Synthetic studies of neoclerodane diterpenes from Salvia divinorum: semisynthesis of salvinicins A and B and other chemical transformations of salvinorin A.
Journal of natural products January 1, 2006 Wayne W Harding, Matthew Schmidt, Kevin Tidgewell et al. 59 citations
Salvinorin A, a hallucinogen from the plant Salvia divinorum, is unique as the first non-nitrogenous compound known to bind to opioid receptors. To understand why it selectively targets kappa opioid receptors, researchers systematically altered its structure and tested the effects on receptor binding and activity. This work describes chemical transformations of salvinorin A, including a semisynthesis of salvinicins A and B. It also identifies compound 10a as the first neoclerodane diterpene with delta opioid antagonist activity, providing new tools for studying opioid receptor interactions.