Review of Chemical Research on Diterpenoid Alkaloids
Diterpenoid alkaloids are an important class of natural compounds. Due to biodiversity, structural complexity, interesting chemistry, and significant biological activity, the study of diterpenoid alkaloids has long been highly valued. Especially in the past 30 years, due to the development and application of chromatography and spectroscopy technology, the number of discovered diterpenoid alkaloids has increased sharply. As of the end of 2019, over 1500 diterpenoid alkaloids have been discovered. The vast majority of diterpenoid alkaloids are found in the Aconitum and Quercus genera of the Ranunculaceae family, as well as in the Echinochloa genus of the Rosaceae family. Only a very small number are scattered among other plants. We have systematically summarized various aspects of C20-, C18-, and C19 diterpenoid alkaloids, including structural classification, distribution, source relationships, existence, spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, chemical properties and transformation synthesis, biological activity, as well as a review of the phytochemistry, synthesis, and biological activity of diterpenoid alkaloids reported between 1998 and 2008. This article only briefly reviews the main research results of our research group in the field of diterpenoid alkaloid chemistry over the past 30 years, for colleagues to correct.

Looking back at our research on the chemistry of diterpenoid alkaloids, the most unforgettable aspects were the difficult and persistent study on the conversion of aconitines into taxane analogues, as well as the discovery, research, and development of wuning alkaloids in total synthesis and aconite for anti heart failure.
Throughout the research on diterpenoid alkaloids, in addition to continuing in-depth studies in plant chemistry, in-depth research on their various biological activities, as well as the continued attention of natural product chemists worldwide to the total synthesis of diterpenoid alkaloids, will become a new trend in the future chemical research of diterpenoid alkaloids.