A known norcembranoidal diterpene, 5-episinuleptolide (1), along with a new analogue, 4α-hydroxy-5-episinuleptolide (2), were isolated from a cultured-type soft coral Sinularia numerosa. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods and by comparison of the data with those of the related metabolites. Cytotoxicity of metabolites 1 and 2 against a panel of tumor ...

Cumulating evidence indicates that chronic kidney disease (CKD) becomes one of the greatest threats to public health, affecting 10% general population globally. Renal fibrosis is hallmark and common pathological feature CKD. However, no treatment targeting renal available so far. To fulfill unmet clinical needs, we screened a series small-molecule diterpene compounds extracted isolated from bud...

Tanshinones are abietane-type norditerpenoid quinone natural products that are the bioactive components of the Chinese medicinal herb Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. The initial results from a functional genomics-based investigation of tanshinone biosynthesis, specifically the functional identification of the relevant diterpene synthases from S. miltiorrhiza, are reported. The cyclohexa-1,4-diene ar...

New diterpenylquinones, combining a diterpene diacid and a naphthoquinone, were prepared from junicedric acid and lapachol. The new derivatives were assessed as gastroprotective agents by the HCl-EtOH-induced gastric lesions model in mice as well as for basal cytotoxicity on the following human cell lines: Normal lung fibroblasts (MRC-5), gastric epithelial adenocarcinoma (AGS), and hepatocellu...