Solvent extraction,silica column chromatography,ODS column chromatography and HPLC methods were used to isolate and refine compounds from the marine sponge Dactylospongia elegans from the South China Sea.The chemical structures were identified by spectroscopic analysis and comparison with the literature.From the CH₂Cl₂ extract of D. elegans,eight compounds were isolated and determined as dactylospene F (1),scalarin (2),honulactone A (3),honulactone B (4),honulactone E (5),honulactone F (6),honulactone I (7),honulactone J (8).Compound 1 was a new compound and compounds 2-8 were isolated from D. elegans for the first time.All of the isolates were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity.The results showed that compounds 1,3 and 4 exhibited inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production induced by lipopolysaccharide at 10 μmol/L,with inhibition rate of 65.5%,48.5% and 46.0%,respectively, and showed no cytotoxicity to RAW 264.7 in mouse macrophages.