title: Antimycobacterial plant terpenoids.
abstract: Abstract. Tuberculosis (TB), mainly caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is the leading killer among all infectious diseases worldwide and is responsible for more than two million deaths annually. For over thirty years no antitubercular agents with new mechanisms of action have been developed. The recent increase in the number of multi-drug resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis has created an urgent need for the discovery and development of new antituberculosis leads. This review covers recent reports on plant-derived terpenoids that have demonstrated moderate to high activity in in vitro bioassays against M. tuberculosis. In this review, mono-, sesqui-, di- and triterpenes, and sterols, their structural analogs and semisynthetic derivatives will be discussed, with particular emphasis on the structural features essential for antimycobacterial activity.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Illinois 61604, USA. cantrellc@mail.ncaur.usda.gov
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Cantrell
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Franzblau
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D032462:Cycadopsida; D006801:Humans; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013261:Sterols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013729:Terpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D028321:Plant Preparations; D013261:Sterols; D013729:Terpenes