软珊瑚是南海最常见的类群之一。国外在十多年前已对软珊瑚开始广泛研究。国内近年来龙康侯等对南海软珊瑚的化学成分研究亦做了不少工作,发现了一些具有新的侧链结构的甾醇及西松烷(cembrane)型的二萜内酯。后者具有一定的细胞毒性。 Soft coral is one of the most common taxa in the South China Sea. More than a decade ago, foreign soft coral began extensive research abroad. In recent years, Longkang et al. Have also done a lot of work on the chemical compositions of the soft corals in the South China Sea. Some steroid and cembrane-type diterpene lactones with new side chain structures have been discovered. The latter has some cytotoxicity.