Secondary Metabolites from a Marine-Derived Fungus Chaetomium globosum F0831 and Their Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Four new metabolites, including two resorcinol derivatives, (S)-1-(2,4-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl)-3-hydroxybutan-1-one (1) and 5-[(8S)-2-hydroxypropyl]-6-methylbenzene-1,3-diol (2), a benzo[c][1,2]dioxine derivative, (S)-3,5,7-trimethyl-3,4-dihydrobenzo[c][1,2]dioxine-6,8-diol (3), and a cytochalasan alkaloid, 7-O-acetylarmochaetoglobin Q (5), along with nine known compounds, were isolated from the marine fungus Chaetomium globosum F0831, obtained from a South China Sea marine sediment. Their structures were accomplished by extensive spectroscopic analysis combined with single-crystal X-ray crystallography and ECD calculations (Electronic Circular Dichroism calculations). The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated. Compound 8 was discovered to potentially reduce inflammation through suppression of the AKT/STAT3 pathway, thereby inhibiting the release of inflammatory mediators (iNOS, COX-2) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β).