Diversity-Oriented Synthesis of a Library of Podocarpic Acid Derivatives

Review Article

Austin J Bioorg & Org Chem. 2014;1(1): 7.

Diversity-Oriented Synthesis of a Library of Podocarpic Acid Derivatives

McKee NA, Bradford S, Parish DE, Neely WC and Parish EJ*

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Auburn University, USA

*Corresponding author: Parish EJ, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, 36849, USA.

Received: July 09, 2014; Accepted: July 22, 2014; Published: July 29, 2014

Abstract

A variety of compounds, with a related structure to podocarpic acid, have been found to possess a wide variety of biological activities, including antileukemic activity, inhibition of plant cell growth, insect toxicity and antifungal properties. In the present study, a series of synthetic derivatives of podocarpic acid have been prepared by chemical synthesis for potential biological evaluation as useful compounds for use in medicine and agriculture.

Keywords: Podocarpic acid; Derivatives; Chemical synthesis

Introduction

Podocarpic acid 1 (Figure 1) was first isolated from the resin of Podocarpus cupressins, an important timber tree which is endemic to Java, and later from Podocarpus dacrydioides ("Kahikatea") and Dacrydium cupressinum ("Rimu"), trees which are found in the timber regions of New Zealand [1]. Since 1968, more than forty oxygenated metabolites of podocarpic acid have been isolated from various species of Podocarpus [2,3].

Interest in these naturally occurring and synthetic lactones, podolactones, and related podocarpic acid derivatives has been mainly due to the novel structures of these compounds and the various types of biological activity possessed by them.

Octahydrophenanthrene lactones 2 (Figure 1) and related podocarpic acid derivatives 3 have been reported to possess hormonal and anti-inflammatory properties [4]. Other similar podolactones have been shown to inhibit the expansion and division of plant cells 4 [5-9], to have antileukemic activity 5 [10], to have antibacterial activity [11], to have insect toxicity properties [12-14], and to exhibit antitumor activity [15-18].

Citation: McKee NA, Bradford S, Parish DE, Neely WC and Parish EJ. Diversity-Oriented Synthesis of a Library of Podocarpic Acid Derivatives. Austin J Bioorg & Org Chem. 2014;1(1): 7.