Gigante B, Santos C, Silva A M, Curto M J M, Nascimento M S J, Pinto E, Pedro M, Cerqueira F, Pinto M M, Duarte M P, Laires A, Rueff J, Gonçalves J, Pegado M I, Valdeira M L
INETI, Departamento de Tecnologia de Indústrias Qui;micas, Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, 22, 1649-038 Lisbon, Portugal.
Bioorg Med Chem. 2003 Apr 17;11(8):1631-8. doi: 10.1016/s0968-0896(03)00063-4.
Catechols from abietic acid were prepared by a short and good yielding chemical process and further evaluated for several biological activities namely, antifungal, antitumoral, antimutagenic, antiviral, antiproliferative and inhibition of nitric oxide. Their properties were compared with those of carnosic acid (6), a naturally occurring catechol with an abietane skeleton and known to possess potent antioxidant activity, as well as anticancer and antiviral properties. From all the synthetic catechols tested compound 2 showed the best activities, stronger than carnosic acid.
