Natural Capnosanes: Chemical Structures and Bioactivities

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the structural characteristics, nomenclature, and biological activities of naturally occurring capnosane diterpenoids (3,7-cyclized cembranoids) reported from 1986 to 2025. The compounds covered in this survey have been isolated primarily from octocorals of the genera Alcyonium, Cespitularia, Klyxum, Lobophytum, Sarcophyton, and Sclerophytum, as well as from the tobacco species Nicotiana tabacum. A number of these naturally derived metabolites have demonstrated noteworthy biomedical potential in various biological evaluations.