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Review
. 2019 Aug;85(11-12):802-814.
doi: 10.1055/a-0832-2383. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Natural Product Triterpenoids and Their Semi-Synthetic Derivatives with Potential Anticancer Activity

Yulin Ren  1 , A Douglas Kinghorn  1
Affiliations
Review

Natural Product Triterpenoids and Their Semi-Synthetic Derivatives with Potential Anticancer Activity

Yulin Ren et al. Planta Med. 2019 Aug.

Abstract

Triterpenoids are distributed widely in higher plants and are of interest because of their structural diversity and broad range of bioactivities. In particular, there is a very large literature on the propensity of a variety of triterpenoids to act as potential anticancer agents. In the present review, the anticancer potential is summarized for naturally occurring triterpenoids and their semi-synthetic derivatives, including examples of lupane-, oleanane-, ursane-, and cucurbitane-type pentacyclic triterpenoids, along with dammarane-type tetracyclic triterpenes including ginsenosides and their sapogenins and dichapetalins, which have been characterized as antitumor leads from higher plants. Preliminary structure-activity relationships and reported mechanisms of the antineoplastic-related activity are included. Prior studies for triterpenoids of plant origin are supportive of additional work being conducted on the more detailed biological and mechanistic evaluation for the progression of this type of natural products as possible cancer chemotherapeutic agents.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest, financial or otherwise.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Structures of (+)-betulinic acid (1) and its natural and semi-synthetic derivatives (2–5) with potential anticancer activity (Dap: Dolaproine; Dil: Dolaisoleuine; Val: L-Valine; Dov: N,N-dimethyl-L-valine).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Structures of oleanane-type triterpenoids (6 and 8–10) and a semi-synthetic derivative (7) with potential anticancer activity.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Structures of (+)-ursolic acid (11) and its semi-synthetic analogues (12–16) with potential anticancer activity.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Structures of cucurbitacins (17–21) with potential anticancer activity and an inactive analogue (22).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Structures of dammarane-type triterpenoids (23–29) with potential anticancer activity.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Structures of dammarane-type triterpenoid ginsenosides (30–33) with potential anticancer activity.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Structures of dichapetalin-type triterpenoids (34–37) with potential anticancer activity and their inactive analogue (38).
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