Further eleganolone-derived diterpenes from the brown alga Bifurcaria bifurcata

Four new diterpenes (1–4) together with six known members of this family were isolated from the brown alga Bifurcaria bifurcata collected off the coast near Roscoff, France. The structures of the new compounds were established in a comprehensive study on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric (ESI-MS) analyses. Our assignment is supported by a comparison of the ¹³C NMR chemical shifts to known compounds and predicted values. The new diterpenes are derivatives of the diterpene eleganolone (5). The structural relation and hypothetical metabolic pathway of the new diterpenes (1–4) with the co-isolated known diterpenes are discussed.     

Omriolide A and B; two new rearranged spongian diterpenes from the marine sponge Dictyodendrilla aff. retiara

Two new rearranged spongian diterpenes designated omriolide A and B were isolated from the southern Kenyan sponge Dictyodendrilla aff. retiara collected at Wasini Is., Shimoni Channel. Omriolide A possesses an octalin linked to a unique trioxatricyclo[5.2.1.0^4,10]decane ring system, forming a tricyclic ‘cap’. Omriolide B comprised a tricyclo[5.4.0.0^2,4]undecane linked to a dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane. The structures of both diterpenes were elucidated by interpretation of MS results and, mainly, 1D and 2D NMR spectra.     

Enantiospecific synthesis of the tricyclic core structure of lippifolianes

An enantiospecific synthesis of the [6.6.3]-tricyclic carbon framework, 2,6,6,9-tetra-methyltricyclo[5.4.0.0^2,4]undecane, present in the sesquiterpenes lippifolianes and the diterpenes cyclosclareol, metasequoic acids and parguerols, starting from the readily available monoterpene (R)-carvone, is described.     

Preparation and reactions of cis-5,10-methanoxymethano-1-methyl-Δ1,9-2-octalone as an intermediate in the total synthesis of clerodane type diterpenes

The synthesis of cis-5,10-methanoxymethano-1-methyl-Δ^1,9-2-octalone ($\text{5}$) is described. Its value as an intermediate is demonstrated by a number of reactions that are essential in the planned total synthesis of clerodane diterpenes.     

Antimutagenic activity of ent-kaurane diterpenoids from the aerial parts of Isodon japonicus

From the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Isodon japonicus, two new ent-kaurane diterpenes, isodonterpenes I and II, were isolated together with 10 known diterpenes. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. The absolute configuration of isodonterpene I was elucidated by Cu-Kα X-ray crystallographic analysis. Antimutagenic activities of the major diterpenes were evaluated by the Ames test. This study represents the first evaluation of the antimutagenic activities of ent-kaurane diterpenes.     

Euphorbia Diterpenes: An Update of Isolation,Structure, Pharmacological Activities and Structure–Activity Relationship

Euphorbia species have a rich history of ethnomedicinal use and ethnopharmacological applications in drug discovery. This is due to the presence of a wide range of diterpenes exhibiting great structural diversity and pharmacological activities. As a result, Euphorbia diterpenes have remained the focus of drug discovery investigations from natural products. The current review documents over 350 diterpenes, isolated from Euphorbia species, their structures, classification, biosynthetic pathways, and their structure–activity relationships for the period covering 2013–2020. Among the isolated diterpenes, over 20 skeletal structures were identified. Lathyrane, jatrophane, ingenane, ingenol, and ingol were identified as the major diterpenes in most Euphorbia species. Most of the isolated diterpenes were evaluated for their cytotoxicity activities, multidrug resistance abilities, and inhibitory activities in vitro, and reported good activities with significant half-inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values ranging from 10–50 µM. The lathyranes, isopimaranes, and jatrophanes diterpenes were further found to show potent inhibition of P-glycoprotein, which is known to confer drug resistance abilities in cells leading to decreased cytotoxic effects. Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies revealed the significance of a free hydroxyl group at position C-3 in enhancing the anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities and the negative effect it has in position C-2. Esterification of this functionality, in selected diterpenes, was found to enhance these activities. Thus, Euphorbia diterpenes offer a valuable source of lead compounds that could be investigated further as potential candidates for drug discovery.     

Birhodomolleins D and E,two new dimeric grayanane diterpenes with a 3-O-2′ linkage from the fruits of Rhododendron pumilum

Two dimeric grayanane diterpenes with a novel 3-O-2 linkage, birhodomolleins D (1) and E (2), were isolated and structurally elucidated from the fruits of Rhododendron pumilum. Their structures were fully determined by comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data.     

