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“Triterpenoids” can be considered natural products derived from the cyclization of squalene, yielding 3-deoxytriterpenes (hydrocarbons) or 3-hydroxytriterpenes. Triterpenoids are metabolites of these two classes of triterpenes, produced by the functionalization of their carbon skeleton. They can be categorized into different groups based on their structural formula/design. Triterpenoids are an important group of compounds that are widely used in the fields of pharmacology, food, and industrial biotechnology. However, inadequate synthetic methods and insufficient knowledge of the biosynthesis of triterpenoids, such as their structure, enzymatic activity, and the methods used to produce pure and active triterpenoids, are key problems that limit the production of these active metabolites. Here, we summarize the derivatives, pharmaceutical properties, and biosynthetic pathways of triterpenoids and review the enzymes involved in their biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, we concluded the screening methods, identified the genes involved in the pathways, and highlighted the appropriate strategies used to enhance their biosynthetic production to facilitate the commercial process of triterpenoids through the synthetic biology method.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. In 2018, 9.6 million deaths were attributed to cancer, and it is affecting around 18 million patients each year. Natural products have been considered as the major source of lead compounds for cancer treatment. A large number of natural products have been reported by researchers all over the world and many of them are in clinical trials. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in pentacyclic triterpenoids such as Oleanolic acid, ß-boswellic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, glycyrrhetinic acid and maslinic acid as potential anticancer agents reflected by the exponential increase in the number of scientific publications and patents published on these natural products all over the world. Moreover, some of these pentacyclic triterpenoids have already been marketed in some countries as therapeutic agents for the treatment of several disorders such as cancer, diabetes, inflammation, liver disorders, etc. Two major derivatives of oleanolic acid, CDDO and CDDO-Me, have been entered into clinical trials against cancer. This book highlights the potential of oleanolic acid and its derivatives in the treatment of several human disorders. Initial chapters discuss the sources, extraction, biosynthesis and various reported biological activities of oleanolic acid while subsequent chapters describe the in vitro and in vivo applications of oleanolic acid and its different derivatives in several diseases such as bacterial infections, breast cancer, colon cancer and hepatic disorders. The last chapter of the book describes the nanoparticle-mediated delivery of oleanolic acid in cancer.

Seco- triterpenoids are a unique class of triterpenoids possessing distinct structural features. Based on the differences in their parent nucleus, they can be divided into two categories: tetracyclic triterpenes and pentacyclic triterpenes, which are widely distributed across various plant species. Previous studies indicate that natural seco -triterpenoids have diverse chemical structures and exhibit extensive biological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and neuroprotective effects. This review comprehensively summarizes recent research (2020–2023) on seco -triterpenoids and derived saponins, encompassing their chemical structures, plant distributions, pharmacological activities, structure–activity relationships, and future development trends. Furthermore, we utilized the latest bibliometric tool, VOSviewer, to conduct a keyword cluster analysis, enabling us to identify current research hotspots and patterns. Besides, we have cataloged and analyzed 351 compounds, inclusive of 298 tetracyclic triterpenoids and 53 pentacyclic triterpenoids, in order to provide valuable references for activity mining and structural modification of seco -triterpenoids, facilitating further clinical applications and developments. Collectively, seco -triterpenoids represent an important class of natural products with significant potential for pharmacological use. By summarizing recent research achievements, this review provides a beneficial resource for scientists in the field, promoting the exploration and development of seco -triterpenoid-based drugs.

The saponins are a diverse class of natural products, with a broad scale distribution across different plant species. Chemically characterized as triterpenoid glycosides, they posses a 30C oxidosqualene precursor-based aglycone moiety (sapogenin), to which glycosyl residues are subsequently attached to yield the corresponding saponin. Based on the chemically distinct aglycone moieties, broadly, they are divided into triterpenoid saponins (dammaranes, ursanes, oleananes, lupanes, hopanes, etc.) and the sterol glycosides. This review aims to present in detail the biosynthesis patterns of the different aglycones from a common precursor and their glycosylation patterns to yield the functionally active glycoside. The review also presents recent advances in the pharmacological activities of these saponins, particularly as potent anti-neoplastic pharmacophores, antioxidants, or anti-viral/antibacterial agents. Since alternate production pedestals for these pharmacologically important triterpenes via cell and tissue cultures are an attractive option for their sustainable production, recent trends in the variety and scale of in vitro production of plant triterpenoids have also been discussed.

The genus Ziziphus is cultivated worldwide mostly for its medicinal purposes aside from its edible fruits due to its diverse phytochemicals. The genus is grown in several world locations to encompass mainly Z. jujuba, Z. xylopyrus , Z. spina-christi , Z. lotus , Z. mauritiana , Z. celata, etc. Folk medicinal uses reported in genus Ziziphus  include treating headaches, obesity, common colds, diabetes, hypertension, and infections. Scientific reports published till 2022 on Ziziphus  phytochemistry and biological activities are discussed in this review, emphasizing the last 10 years to include a variety of phytochemicals, viz. alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and saponins. Terpenoids and saponins are ubiquitous in the genus Ziziphus, and to account for many of its health benefits. Consequently, this study focused on these two phytoconstituent classes never reviewed before in literature. Reported effects for Ziziphus triterpenes included antioxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory agents. This study presents an up-to-date review of the phytochemistry and biological activities of all Ziziphus species, with recapitulation on triterpenoids/saponins for utilization as therapeutic agents.

