Enzymatic Synthesis of Austroeupatol Esters with Enhanced Antiprotozoal Activity.

Austroeupatol, the principal diterpene isolated from the invasive shrub , holds promise for structural diversification and biological assessment of its derivatives due to its abundant availability and high yield isolation. We propose an efficient enzymatic synthesis of a series of austroeupatol esters derived from aliphatic and heterocyclic carboxylic acids. Systematic optimization of reaction parameters, including enzyme type and quantity, acylating agent amount, solvent, and temperature, was conducted. lipase in cyclohexane at 55 °C, yielded esters with favorable conversion rates. Through enzymatic catalysis, mono- and diacylated derivatives were obtained, with a diacylation-monoacylation ratio influenced by temperature and acylating agent amount. The antiprotozoal activity of austroeupatol and all synthesized derivatives was evaluated, observing that acylation improved it. The 19-valeroyl, 19-indolylpropyl, and 19-octyl derivatives were the most potent compounds against and , highlighting this approach as a valuable method for synthesizing austroeupatol derivatives as potential antiparasitic agents.