Recent Advancements in Pentacyclic and Other Terpenoid Derivatives as Anti-inflammatory Agents

Inflammation is the body's defensive response to injury, infection, or external stimuli. While NSAIDs and corticosteroids are widely used to treat inflammatory diseases, their long-term application often leads to severe side effects, including gastrointestinal damage and cardiovascular toxicity, as well as drug resistance. This underscores the urgent need for developing safer and more effective anti-inflammatory agents. Natural products, particularly terpenoids, as the largest class of bioactive compounds, have garnered significant attention due to their potent anti-inflammatory properties and structural diversity. Through systematic structural modifications, researchers have developed numerous terpenoid derivatives with enhanced anti-inflammatory efficacy, providing valuable insights for drug discovery. This review comprehensively summarizes the antiinflammatory mechanisms and therapeutic potential of terpenoids and their derivatives over the past decade, offering new perspectives for anti-inflammatory drug development and identifying promising candidates for further investigation.