3Alpha,7alpha,12alpha-triacetoxy-5beta-cholanic acid, a steroid from the Formosan soft coral Alcyonium sp. (Alcyoniidae)

Chemical investigation of the organic extract of a soft coral belonging to the genus Alcyonium furnished a steroid, 3alpha,7alpha,12alpha-triacetoxy-5beta-cholanic acid (1). The structure of steroid 1 was assigned on the basis of spectroscopic evidence, particularly in 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The configuration of steroid 1 was further supported by molecular mechanics calculations.