A Comprehensive Review of Triterpenoids, Structures and Cytotoxicity: An update from 2015 to 2024

Abstract

Triterpenoids are important natural products, usually found in medicinal plants, marine organisms, and fungi, and they exhibited a broad spectrum of biological activities, particularly notable for their potent cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines both in vitro and in vivo. Some triterpenoids have been approved for clinical use for treatment cancer, while other potent compounds are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. In this work, we provide a comprehensive overview of the types, structures, and cytotoxicity of triterpenoids reported from 2015 to 2024. We also proposed the constructive strategies for their structural modifications based on their structure-activity relationships, in hope of developing new anticancer drugs.