neo-Clerodane diterpenoids from Ajuga: structural elucidation and biological activity

摘要

The presence of several types of allel-ochemicals has been reported from Ajuga, a Lab-iatae genus comprising more than 40 species of wide distribution in extratropical regions of both hemispheres. The genus is of great medicinal and economic importance and among the biological properties of the secondary metabolites, the anti-feedant activity against pest insects appears to be related to the presence of neo-clerodane type dit-erpenes. This review focuses on the isolation and structural elucidation of this type of compounds from Ajuga species and the hemisynthetic compounds of closely related structure obtained. The reported biological activity of crude extracts and isolated diterpenes will be briefly commented.