Therapeutic potential of demethylzeylasteral, a triterpenoid of the genus Tripterygium wilfordii.

Pentacyclic triterpenoids are important natural products widely presenting in nature with rich bioactivities. Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f., a precious Chinese medicinal material, is used to cure rheumatoid arthritis, nephrotic syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus. Triterpenoids are one of the important active components of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. Demethylzeylasteral extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. had numerous pharmacological effects, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, immune suppression, anti-fertility, antivirus, antimicrobial. In this paper, we summarized comprehensively pharmacological activities of demethylzeylasteral for potential application as a therapeutic agent.