It seems as though Taiwanese  scientists have come across a potent chemical within the soft coral, named capnellene, that can be used in combating inflammation in rats. A BBC News article continued to explain that:

Capnellene appears to work on the supporting cells that surround nerve cells, which are thought to be responsible for neuropathic pain in some way.

Dr Wen’s team tested capnellene and a second very similar compound in isolated microglia cells and in experimental models of neuropathic pain in rats, with promising results.

This was conducted by Dr Zhi-Hong Wen and colleagues at the National Sun Yat-Sen University. He said:

Today there are few pharmacological agents that can help people suffering from neuropathic pain, but we believe that these marine-derived compounds could lead to the development of a new range of drugs of great potential

This is amazing news. And here we are, throwing those soft coral fragmants away. You could be sitting on a goldmine.