Naturally occurring furanoditerpenoids: distribution, chemistry and their pharmacological activities

Furanoditerpenoids are a special group of diterpenoids composing of one or more furan rings, which are rarely found in nature. This review aims to survey the various naturally occurring furanoditerpenoids and their pharmacological activities. A fairly large number of furanoditerpenoids have been reported from the families Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae and Lamiaceae, and a few ones from the families Asteraceae, Codoniaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Fossombroniaceae, Jamesoniellaceae, Meliaceae, Menispermaceae, Olacaceae, Psathyrellaceae, Sapindaceae and Scapaniaceae. Their distribution correlates strongly with the taxonomic divisions. Most of these plants are widely used in traditional medicines, and furanoditerpenoids have therefore been disclosed with a wide range of bioactivities including anti-cancer, anti-inflammation and anti-microorganism. To structure this review, the furanoditerpenoids were classified into seven types, including clerodane-type (Type I), labdane-type (Type II), cassane-type (Type III), abietane-type (Type IV), spongian-type (Type V), prenylbisabolane-type (Type VI) and miscellaneous type (Type VII). On the basis of 170 references, this review covers the distribution, phytochemistry, synthesis and pharmacological activities of furanoditerpenoids, describing 444 compounds. The information provided in this review might shed light on further research and development of furanoditerpenoids as potential therapeutic agents.