Bioactive Terpenoid Compounds in Medicinal Applications
Summary
Terpenoid compounds represent one of the largest and most structurally diverse classes of natural products, encompassing mono-, sesqui-, di-, and triterpenoids. Their broad therapeutic potential spans anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, anticancer and antimicrobial activities. Advances in isolation and characterisation techniques have unveiled novel scaffolds such as sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids and abietane-type diterpenoids, which modulate key signalling pathways and cellular targets. Optimisation through semi-synthetic derivatisation and total synthesis has improved potency, selectivity and pharmacokinetic profiles. Interdisciplinary efforts now integrate genomics, metabolic engineering and structure-based design to harness terpenoid biosynthesis in microbial platforms. Despite challenges in supply and formulation, bioactive terpenoids continue to inspire the development of next-generation therapeutics.
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Bioactive Terpenoid Compounds in Medicinal Applications publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in bioactive terpenoid compounds in medicinal applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Terpenoid: A large class of naturally occurring organic compounds constructed from isoprene units, widely distributed in plants and microorganisms, with diverse biological activities.
Sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloid: A subclass of terpenoids in which a three-isoprene (C15) sesquiterpene core is linked to a pyridine moiety, often conferring immunomodulatory or anti-inflammatory properties.
Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB): A transcription factor complex central to the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses; its dysregulation is implicated in autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Diterpenoid: A terpenoid comprising four isoprene units (C20) that can form diverse scaffolds such as abietane and kaurane, many of which exhibit cytotoxic or antimicrobial effects.
References
- Structure Characterization of Four New Sesquiterpene Pyridine Alkaloids from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. and Anti-Inflammatory Activity Evaluations. Molecules (2024).
- Immunosuppressive Sesquiterpene Pyridine Alkaloids from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f.. Molecules (2022).
- New Abietane and Kaurane Type Diterpenoids from the Stems of Tripterygium regelii. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2017).
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