Diterpenes biological activities

Table 13. Plant Diterpene Biological Activities Table 13. Plant diterpene biological activities. 

The TMM [4-1-3] cycloaddition to pyrone has been employed in a synthetic study of a novel biologically active diterpene pseudolaric acid B (106), in which the formation of the bridged adduct (107) from the 2-pyrone (108) is the key step in the sequence (Scheme 2.29). A mixture of the other isomer (109) and the methylenecyclopentane (110) was also isolated from the reaction. It is important to point out that the presence of a tin co-catalyst is critical in effecting the reaction. This is the first example a "tin-effect observed in a [4-1-3] cycloaddition [40]. 

The tricyclic substance 18A and 18B are both potential synthetic intermediates for synthesis of the biologically active diterpene forskolin. These intermediates can be prepared from the monocyclic precursors shown. Indicate the nature of the reactions involved in these transformations. 

Chemical Structures and Biological Activity of Natural Diterpene QMs... 

Page JE, Balza F, Nishida T, Towers GH. (1992). Biologically active diterpenes from Aspilia mossambicensis, a chimpanzee medicinal plant. Phytochemistry. 31(10) 3437-39. 

The stmctural complexity and biological activity of the cyathane family of diterpenes has stimulated considerable interest from synthetic chemists, as reflected in the number and diversity of approaches reported thus far [42]. Our own strategy for cyathane synthesis is based on a rhodium-catalyzed [5+2] cycloaddition. The precursor for this reaction was fashioned ultimately from commercially available and inexpensive (S)-(-)-limonene. Treatment of the ketone 139 with 5 mol% [RhCl(CO)2]2 in 1,2-dichloro-ethane gave cycloadduct 140 (Scheme 13.14) in 90% yield and in analytically pure form after simple filtration through a plug of neutral alumina [43]. 

Table I. Diterpenes with Known Biological Activity against Insects... 

Biologically active secondary metabolites from fungi. 12. Oidiolactones A-F, labdane diterpene derivatives isolated from Oidiodendron truncata. John, M. Krohn, K. Florke, U. Aust, H-J. Draeger, S. Schulz, B. J. Nat. Prod. 1999, 62, 1218-1221. 

LABDANE -TYPE DITERPENES CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY... 

Various other biologically active diterpenes have been isolated from plants and are used by man for the treatment of a variety of diseases. The bark of Pinus strobus (Pinaceae), rich in diterpenes, among them manoyl oxide, is used in anticough syrups, whilst traditionally it has been used for the treatment of coughs, colds, congestion, injury, rheumatism and swelling by Indian Americans [26], The antiinflammatory and antimicrobial activity of various diterpenes has been reported [27], as well as anti-fungal activity [28] and remarkable cytotoxic activity for some of them [27,29],... 

A variety of biological activities have been associated with labdane diterpenes including antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, enzyme induction, anti-inflammatory modulation of immune cell functions, as well as cytotoxic and cytostatic effects against human leukemic cell lines. 

An intramolecular 2-alkylation was also observed in a sulfonyl free radical induced addition-cyclization <95SL763>. A key intermediate in a new synthesis of pallescensin A (a biologically active labdane diterpene) was prepared by a cationic cyclization reaction with a furan <95SYN1141>. The sonochemical Barbier reaction was extended to carboxylate salts. 2-Furanylketones 10 can be obtained by sonication of a mixture of furan, lithium carboxylate, an alkylchloride, and lithium in THF <95JOC8>. 

The genus Consolida, Aconitum, and Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) are well-known to be rich in diterpene alkaloids, which possess a diverse range of biological activities. These plants have also been the cause of poisonings, which primarily occur in cattle as well as human beings, due to toxicity of their alkaloids. In one of our recent studies, five diterpenoid-derivative alkaloids, lycoctonine (9), 18-O-methyllycoctonine (10), delcosine (11), 14-acetyldelcosine (12), and 14-acetylbrowniine (13) (as shown in Fig. 3) were screened for their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities [39]. 

Even though much is already known about the toxicity of diterpene alkaloids that contribute to the toxicity of Consolida, Delphinium, and Aconitium species, no antiviral study has been so far reported on this type of alkaloids. Therefore, no SAR studies have been encountered by us on the antiviral or antimicrobial activities of these alkaloids. However, a quantitative SAR analysis performed on a number of diterpene alkaloids isolated from an Aconitum sp. indicated that biological activity of these alkaloids may be related to their toxicity rather than to a specific pharmacological action [40]. In a current study on 43 norditerpenoid alkaloids from Consolida, Delphinium, and Aconitum species against several tumor cell lines, lycoctonine and browniine were... 

The biological activity of diterpenes is copiously reported in the literature. Singh et al. reviewed the biological activity of labdane diterpenes from 1987 to 1997.30 The antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and other... 

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