New Labdanes with Antimicrobial and Acaricidal Activity: Terpenes of Callitris and Widdringtonia (Cupressaceae)

In spite of the evidence for antimicrobial and acaricidal effects in ethnobotanical reports of Callitris and Widdringtonia, the diterpene acids from Widdringtonia have never been described and no comparison to the Australian clade sister genus Callitris has been made. The critically endangered South African Clanwilliam cedar, Widdringtonia wallichii (syn. W. cedarbergensis), of the Cederberg Mountains was once prized for its enduring fragrant timbers and an essential oil that gives an aroma comparable to better known Mediterranean cedars, predominantly comprised by widdrol, cedrol, and thujopsene. In South Africa, two other ‘cedars’ are known, which are called W. nodiflora and W. schwarzii, but, until now, their chemical similarity to W. wallichii has not been investigated. Much like Widdringtonia, Callitris was once prized for its termite resistant timbers and an ‘earthy’ essential oil, but predominantly guaiol. The current study demonstrates that the essential oils were similar across all three species of Widdringtonia and two known non-volatile diterpene acids were identified in leaves: the pimaradiene sandaracopimaric acid (1) and the labdane Z-communic acid (2) with a lower yield of the E-isomer (3). Additionally, in the leaves of the three species, the structures of five new antimicrobial labdanes were assigned: 12-hydroxy-8R,17-epoxy-isocommunic acid (4), 8S-formyl-isocommunic acid (5), 8R,17-epoxy-isocommunic acid (6), 8R-17R-epoxy-E-communic acid (7), and 8R-17-epoxy-E-communic acid (8). Australian Callitris columellaris (syn. C. glaucophylla) also produced 1 and its isomer isopimaric acid, pisiferal (9), and pisiferic acid (10) from its leaves. Callitris endlicheri (Parl.) F.M.Bailey yielded isoozic acid (11) as the only major diterpene. Diterpenes 4–6, pisiferic acid (10), spathulenol, and guaiol (12) demonstrated antimicrobial and acaricidal activity.

Study on Thermal Isomerization of Isopimaric Acid

The thermal isomerization reaction of isopimaric acid was studied by a treatment at different temperature of 250 °C, 260 °C and 270 °C for 1-5 h under the protection of nitrogen. The isomerization mechanism of isopimaric acid was illuminated. Isopimaric acid was remarkably isomerized to 8, 15-isopimaric acid and sandaracopimaric acid, the higher thermal treatment temperature combined with longer thermal treatment time, the faster isomerization rate of isopimaric acid was observed. It was found that the isomerization rate of isopimaric acid towards 8, 15-isopimaric acid was faster than to sandaracopimaric acid. The decomposition reaction of pimaric-type acids occurred slightly in conditions of 250 ~ 270 °C.

Transformation of resin sandaracopimaric acid into androstane analogs

Preparation of the α,β-unsaturated 15-ketosteroid 13 by acid-promoted cyclization of the pimarane diterpene β-hydroxyacid 5 is described.

Metabolites of the honey mushroom, Armillariamellea

The fungus Armillariamellea (Vahl ex. Fr.) Kummer is responsible for severe losses in timber and fruit production. The metabolites isolated when certain strains of this fungus are grown in liquid culture have been identified as diterpenoid acids possessing the abietane (1) and pimarane (2) skeletons. These compounds, known collectively as resin acids, have not been reported previously from a fungal source. In addition to the resin acids dehydroabietic acid (3), pimaric acid (4), isopimaric acid (5), and sandaracopimaric acid (6), three additional acids, levopimaric acid endo-peroxide (7), 7-oxodehydroabietic acid (9), and 7-oxo-15-hydroxydehydroabietic acid (10) were obtained. On one occasion three orange pigments, austocystin F (11), averufin (12), and averufanin (13), all previously known fungal metabolites, were isolated.