Structural Modifications and Biological Activities of Natural α‐ and β‐Cembrenediol: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

As one of the most characteristic ingredients of glandular trichome secretions from Nico-tiana tabacum L. (tobacco), natural cembrenediols, namely, (1S,2E,4S,6R,7E,11E)‐2,7,11‐cembra-triene‐4,6‐diol (α‐cembrenediol/α‐CBD) and its C‐4 epimer (β‐cembrenediol/β‐CBD), have attracted considerable attention for their potent antitumor, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, and other activi-ties. Many researchers are committed to exploring the possibility of utilizing these two cembrene-diols and their derivatives both in human medicine and in agricultural fungicides. To the best of our knowledge, this review is the first to provide a comprehensive summary of the chemical modifications and bioactivities of α‐ and β‐CBD from their discovery to the present day; the review high-lights their potential medicinal value for humans. The extensive references from 1962 to 2022 pro-vided herein were systematically gathered from the SciFinder, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. We expect this review to assist in providing practical ideas for future drug development based on α‐ and β‐CBD and in further facilitating the utilization of the tobacco cembrenediols.