ABSTRACT The genus Phyllanthus , the largest in the family Phyllanthaceae, comprises approximately 1200 species that are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Many species of this genus are traditionally used in Asia, South America, and other areas for the treatment of hepatitis, tumors, diabetes, and urinary system diseases, possessing significant medicinal and edible value. In recent years, the abundant terpenoids found in this genus have attracted considerable attention due to their novel structures and wide range of activities. To date, 220 terpenoids have been reported from this genus, which are mainly classified into three major types: sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids, and triterpenoids. Examples of these include skeletons such as norbisabolane‐type, cleistanthane, lupane, oleanane, friedelane, and dichapetalin types. The chemotaxonomic significance of these terpenoids for the genus Phyllanthus was analyzed by a cluster heatmap, from which six distinct clusters were observed. The heat map demonstrated that Guaiane sesquiterpenoids are the marker compounds for P. engleri , while Dichapetalin‐type triterpenoids are the characteristic constituents of P. hainanensis and P. acutissima . These structurally diverse terpenoids exhibit various pharmacological activities, including antitumor, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, and immunosuppressive effects. This article is the first to review the research progress on the chemical structures and pharmacology of terpenoids from the genus Phyllanthus . Furthermore, their structure–activity relationships and chemotaxonomic significance are discussed, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis and molecular design strategies for the drug research and development of these natural products.
Chu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.