Synthesis of a novel dicyano abietane analogue: a potential antiinflammatory agent.

From a structure-activity relationship perspective, the new abietane 5 having cyano groups at C-2 and C-13 and a phenolic ring C has been synthesized and evaluated biologically because the related compound 4 has high potency in inflammation models in vitro and in vivo. Compound 5 was synthesized from 8, which was obtained in five steps from the known compound 9, via an unexpected aromatization caused by the addition of PhSeCl and subsequent oxidation/elimination of the selenated intermediate 14 with H2O2.