Recent advances in cassane diterpenoids: structural diversity and biological activities

Area of Science:

• Natural Product Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Cassane diterpenoids are a class of natural products with a characteristic three fused cyclohexane ring skeleton.
• These compounds are primarily isolated from plants belonging to the genus *Caesalpinia* (family *Fabaceae*).
• Existing literature indicates a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities for cassane diterpenoids, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, cytotoxic, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive update on newly reported cassane diterpenoids from 2019 to 2025.
• To categorize these compounds based on their distinct carbon skeletons.
• To discuss their biological activities, biosynthetic pathways, isolation methods, and structure-activity relationships.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific publications from 2019 to 2025.
• Categorization of cassane diterpenoids based on structural classification (e.g., tricyclic cassanes, butanolide-containing cassanes, furanoditerpenoids, norcassanes, ester amines, amides, penta-spiro cassanes).
• Synthesis of information regarding isolation, purification, biological activities, biosynthesis, and structure-activity relationships.

Main Results:

• A total of 238 cassane diterpenoids reported between 2019 and 2025 were discussed.
• Compounds were systematically classified into seven distinct structural categories.
• The review covers diverse pharmacological effects and provides insights into biosynthetic origins and structure-activity correlations.

Conclusions:

• The findings expand the chemical knowledge of cassane diterpenoids and their biological potential.
• Cassane diterpenoids represent a promising source for novel drug discovery.
• Further investigation into these compounds is warranted for their therapeutic applications.