Potent inhibitors of histamine release, two novel triterpenoids from the Okinawan marine sponge Penares incrustans.

Two novel triterpenoids with an unusual 14-carboxyl group, penasterone [1] and acetylpenasterol [2], were isolated from the Okinawan marine sponge Penares incrustans. The structures of 1 and 2 were established mainly on the basis of nmr spectroscopic data. The relative stereochemistry of 1 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 potently inhibited histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells induced by anti-IgE in a dose-dependent manner.