A set of thirteen cassane-type diterpenes was synthesized and an expedient synthetic route was used to evaluate 14-desmethyl analogs of the most active tested cassane. The anti-inflammatory activities of these 13 compounds were evaluated on a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cell line by inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production, some of them reaching 100% NO inhibition after 72 h of treatment. The greatest anti-inflammatory effect was observed for compounds 16 and 20 with an IC_{50 NO} of 2.98 ± 0.04 μg/mL and 5.71 ± 0.14 μg/mL, respectively. Flow-cytometry analysis was used to determine the cell cycle distribution and showed that the inhibition in NO release was accompanied by a reversion of the differentiation processes. Moreover, the anti-cancer potential of these 13 compounds were evaluated in three tumor cell lines (B16-F10, HT29, and Hep G2). The strongest cytotoxic effect was achieved by salicylaldehyde 20, and pterolobirin G (6), with IC₅₀ values around 3 μg/mL in HT29 cells, with total apoptosis rates 80% at IC₈₀ concentrations, producing a significant cell-cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase, and a possible activation of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway. Additionally, initial SAR data analysis showed that the methyl group at the C-14 positions of cassane diterpenoids is not always important for their cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities.

Synthesis of the natural product prattinin A and some new derivatives has been achieved using abietic acid. The final products and a selection of intermediates were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against three human pathogenic bacteria: E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus. The results showed that the antibacterial activity varies depending on the chemical structure of the compounds. Notably, compound 27 exhibited the most potent activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa, with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 11.7 µg/mL, comparable to that of the standard antibiotic ciprofloxacin, and strong activity against S. aureus, with an MIC of 23.4 µg/mL. Furthermore, we assessed the stability of these derivative compounds as potential antimicrobial agents and determined their interactions with the crystal structure of the protein receptor mutant TEM-12 from E. coli (pdb:1ESU) using molecular docking via UCSF Chimera software 1.17.3. The results suggest that 27 has potential as a natural antibiotic agent.

The acid treatment of 6,7-seco-abietane dialdehydes gives, in high yield, the corresponding derivatives with the 4a-methyltetrahydrofluorene skeleton of taiwaniaquinoids. A mechanism involving the elimination of formic acid from the cyclic aldol intermediate is proposed here. This process can be postulated as a new biogenetic pathway from abietane diterpenes to taiwaniaquinoids. Using this novel reaction, the first enantiospecific synthesis of bioactive natural cupresol and taxodal has been obtained.

Two natural ent-kaurene diterpenoids, ent-15α-angeloyloxykaur-16-en-3β-ol (7) and ent-15α-angeloyloxykaur-16-en-3β,9-diol (8), were extracted from the aerial parts of Distichoselinum tenuifolium, and six new derivatives were synthesised from compound (7). The antitumour properties of these natural and derivative ent-kaurenes (2, 7, 9–13) were evaluated in three cancer cell lines: HT29 (colon cancer), HepG2 (hepatocellular carcinoma), and B16-F10 (murine melanoma). Among them, the synthesised ent-kaurene (13) containing an exomethylene–cyclopentanone moiety showed the strongest antiproliferative effects in all cell lines tested, with significantly lower IC50 values around 2.5 μM. Compounds 13 and 12, together with their precursor (7), were selected for further comparative cytometric and microscopic analyses. Cell cycle studies revealed that derivatives 12 and 13 exhibited promising cytostatic activity by inducing selective G2/M phase arrest, particularly effective in HT29 and HepG2 cells. Conversely, precursor (7) showed no significant effect on B16-F10 cell cycle distribution. The Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay confirmed the robust apoptotic effects of compounds (7), 12 and 13, with compound 13 inducing up to 99% total apoptosis and exhibiting significant apoptotic activity in all cell lines tested. These apoptotic effects were closely linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, as evidenced by a marked loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced Rh123 fluorescence in treated cells, thereby activating the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. These findings highlight the critical role of mitochondrial disruption in the cytotoxic mechanisms of these ent-kaurenes and underscore their potential as promising anticancer agents.