Totarol

Totarol is a naturally produced diterpene that is bioactive as (+)-totarol. It was first isolated by McDowell and Esterfield from the heartwood of Podocarpus totara, a yew tree found in New Zealand. Podocarpus totara was investigated for unique molecules due to the tree's increased resistance to rotting. Recent studies have confirmed (+)-totarol's unique antimicrobial and therapeutic properties. Consequently, (+)-totarol is a promising candidate for a new source of drugs and has been the goal of numerous syntheses. Totarol is a naturally produced diterpene that is bioactive as (+)-totarol. It was first isolated by McDowell and Esterfield from the heartwood of Podocarpus totara, a yew tree found in New Zealand. Podocarpus totara was investigated for unique molecules due to the tree's increased resistance to rotting. Recent studies have confirmed (+)-totarol's unique antimicrobial and therapeutic properties. Consequently, (+)-totarol is a promising candidate for a new source of drugs and has been the goal of numerous syntheses. Although totarol was first isolated in Podocarpus totara, (+)-totarol has also been identified in numerous other species of Podocarpaceae and Cupressaceae, with the majority found in the genus Podocarpus of the family Podocarpaceae and the subfamily Cupressoideae of the family Cupressaceae.Outside Podocarpus and Cupressoideae, (+)-totarol is rarely found in the plant kingdom. However, (+)-totarol has recently been isolated in Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary). The gymnosperms that contain (+)-totarol are distributed worldwide but are concentrated in North America, the far-south regions of South America, East Asia and East Africa. (+)-Totarol motivates research in drug discovery due to its ability to inhibit numerous microorganisms. (+)-Totarol exhibits antimicrobial properties in numerous species including gram-positive bacteria, acid-fast bacteria, nematodes, parasitic protozoans, crustaceous foulers (Table 1). In addition to inhibiting microorganisms by itself, (+)-totarol exhibits inhibitory synergy with currently used antimicrobial drugs: (+)-totarol potentiates isonicotinic acid hydrazide against various Mycobactiera.; methicillin against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Staphylococcus aureus; and anacardic acid and erythromycin against Staphylococcus aureus. In nature, (+)-totarol is a key player in gymnosperm's defense against harmful microbes: gymnosperms that produce (+)-totarol are increasingly resistant to rotting.