Terpenoids from Marine Soft Coral of the Genus Xenia in 1977 to 2019

Members of the marine soft coral genus Xenia are rich in a diversity of diterpenes. A total of 199 terpenes consisting of 14 sesquiterpenes, 180 diterpenes, and 5 steroids have been reported to date. Xenicane diterpenes were reported to be the most common chemical skeleton biosynthesized by members of this genus. Most of the literature reported the chemical diversity of Xenia collected from the coral reefs in the South China Sea and the coastal waters of Taiwan. Although there was a brief review on the terpenoids of Xenia in 2015, the present review is a comprehensive overview of the structural diversity of secondary metabolites isolated from soft coral genus Xenia and their potent biological activity as reported between 1977 to 2019.     

Antioxidant activity of crude extracts and essential oils from flower buds and leaves of Cistus creticus and Cistus salviifolius

Volatile oils from flowers and leaves of C. creticus L. and C. salviifolius L. were extracted by two extraction methods; namely, hydrodistillation and solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME). The chemical composition of essential oils was analyzed by GC and GC–MS. The volatile extracted from leaves and flowers of C. criticus using SPME was dominated by monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes hydrocarbon with α-pinene, camphene and α-cubebene as major components. In hydrodistillation, the oil extracted from leaves was dominated by oxygenated diterpenes and diterpenes hydrocarbon with manoyl oxide and sclarene as major components, whereas, the oil extracted from flowers was dominated by oxygenated diterpenes and diterpenes hydrocarbon with manoyl oxide and abietatriene as major components. The volatile from flowers and leaves of C. salviifolius obtained by SPME were dominated by monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes with δ-3-carene, α-pinene, β-pinene, and E-caryophyllene as major constituents. On the other hand, the oils from flowers and leaves of C. salviifolius obtained by hydrodistillation were dominated by oxygenated diterpenes, diterpenes hydrocarbon and esters with dehydro abietol, abietol, manoyl oxide and methyl octadecenoate as major components. In the leaves, the major components of the oil were manoyl oxide, E-ethyl cinnamate, and Z-ethyl cinnamate. These oils showed weak antioxidant activity when compared to the positive controls α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and EDTA, while the crude extracts aq. MeOH, butanol, and water showed good antioxidant activity. Discriminating between the studied plants based on the extraction method was also possible upon applying Principle component analysis (PCA) to the obtained GC–MS data.     

Isolation and structure determination of new 4,12-dideoxyphorbol esters from Euphorbia pannonica Host.

Phytochemical study of the aerial parts of Euphorbia pannonica led to the isolation of two new tigliane diterpenes, 4,12-dideoxy(4β)phorbol-20-benzoate-13-isobutyrate (1) and 4,12-dideoxy(4β)phorbol-20-benzoate-13-isovalerianate (2). The structures and relative stereochemistry were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR experiments (¹H NMR, JMOD, COSY, NOESY, HSQC and HMBC).     

New diterpenoids from stems and roots of Caesalpinia crista

Nine new cassane-type diterpenes, named taepeenin A-I, and two new norcassane-type diterpenes, named nortaepeenin A-B, were isolated from the stems and roots of Caesalpinia crista along with three known diterpenes: vinhaticoic acid, methyl vinhaticoate and ent-11β-hydroxy-rosa-5,15-diene. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. In addition, the structure of taepeenin A was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Two new abietane diterpenes from Cordia latifolia

Two new abietane diterpenes cordioic acid and cordifolic acid were isolated from the methanolic extract of Cordia latifolia stem bark. The structures of these diterpenes were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first instance of isolation of diterpenoids from this source. Furthermore, cordifolic acid is a rare 2,3-seco-abietane suggestive of its biogenesis from 3-keto-analogue.     

Higher isoprenoids—VIII: Diterpenoids from the oleoresin of hardwickia pinnata part 1: hardwickiic acid

The oleoresin from Hardwickia pinnata Roxb. is shown to be a complex blend of sesquiterpenes and diterpenes. (?)-Copaene, (?)-caryophyllene and humulene account for over 90% of the sesquiterpenes present. The diterpenes, which constitute some 60% of the oleoresin, have been found to consist of a series of closely related new diterpenoids of ent-clerodane type. Evidence leading to the elucidation of the absolute stereostructure of the main diterpenoid-hardwickiic acid—is presented.     

