In vitro antiviral activity of dammar resin triterpenoids

: Nine triterpenes with antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus types I and II in vitro were isolated from dammar resin. Each compound caused a significant reduction in viral cytopathic effect when Vero cells were exposed continuously to 1-10 micrograms/ml of compound for 48 h after viral challenge. The triterpenes were identified as dammaradienol [1], dammarenediol-II [2], hydroxydammarenone-I [3], ursonic acid [5], hydroxyhopanone [11], dammarenolic acid [15], shoreic acid [16], eichlerianic acid [17], and a novel compound, hydroxyoleanonic lactone [7], on the basis of their chromatographic, spectroscopic, and physical properties.