C_(20)-diterpenoid alkaloids are mainly distributed in plants of genus Aconitum, Delphinium, and Consolida in the Ranunculaceae. Their chemical structures are mainly categorized into nine types such as atisines, denudatines, hetidines, and hetisines. Bioactivity studies have shown that C_(20)-diterpenoid alkaloids have exhibited superior anti-tumor, analgesic, antiarrhythmic, and anti-inflammatory effects. In this review, the chemical structures and biological activities of 190 C_(20)-diterpenoid alkaloids reported in the Ranunculaceae from 2002 to the present were summarized, so as to provide a reference for the subsequent research on C_(20)-diterpenoid alkaloids in plants of Ranunculaceae.
Keywords: Aconitum; C_(20)-diterpenoid alkaloids; Consolida; Delphinium; Ranunculaceae.