Syntheses and antibacterial activities of diterpene catechol derivatives with abietane, totarane and podocarpane skeletons against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes.

Natural catechol, quinone and quinone methide diterpenes with abietane (15-deoxyfuerstione, taxodione) and totarane (dispermone, 12,13-dihydroxy-8,11,13-totaratriene-6-one), and podocarpane (nimbidiol, deoxynimbidiol) skeletons were synthesized using ortho-oxidation of phenol with meta-chlorobenzoyl peroxide. Minimum inhibitory activities of these diterpenes and previously synthesized natural diterpenes were measured against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Propionibacterium acnes, which cause serious skin infection associated with acne. Abietaquinone methide and 8,11,13-totaratriene-12,13-diol showed potent activities against S.

Syntheses of carnosic acid and carnosol, anti-oxidants in Rosemary, from pisiferic acid, the major constituent of Sawara.

Carnosic acid (2), a major anti-oxidant in rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), was synthesized from pisiferic acid (1), the major constituent of Sawara (Chamaecyparis pisifera), via ortho-oxidation of the phenol using meta-chlorobenzoyl peroxide (mCBPO), chloroacetyl meta-chlorobenzoyl peroxide (CAMCBPO) or 2-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX). Carnosol (3), another anti-oxidant in rosemary, was synthesized from carnosic acid by oxidation with silver oxide. Potent antibacterial activities against Propionibacterium acnes (ATCC 6919) (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) mug/ml) and Staphylococcus aureus ME/GM/TC Resistant (ATCC 33592) (MIC mug/ml) of carnosic acid and carnosol were reported.