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Planta Med 2001; 67(8): 685-694
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-18365
Review
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Antimycobacterial Plant Terpenoids

Charles L. Cantrell1,*, Scott G. Franzblau2 , Nikolaus H. Fischer3
  • 1 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, Illinois, USA
  • 2 Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
  • 3 Department of Pharmacognosy, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi, USA
Further Information

Publication History

June 13, 2001

July 10, 2001

Publication Date:
09 November 2001 (online)

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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.

Key words

Terpenoids - Mycobacterium tuberculosis - antituberculosis - tuberculostatic - antimycobacterial

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Dr. Charles L. Cantrell

USDA, ARS

National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research

1815 North University Street

Peoria

Illinois 61604

U.S.A.

Email: cantrellc@mail.ncaur.usda.gov

Fax: +1-309-681-6686

Phone: Tel.: +1-309-681-6349

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