Progress in the Preparation of Jatrophane Diterpenes

The Euphorbiaceae family of plants is one of the largest in the plant kingdom and over the last few decades a vast number of structurally complex and compelling terpenoid natural products have been isolated from the milky latices of Euphorbiaceae species. This review provides a brief overview of the biosynthetic routes leading to Euphorbiaceae diterpenes and outlines their pronounced biological properties. Synthetic approaches to jatrophane diterpenes, an important class of Euphorbiaceae diterpenes, are discussed in detail.