Abstract
This review focuses on a rare group of steroids and triterpenoids that share common properties as regulators of lipid metabolism. This group of compounds is divided by the type of chemical structure, and they represent: aromatic steroids, steroid phosphate esters, highly oxygenated steroids such as steroid endoperoxides and hydroperoxides, α,β-epoxy steroids, and secosteroids. In addition, subgroups of carbon-bridged steroids, neo steroids, miscellaneous steroids, as well as synthetic steroids containing heteroatoms S (epithio steroids), Se (selena steroids), Te (tellura steroids), and At (astatosteroids) were presented. Natural steroids and triterpenoids have been found and identified from various sources such as marine sponges, soft corals, starfish, and other marine invertebrates. In addition, this group of rare lipids is found in fungi, fungal endophytes, and plants. The pharmacological profile of the presented steroids and triterpenoids was determined using the well-known computer program PASS, which is currently available online for all interested scientists and pharmacologists and is currently used by research teams from more than 130 countries of the world. Our attention has been focused on the biological activities of steroids and triterpenoids associated with the regulation of cholesterol metabolism and related processes such as anti-hyperlipoproteinemic activity, as well as the treatment of atherosclerosis, lipoprotein disorders, or inhibitors of cholesterol synthesis. In addition, individual steroids and triterpenoids were identified that demonstrated rare or unique biological activities such as treating neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases with a high degree of certainty over 95 percent. For individual steroids or triterpenoids or a group of compounds, 3D drawings of their predicted biological activities are presented.
Highlights
Lipids are a complex name for many metabolites of natural origin, and they are combined into various groups according to a common physical property, hydrophobicity, that is, insolubility in water [1,2,3,4]
Comparing the data from the PASS obtained for the α, β-epoxy steroids presented in Table 4, it can be concluded that there are no outstanding steroids with lipid metabolism regulator properties; we present in Figure 13 a comparative 3D graph for this subgroup of steroids
This review focuses on the intriguing topic of lipid metabolism regulation
Summary
Lipids are a complex name for many metabolites of natural origin, and they are combined into various groups according to a common physical property, hydrophobicity, that is, insolubility in water [1,2,3,4]. Lipids play an important role in the body in storing energy and are components of biological membranes, steroid hormones, bile acids, and vitamins. They come from food or de novo synthesis in the liver. The presented class of molecules differs from many other steroids or triterpenoids that exhibit a wide range of biological activities aimed at lowering cholesterol by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis or other activities associated with these processes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
