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A computer-assisted chemical investigation of an intriguing photoreaction of norditerpenoids (3‒7) has been first reported, leading to not only their biomimetic conversion, but also the generation of several new products with uncommon 4,14-dioxabicyclo[10.2.1]pentadecane scaffold (8, 9, 12‒14). In bioassay, compounds 10and 15exhibited significant stimulation of GLP-1 secretion. This study has given an insight for the application of computational methods on the late-stage skeleton transformation of complex natural products towards new bioactive compounds.

Three new diterpenes, xishacorenes A–C, featuring an undescribed bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane nucleus bearing 1-vinyl and 13-[(E)-4-methylpenta-1,3-dien-1-yl] alkyl chains, and a related monocyclic known compound, were isolated from the Xisha soft coral Sinularia polydactyla. The structures of xishacorenes A–C, including their absolute configurations, were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and TDDFT ECD calculations. The new compounds exhibit an interesting dose-dependent promotion effect on the ConA-induced T lymphocyte proliferation. A plausible biosynthetic pathway of xishacorenes A–C is proposed.