Nootkatone derivatives and methods of using the same

A compound of formula

• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein represents a saturated or an unsaturated bond and X is selected from a substituted or an unsubstituted aryl, a substituted or an unsubstituted alkyl, a substituted or an unsubstituted heterocycle, —NR1R2 wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from hydrogen, a substituted or an unsubstituted aryl, a substituted or an unsubstituted alkyl, or R1 and R2 together form a substituted or an unsubstituted heterocycle;
• wherein the heterocycle is a saturated, partially unsaturated, or aromatic 3- to 10-membered ring structure whose ring structure includes one to four heteroatoms selected from S, N, and O;
• wherein the substituted aryl has one or more substituents selected from hydroxyl, a halo-substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, a halo-substituted or unsubstituted alkoxyl, halo, nitro, and any combination thereof, the substituted aryl is substituted at two positions with —OR′O— forming a bicyclic group with the aryl and where R′ is alkylene, or the substituted aryl has one or more —O-heterocycle and the heterocycle is substituted or unsubstituted;
• wherein the substituted alkyl has one or more substituents selected from aryl, substituted aryl, halo, and any combination thereof, and
• wherein the substituted heterocycle has a substitution selected from one or more substituents selected from alkyl, substituted alkyl, —C(O)OR″ substituents and R″ is selected from hydrogen or alkyl, and any combination thereof.