Asiatic acid (AA) is a naturally occurring aglycone of ursane type pentacyclic triterpenoids. It is abundantly present in many edible and medicinal plants including that is a reputed herb in many traditional medicine formulations for wound healing and neuropsychiatric diseases. AA possesses numerous pharmacological activities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and regulates apoptosis that attributes its therapeutic effects in numerous diseases. AA showed potent antihypertensive, nootropic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, antimicrobial, and antitumor activities in preclinical studies. In various and studies, AA found to affect many enzymes, receptors, growth factors, transcription factors, apoptotic proteins, and cell signaling cascades. This review aims to represent the available reports on therapeutic potential and the underlying pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of AA. The review also also discusses the challenges and prospects on the pharmaceutical development of AA such as pharmacokinetics, physicochemical properties, analysis and structural modifications, and drug delivery. AA showed favorable pharmacokinetics and found bioavailable following oral or interaperitoneal administration. The studies demonstrate the polypharmacological properties, therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms of AA in numerous diseases. Taken together the evidences from available studies, AA appears one of the important multitargeted polypharmacological agents of natural origin for further pharmaceutical development and clinical application. Provided the favorable pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy, AA can be a promising agent or adjuvant along with currently used modern medicines with a pharmacological basis of its use in therapeutics.

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are a group of cyclic oligosaccharides produced from starch or starch derivatives. They contain six (αCD), seven (βCD), eight (γCD), or more glucopyranose monomers linked via α-1,4-glycosidic bonds. CDs have a truncated cone shape with a hydrophilic outer wall and a less hydrophilic inner wall, the latter forming a more apolar internal cavity. Because of this special architecture, CDs are soluble in water and can simultaneously host lipophilic guest molecules. The major advantage of inclusion into CDs is increased aqueous solubility of such lipophilic substances. Accordingly, we present studies where the complexation of natural compounds such as propolis and dietary plant bioactives (e.g., tocotrienol, pentacyclic triterpenoids, curcumin) with γCD resulted in improved stability, bioavailability, and bioactivity in various laboratory model organisms and in humans. We also address safety aspects that may arise from increased bioavailability of plant extracts or natural compounds owing to CD complexation. When orally administered, α- and βCD—which are inert to intestinal digestion—are fermented by the human intestinal flora, while γCD is almost completely degraded to glucose units by α-amylase. Hence, recent reports indicate that empty γCD supplementation exhibits metabolic activity on its own, which may provide opportunities for new applications.

Virtually all land plants are coated in a cuticle, a waxy polyester that prevents nonstomatal water loss and is important for heat and drought tolerance. Here, we describe a likely genetic basis for a divergence in cuticular wax chemistry between Sorghum bicolor, a drought tolerant crop widely cultivated in hot climates, and its close relative Zea mays (maize). Combining chemical analyses, heterologous expression, and comparative genomics, we reveal that: 1) sorghum and maize leaf waxes are similar at the juvenile stage but, after the juvenile-to-adult transition, sorghum leaf waxes are rich in triterpenoids that are absent from maize; 2) biosynthesis of the majority of sorghum leaf triterpenoids is mediated by a gene that maize and sorghum both inherited from a common ancestor but that is only functionally maintained in sorghum; and 3) sorghum leaf triterpenoids accumulate in a spatial pattern that was previously shown to strengthen the cuticle and decrease water loss at high temperatures. These findings uncover the possibility for resurrection of a cuticular triterpenoid-synthesizing gene in maize that could create a more heat-tolerant water barrier on the plant’s leaf surfaces. They also provide a fundamental understanding of sorghum leaf waxes that will inform efforts to divert surface carbon to intracellular storage for bioenergy and bioproduct innovations.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer, the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women globally. Recent research has provided increasing support for the significance of phytochemicals, both dietary and non-dietary, particularly triterpenoids, in the mitigation and management of breast cancer. Recent studies showed that triterpenoids are promising agents in the treatment and inhibition of breast cancer achieved through the implementation of several molecular modes of action on breast cancer cells. This review discusses recent innovations in plant triterpenoids and their underlying mechanisms of action in combating breast cancer within the timeframe spanning from 2017 to 2023. The present work is an overview of different plant triterpenoids with significant inhibition on proliferation, migration, apoptosis resistance, tumor angiogenesis, or metastasis in various breast cancer cells. The anticancer impact of triterpenoids may be attributed to their antiproliferative activity interfering with angiogenesis and differentiation, regulation of apoptosis, DNA polymerase inhibition, change in signal transductions, and impeding metastasis. The present review focuses on several targets, mechanisms, and pathways associated with pentacyclic triterpenoids, which are responsible for their anticancer effects. We could conclude that natural triterpenoids are considered promising agents to conquer breast cancer. Graphical Abstract

Olea europaea is an economically significant crop native to Mediterranean countries. Its leaves exhibit several biological properties associated to their chemical composition. The aqueous ethanolic extracts of olive leaves from twelve different cultivars were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/PDA/ESI–MS/MS). A total of 49 phytochemicals were identified in both positive and negative ionization modes. The identified compounds belonged to four classes of secondary metabolites including secoiridoids, flavonoids, pentacyclic triterpenoids and various phenolic compounds. Seasonal variation in chemical composition among the studied cultivars was apparent in autumn and spring. Secologanoside, oleuropein, hydroxy-oleuropein, demethyl oleuropein, gallocatechin, luteolin- O -hexoside, diosmetin, oleanolic acid and maslinic acid were detected in all cultivars in both seasons. Oleuropein- O -deoxyhexoside was tentatively identified for the first time in olive leaf extracts; detected only in the Spanish cultivar Picual (PIC) collected in spring. Also, dihydroxy-oxooleanenoic acid and hydroxy-oxooleanenoic acid, two bioactive pentacyclic triterpenes, were identified. Principle component analysis (PCA) showed good discrimination among the studied cultivars in terms of their botanical origin. This study is considered the first study for non-targeted metabolic profiling of different olive leaf cultivars cultivated in Egypt.