Plant extracts of the Celastraceae have been used for centuries throughout South America and China as insect repellents and insecticides in traditional agriculture, and also for the treatment of a plethora of medical ailments from stomach complaints and fever to rheumatoid arthritis and cancer. Many of the medicinally interesting properties associated with these crude preparations have now been attributed to a large family of highly oxygenated sesquiterpenoids based on a tricyclic dihydroagarofuran skeleton. In this article, the structural diversity and range of biological activities associated with this intriguing class of natural products are examined with a view to stimulating interest in their total synthesis. Existing synthetic endeavours towards their synthesis are also evaluated.