Potential antitumor promoting diterpenoids from the stem bark of Thuja standishii.

Six diterpenes, including one new natural product, were isolated from a CHCl 3 extract of the stem bark of Thuja standishii. The new compound has been characterized as 15-oxolabda-8(17),13 Z-dien-19-oic acid. The known compounds were identified as ferruginol (2), sugiol (3), isocupressic acid (4), sandaracopimaric acid (5) and 15-oxolabda-8(17),13 E-dien-19-oic acid (6). Compounds 2-5 and the derivatives 4a and 4b were tested for their inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). Compounds 2, 3, 4 and 5 showed strong inhibitory effect on EBV-EA induction (100 % inhibition at 1000 mol ratio/TPA).