Dietary Triterpenoids in Functional Food and Drug Ingredients: A review of structure-activity relationships, biosynthesis, applications, and AI-driven strategies

Abstract

Background

Terpenoids, a broad category of natural bioactive compounds from plants and their metabolites, are known for their diverse structures, high bioactive potential and embodying the concept of “Food as medicine”. As one of the typically representative subclasses within terpenoids, triterpenoids retain these advantages, but also feature characteristics with wide sources, great variety and low content. These do not diminish their significant potential and application prospects in functional food and drug ingredients. Triterpenoids are capable of exerting their high bioactive potential through a multitude of mechanisms, including but not limited to the regulation of inflammation, oxidative stress, immune imbalance, and metabolic disorders. Despite the promise of triterpenoids as functional food and drug ingredients, their low content and complex structures have, to some extent, limited the elucidation of their structure-activity relationships, limiting the progress of the research on triterpenoids.

Scope

In this review, the significance and feasibility of triterpenoids as functional food and drug ingredients are discussed based on their biosynthesis and bioactivity. The work explores the biosynthesis of dietary triterpenoids and their potential mechanisms against aging and obesity. Furthermore, strategies are proposed to address the challenges during the process using machine learning (ML) technology.

Key findings and conclusions

The elaborate structure-activity relationships of triterpenoids shape their substantial functions in anti-obesity and anti-aging. As functional food and drug ingredients, triterpenoids participate in multiple regulatory mechanisms, such as modulating the microbial flora, improving immunity, and regulating glycolipid metabolism, to exert a wide range of bioactivities. Moreover, they play crucial roles in food function optimization, preservation, and flavor regulation. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) and ML techniques have provided innovative ideas and strategies for advanced research on triterpenoids by processing vast amounts of data and complex analyses to identify and predict structure-activity relationships.