Antibacterial mono- and sesquiterpene esters of benzoic acids from Iranian propolis

BACKGROUND Propolis (bee glue) has been used as a remedy since ancient times. Propolis from unexplored regions attracts the attention of scientists in the search for new bioactive molecules. RESULTS From Iranian propolis from the Isfahan province, five individual components were isolated: the prenylated coumarin suberosin 1, and four terpene esters: tschimgin (bornyl p-hydroxybenzoate) 2, tschimganin (bornyl vanillate) 3, ferutinin (ferutinol p-hydroxybenzoate) 4, and tefernin (ferutinol vanillate) 5. All of them were found for the first time in propolis. Compounds 2 - 5 demonstrated activity against Staphylococcus aureus. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study are consistent with the idea that propolis from unexplored regions is a promising source of biologically active compounds.