Ambergris, an excretion product of sperm whales, has been a valued agent in the formulation of perfumes. The composition of ambergris consists of two major components: 40-46% cholestanol type steroids and approximately 25-45% of a triterpenoid known as ambrein. Ambergris undergoes oxidative decomposition in the environment to result in odorous compounds, such as ambraoxide, methylambraoxide, and ambracetal. Its oxidized form, ambrafuran (IUPAC name: 3a,6,6,9a-tetramethyl-2,4,5,5a,7,8,9,9b-octahydro-1H-benzo[e][1]benzofuran), is a terpene furan with a pleasant odor and unique olfactive and fixative properties. The current state of the fragrance industry uses ambrafuran materials entirely from synthetic or semisynthetic sources. However, natural compounds with the potential to be converted to ambergris-like odorants have been extracted from several different types of plants. Here we review plant terpenoids suitable as starting materials for the semisyntheses of ambrafuran or intermediates, such as ambradiol, that can be used in biocatalytic transformations to yield ambrafuran.
Keywords: ambrafuran; fragrance; labdane; synthesis; terpenes; terpenoids.