In addition to a large number of fuhalols and phlorethols previously i
dentified in an ethanolic extract of Sargassum spimuligerum, a novel t
ype of phloroglucinol derivative was isolated as its peracetyl derivat
ive and identified by means of spectral analysis. In addition to a phl
oroglucinol unit, the new compound contains an ascorbic acid moiety. T
he stereochemistry of this compound was elucidated by NOE experiments
in combination with molecular modelling. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd
.