“…The genus Tripterygium (Celastraceae) is known to be a rich source of specialized metabolites, of which more than 400 have been isolated, structurally characterized, and assessed in cell-based assays (Brinker et al, 2007). Root extracts have been evaluated as a medication for rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, hepatitis, nephritis, ankylosing spondylitis, polycystic kidney disease, and obesity; more than a dozen clinical trials with such extracts (often referred to as Tripterygium glycoside) have been completed, but, in part due to shortcomings in study designs, the efficacy has remained a matter of debate (Chen et al, 2010;Liu et al, 2013;Zhu et al, 2013). More promising results have been obtained with purified constituents, which are usually extracted from Tripterygium roots.…”