Ecdysteroids: isolation, chemical transformations, and biological activity

Ecdysteroids are polyhydroxylated sterols, and are widespread in the plant and animal world. To date, over 520 ecdysteroids have been isolated from natural sources. The most accessible and studied representative of this class of compounds is 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E)—a universal hormone for the development and vital activity of insects and crustaceans. Moreover, ecdysteroids exhibit a wide spectrum of pharmacological activity for humans, without exerting toxic, androgenic, or estrogenic effects. In this regard, the search for new structures of ecdysteroids and their semi-synthetic analogs obtained as a result of various chemical transformations is in high demand. The review summarizes data for the period 2011–2021 regarding recent advances in the isolation of novel natural ecdysteroids, the chemical modifications, biological activity of semi-synthetic analogs and their prospects for practice.