Selected Pentacyclic Triterpenoids and Their Derivatives as Biologically Active Compounds

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Medicinal plants are a global source of traditional remedies and nutritional compounds.
• Plant secondary metabolites, particularly pentacyclic triterpenoids, possess significant biological importance.
• Research has often focused on common triterpenoids, leaving others less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent findings on selected pentacyclic triterpenoids and their derivatives.
• To summarize structures and biological activities of these compounds.
• To compare the effects of parent compounds and their derivatives.

Main Methods:

• Literature search conducted on Web of Science (2023-February 2025).
• Keywords focused on secondary plant metabolites and semisynthetic derivatives.
• Analysis of recently published studies on biological activity.

Main Results:

• Summarized biological activities of arjunolic acid, asiatic acid, boswellic acids, corosolic acid, maslinic acid, morolic acid, moronic acid, and friedelane triterpenoids.
• Detailed findings on the structures and bioactivities of various derivatives.
• Highlighted cytotoxicity and other reported biological effects.

Conclusions:

• Selected pentacyclic triterpenoids and their derivatives exhibit diverse biological activities.
• Further research into these less-studied compounds and their modifications is warranted.
• Understanding structure-activity relationships can guide the development of new therapeutic agents.