Fascinating Furanosteroids and Their Pharmacological Profile

Abstract

This review article delves into the realm of furanosteroids and related isoprenoid lipids derived from diverse terrestrial and marine sources, exploring their wide array of biological activities and potential pharmacological applications. Fungi, fungal endophytes, plants, and various marine organisms, including sponges, corals, molluscs, and other invertebrates, have proven to be abundant reservoirs of these compounds. The biological activities exhibited by furanosteroids and related lipids encompass anticancer, cytotoxic effects against various cancer cell lines, antiviral, and antifungal effects. Notably, the discovery of exceptional compounds such as nakiterpiosin, malabaricol, dysideasterols, and cortistatins has revealed their potent anti-tuberculosis, antibacterial, and anti-hepatitis C attributes. These compounds also exhibit activity in inhibiting protein kinase C, phospholipase A2, and eliciting cytotoxicity against cancer cells. This comprehensive study emphasizes the significance of furanosteroids and related lipids as valuable natural products with promising therapeutic potential. The remarkable biodiversity found in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems offers an extensive resource for unearthing novel biologically active compounds, paving the way for future drug development and advancements in biomedical research. This review presents a compilation of data obtained from various studies conducted by different authors who employed the PASS software 9.1 to evaluate the biological activity of natural furanosteroids and compounds closely related to them. The utilization of the PASS software in this context offers valuable advantages, such as screening large chemical libraries, identifying compounds for subsequent experimental investigations, and gaining insights into potential biological activities based on their structural features. Nevertheless, it is crucial to emphasize that experimental validation remains indispensable for confirming the predicted activities.

Naturally Occurring Norsteroids and Their Design and Pharmaceutical Application

“…Based on these de facto principles, four groups of steroids or triterpenoids can be distinguished [1][2][3][4][5]7,14,15]. The first group includes steroids in which the A ring is reduced by one carbon atom.…”

“…The fourth group includes steroids in which the D ring is reduced by one or two carbon atoms, and these are D-norsteroids [16,17]. The most interesting for this review is the information about A, B, C, and D-norsteroids, which are found in marine organisms and algae and are also synthesized by fungi or fungal endophytes [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]16,17].…”

“…Among the numerous steroids identified, a small subset known as norsteroids [6,9,[24][25][26][27][28] is particularly notable. Figure 2 illustrates most common A-norsteroids (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16) which are found in crude oil extracts, marine sediments, and other geological and environmental sources. The deformed A ring in A-norsteroids is highlighted in red in Figures 2-6.…”

“…Sponges play a significant role in tropical reefs, often dominating the biomass, and are also present in polar and deep ocean environments, as well as freshwater habitats. Both marine and freshwater sponges are sources of various biologically active compounds, including A-norsteroids [1][2][3][4][5][6]29,30].…”

“…Steroids are de facto isoprenoid lipids and are found in eukaryotic organisms, from microorganisms to macroalgae, invertebrates, and plants, and are present in most sedimentary organic matter [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Thus, steroids and isoprenoid lipids are an important group of fossil chemical compounds that provide valuable information about the sources of organic matter in modern sediments and ancient sedimentary rocks, as well as crude oil [9][10][11][12].…”