate (1), along with myristyl palmitate (2), (Z)-2-(9-octadecenyloxy) ethanol (3), 24-methylene cholesterol (4) and 23-demethylgorgosterol (5). The chemical composition of the isolated metabolites was determined via optimised spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR analyses. The new mono alkyl glycerate (m-AG) showed moderate antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans microbial strains using agar well diffusion method and recorded a weak in vitro cytotoxic and antioxidant activities.
Keywords: Sclerophytum levi; Sinularia levi; antimicrobial; cytotoxic and antioxidant activities; glycerol ester.