Isolation and x-ray structure of deoxycholic acid from the sponge Ircinia sp.

Abstract

Ethyl acetate extract of the sponge Ircinia sp., collected by SCUBA divers off the coast of southern India, contained a cholest-based sterol of insignificant antimicrobial activity, with one carboxylic acid side chain (3 Alpha, 7 Beta-dihydroxy-5 Beta-cholan-24-oic acid, DCA). The structure of the compound was determined by spectroscopic data and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. DCA crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4 sub(1) 2 sub(1) 2, chirality documented by solution optical rotation [Alpha] sub(D) =+67.4 degrees (c 0.16, CHCl sub(3)).