Occurrence and biological activities of eremophilane-type sesquiterpenes

Mini Rev Med Chem. 2014;14(8):664-77. doi: 10.2174/1389557514666140820105422.

Abstract

As important members of the terpenes family, sesquiterpenes represent a group of natural compounds with diverse skeletal types. Among them, the eremophilane-type sesquiterpenes, widely present in several genera (such as Ligularia, Senecio, Cacalia) of Asteraceae, account for a small number of natural compounds and form differently from other sesquiterpenes because they challenged the isoprene rule of biosynthesis. Due to the unique structural features and various functional groups, these compounds possess a number of biological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, having received increasing interest in the recent years. This review summarizes the occurrence of eremophilane-type sesquiterpenes and research progresses on their biological activities since the 1990 s.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Allergic Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Allergic Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Infective Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Infective Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Asteraceae / chemistry
  • Cell Line
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Naphthalenes* / chemistry
  • Naphthalenes* / pharmacology
  • Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes
  • Sesquiterpenes / chemistry
  • Sesquiterpenes / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Anti-Allergic Agents
  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Naphthalenes
  • Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes
  • Sesquiterpenes
  • eremophilane compounds