Ginseng is one of the most widely consumed herbs in the world and plays an important role in counteracting fatigue and alleviating stress. The main active substances of ginseng are its ginsenosides. Ocotillol-type triterpenoid is a remarkably effective ginsenoside from Vietnamese ginseng that has received attention because of its potential antibacterial, anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, among others. The semisynthesis, modification and biological activities of ocotillol-type compounds have been extensively studied in recent years. The aim of this review is to summarize semisynthesis, modification and pharmacological activities of ocotillol-type compounds. The structure-activity relationship studies of these compounds were reported. This summary should prove useful information for drug exploration of ocotillol-type derivatives.
Keywords: biological activity; modification; ocotillol-type triterpenoids; semisynthetic.