Ferruginol and Sugiol: A Short Review of their Chemistry, Sources, Contents, Pharmacological Properties and Patents

In this short article, the chemistry, sources, contents, pharmacological properties and patents of ferruginol (FG) and sugiol (SG) are reviewed for the first time. Sources of information cited on these two abietane diterpenes were from databases such as Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, J-Stage, Web of Science and PubChem. In the selection of articles, recent references were accorded higher priority apart from their relevance to the topics. Both FG and SG are characterized by a tricyclic ring system with a hydroxyl group and an isopropyl group at ring C. SG has a carbonyl group at ring B that is absent in FG. Found in the bark and root of plant species particularly those belonging to the families Cupressaceae and Lamiaceae, FG and SG have attracted much attention because of their diverse pharmacological properties, notably, their anti cancer and anti-protozoal activities. Three patents on FG and one on SG are described. Some areas of research requiring further investigations are suggested.