Structure elucidation and chemistry of novel diterpenoids from Euphorbia plants of Iran

Plants of the genus Euphorbia have been investigated for different bioactive natural products. I have isolated several new and bioactive diterpenoids from different species of Euphorbia of Iran with myrsinane type skeleton. The structure of the compounds was determined using high resolution mass spectroscopy, 1 D and 2 D NMR spectral data. The stereochemistry of the diterpenoids was determined by NOE difference spectroscopy and ROESY spectra. Myrsinane type diterpenoids and cycloartane type triterpenoids were found to be chemotaxonomically important constituents of the Euphorbia plants of Iran. Some of the diterpenoids showed enzyme inhibitory activity against alpha-glycosidase, prolyl endopeptidase, analgesic activity, DNA damaging activity and anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase