Anticancer Activities of C-, C-, C-, and Bis-Diterpenoid Alkaloids Derived from Genus Aconitum.

Cancer is one of the most common lethal diseases, and natural products have been extensively studied as anticancer agents considering their availability, low toxicity, and economic affordability. Plants belonging to the genus have been widely used medically in many Asian countries since ancient times. These plants have been proven effective for treating several types of cancer, such as lung, stomach, and liver cancers. The main effective components of plants are diterpenoid alkaloids-which are divided into C-, C-, C-, and bis-diterpenoid alkaloids-are reportedly some of the most promising, naturally abundant compounds for treating cancer. This review focuses on the progress of diterpenoid alkaloids with different structures derived from plants and some of their derivatives with potential anticancer activities. We hope that this work can serve as a reference for further developing diterpenoid alkaloids as anticancer agents.