Crannenols A-D, Sesquiterpenoids from the Irish Deep-Sea Soft Coral Acanella arbuscula

Four undescribed sesquiterpenoids, crannenols A-D (1-4), have been isolated from CHCl₂and MeOH extracts of the deep-sea bamboo coral Acanella arbuscula. The corals were collected from a submarine canyon on the edge of Ireland's Porcupine Bank via a remotely operated vehicle. The structure elucidation of these (Z,E)-α-farnesene derivatives was achieved using a combination of 1D and 2D NMR, electron impact (1, 2), and electrospray ionization (3, 4) mass spectrometry.