Antioxidant diterpenoids from the roots of Salvia barrelieri

INTRODUCTION: The phytochemical and biological studies carried out on Salvia species showed that their extracts and constituents have various biological activities. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was the isolation of diterpenoids from the roots of Salvia barrelieri Ettling and the determination of the antioxidant activity. METHODOLOGY: Chromatographic methods were used for fractionation and isolation, respectively. Structure elucidation was established by spectroscopic methods. Five antioxidant assays were performed. RESULTS: Three new abietane diterpenoids barreliol, royleanone 12-methyl ether and 7-epi-salviviridinol, and six known diterpenoids, with a known dammarane triterpenoid, pyxinol were isolated. The absolute stereochemistry of pyxinol was confirmed by X-ray analysis. CONCLUSION: Taxodione exhibited the highest antioxidant activity among the tested compounds.