Sesquiterpene lactones and diterpenes: Promising therapeutic candidates for infectious diseases, neoplasms and other chronic disorders

Abstract

Nature is an important source for the discovery of new bioactive compounds. Natural compounds constitute a strategic starting point for the development of novel drugs, since they exhibit a wide range of pharmacophores and a large number of chiral centers that allow the interaction with proteins and biological targets.Terpenes are natural isoprene-derived compounds and are classified according to the number of carbon atoms in monoterpenes (C10), sesquiterpenes (C15), diterpenes (C20), triterpenes (C30), tetraterpenes (C40) and polyterpenes (C > 40). Many of these compounds are considered secondary metabolites in plants. They showed a variety of biological activities, such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antiviral, etc. They constitute the largest group of natural compounds with more than 50,000 molecules of diverse chemical structures. They are of great interest, both in the cosmetic and the food market as well as in the pharmaceutical industry.Among terpenoids, sesquiterpene lactones and diterpenes stand out due to their role in human health and as a source of new drugs.