Naturally occurring aromatic steroids and their biological activities

Area of Science:

• Natural product chemistry
• Medicinal chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Aromatic steroids are a class of natural compounds with diverse origins.
• Their biological activities and distribution remain incompletely understood.
• Natural products are crucial scaffolds for drug discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the distribution and biological activities of natural mono-, di-, and triaromatic steroids.
• To highlight the potential of these compounds in drug discovery.
• To provide a comprehensive overview for researchers and industry professionals.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific databases.
• Analysis of reported natural sources of aromatic steroids.
• Compilation of known biological activities and structural data.

Main Results:

• Aromatic steroids are produced by microorganisms, fungi, marine invertebrates, plants, and animals.
• They are found in various environments, including marine sediments and karst deposits.
• Eighty biologically active aromatic steroids demonstrate likely anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotection activities (78-92% confidence).

Conclusions:

• Natural aromatic steroids are widely distributed and possess significant biological activities.
• These compounds represent a valuable resource for identifying new drug leads.
• Aromatic steroids are of high interest to chemists, physicians, biologists, pharmacologists, and the pharmaceutical industry.