Celastrol and Terpenes as Anti-Infective Agents

Celastrol is a quinone methide triterpene present in Celastraceae plants and is known to have multitude arrays of pharmacological activities. A common source of Celastrol is found in Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F which is an ivylike vine. Celastraceae has been used as a traditional medicine in China for hundreds of years. Celastrol has effectively been used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, asthma and neurodegenerative disease. Celastrol was also shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and induce leukemic cell death in vitro. The medicinal properties of Celastrol and other terpenes have recently been reported. Recent studies also indicate that Celastrol shows different pharmacological activities associated with anti-infective properties. In the present review, the recent development and the biologic activity of Celastrol and other terpenes as an infective agent is described.