Advances in Separation, Biological Properties, and Structure–Activity Relationship of Triterpenoids Derived from Camellia oleifera Abel

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 2024-03, Vol.72 (9), p.4574-4586
• Main Authors: Yang, Guliang, Qi, Zhiwen, Shan, Sijie, Xie, Di, Tan, Xiaofeng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09168

Extensive research has been conducted on Camellia oleifera Abel., a cultivar predominantly distributed in China, to investigate its phytochemical composition, owning to its potential as an edible oil crop. Pentacyclic triterpene saponins, as essential active constituents, play a significant role in contributing to the pharmacological effects of this cultivar. The saponins derived from C. oleifera (CoS) offer a diverse array of bioactivity benefits, including antineoplastic/bactericidal/inflammatory properties, cardiovascular protection, neuroprotection, as well as hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the isolation and pharmacological properties of CoS. Specially, we attempt to reveal the antitumor structure–activity relationship (SAR) of CoS-derived triterpenoids. The active substitution sites of CoS, namely, C-3, C-15, C-16, C-21, C-22, C-23, and C-28 pentacyclic triterpenoids, make it a unique and highly valuable substance with significant medicinal and culinary applications. As such, CoS can play a critical role in transforming people’s lives, providing unique medicinal benefits, and contributing to the advancement of both medicine and cuisine.