Recent Advances in Bioactive Natural Products from Plant Fruits: Structures, Activities, and Future Prospects

Fruits are a significant source of novel active natural products, rich in terpenoids, lignans, glycosides, flavonoids, polyphenols, lipids, and other bioactive substances, which display a wide array of physiological functions, including anti-inflammatory, glucose-lowering, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The search and discovery of novel active ingredients derived from fruits is not only of great significance in the field of health foods but also holds enormous potential in drug development. New active ingredients can provide new ideas and resources for modern medicine and healthcare. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of 174 new natural products that possess anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective properties, neuroprotective, anti-tumor, and enzyme inhibitory activities reported in 34 publications over the past five years (2020-2024). These products, including terpenoids, lignans, alkaloids, phloroglucinols, glycosides, flavonoids, etc., are derived from various plant fruits, with a focus on their structures and biological activities. The objective of this article is to offer valuable insights that can facilitate the research and development of novel bioactive natural products derived from fruits.