New premyrsinane-type diterpene polyesters from Euphorbia falcata

Four new premyrsinane-type diterpenes (1-4) were isolated from the methanol extract of the whole, undried plant of Euphorbia falcata. Their structures were determined by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR (COSY, HMBC, HSQC and NOESY) techniques and mass spectral data as di-, tetra-, penta- and hexaesters of diterpene polyols, esterified with acetic, benzoic, propanoic, isobutanoic and n-hexanoic acids. One of the compounds contains a rare hemiacetal moiety. This type of diterpenes was previously detected only in four Euphorbia species (Euphorbia aleppica, Euphorbia decipiens, Euphorbia macroclada and Euphorbia pithyusa subsp. cupani).     

Amygdaloidins A-L, twelve new 13 α-OH jatrophane diterpenes from Euphorbia amygdaloides L.

Twelve new diterpenes, named amygdaloidins A-L (1-12), possessing a unique substitution pattern of the jatrophane skeleton, have been isolated from the wood spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides L. (Euphorbiaceae). The chemical structures of amygdaloidins A-L have been established through a combination of extensive nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry methods. To deeper investigate the conformations adopted by such compounds in solution, we have carried out a molecular mechanic and dynamics calculation on amygdaloidin A and on the previously isolated euphodendroidin I. The data obtained gave further information on the endo- and exo-type conformations, the two main orientations of the jatrophane diterpenes.     

Novel norcassane-type diterpene from the seed kernels of Caesalpinia crista

Three novel norcassane-type diterpenes were isolated from a CH₂Cl₂ extract of the seed kernels of Caesalpinia crista together with four known cassane-type diterpenes. All the new compounds represent unprecedented carbon framework. Norcaesalpinin A (1) and B (2) had 17-norcassane skeleton, while norcaesalpinin C (3) had 16-norcassane skeleton. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis.     

Identification of anti-inflammatory diterpenes from the marine gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae

Analysis of the terpene metabolites of Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae collected from the Florida Keys has resulted in the identification of a novel hydroxyquinone, elisabethadione (1), as well as new pseudopterosins and seco-pseudopterosins. Anti-inflammatory assays indicate that elisabethadione is more potent than the well characterized pseudopterosin A and E. This report also describes the co-occurrence of pseudopterosins and seco-pseudopterosins, diterpenes with amphilectane and serrulatane skeletons, respectively. This together with our previously described isolation of elisabethatriene as the sole diterpene cyclase product in P. elisabethae suggests that the amphilectane and serrulatane families of diterpenes are derived from the same geranylgeranyl diphosphate cyclase product.     

Cyclopiane-type diterpenes from the deep-sea-derived fungus Penicillium commune MCCC 3A00940

Three new cyclopiane diterpenes (1–3) and one rare spirocyclolide (5) were isolated from the deep-sea-derived fungus Penicillium commune MCCC 3A00940, along with 11 known compounds. The planar structures of the new compounds were determined by extensive analysis of their NMR and HRESIMS spectra, and the absolute configurations were established on the basis of specific rotation data in association with calculated ECD spectra. Four of the cyclopiane diterpenes (1–4), with a rigid 6/5/5/5 fused tetracyclic ring framework, are rarely found in Nature. Notably, conidiogenone J (1) is the first naturally occurring enantiomer of the cyclopiane diterpenes. Additionally, penijanthine B (6) and 3-hydroxy-5-methoxystilbene (14) exhibited moderate antiallergic effects with IC₅₀ values of 30 and 33?μM, respectively.     

Trypanocidal constituents of Dracocephalum komarovi

Trypanocidal constituents of Dracocephalum komarovi were investigated. Under guidance of the in vitro trypanocidal activity against epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease, two new diterpenes, dracocequinones A (1) and B (2), and two known triterpene acids, ursonic acid and ursolic acid, were isolated as trypanocidal constituents, in addition to previously reported diterpenes, cyclocoulterone (4), komaroviquinone (5), dracocephalone A (6) and komarovispirone (7). Furthermore a new diterpene, komarovinone A (3), was isolated, together with four known terpenes. Among these compounds, komaroviquinone (5) showed the most potent activity with minimum lethal concentration of 0.4 μM. Structure elucidation of the new diterpenes 1-3 was described.     

Epoxyeleganolone et eleganediol,deux nouveaux diterpenes de bifurcaria bifurcata ross (cystoseiracees)

UV, IR, NMR (¹H and ¹³C) and mass spectra show that epoxyeleganolone and eleganediol, isolated from $\text{Bifurcaria bifurcata}$ Ross, are two linear diterpenes related with eleganolone previously shown up in this alga.