The phytoecdysteroids (PEs) comprise a large group of biologically-active plant steroids, which have structures similar to those of insect-molting hormones. PEs are distributed in plants as secondary metabolites that offer protection against phytophagus (plant-eating) insects. When insects consume the plants containing these chemicals, they promptly molt and undergo metabolic destruction; the insects eventually die. Chemically, ecdysteroids are a group of polyhydroxylated ketosteroids that are structurally similar to androgens. The carbon skeleton of ecdysteroids is termed as cyclopentanoperhydro-phenanthrene with a β-side chain at carbon-17. The essential characteristics of ecdysteroids are a cis-(5β-H) junction of rings A and B, a 7-en-6-one chromophore, and a trans-(14α-OH) junction of rings C and D. Plants only synthesize PEs from mevalonic acid in the mevalonate pathway of the plant cell using acetyl-CoA as a precursor; the most common PE is 20-hydroxyecdysone. So far, over 400 PEs have been identified and reported, and a compilation of 166 PEs originating from 1998 has been previously reviewed. In the present review, we have summarized 212 new PEs reported between 1999 and 2019. We have also critically analyzed the biological, pharmacological, and medicinal properties of PEs to understand the full impact of these phytoconstituents in health and disease.

植物蜕皮类固醇（PE）由一大类具有生物活性的植物类固醇组成，其结构与昆虫蜕皮激素的结构相似。 PE 作为次生代谢物分布在植物中，可提供针对植食性（食草）昆虫的保护。当昆虫食用含有这些化学物质的植物时，它们会迅速蜕皮并遭受代谢破坏；昆虫最终会死亡。从化学角度来看，蜕皮类固醇是一组多羟基酮类固醇，其结构与雄激素相似。蜕皮类固醇的碳骨架被称为环戊烷全氢菲，在碳 17 处具有β侧链。蜕皮类固醇的基本特征是环 A 和 B 的顺式-(5 β -H) 连接、7-en-6-one 发色团以及环 C 和 D 的反式-(14 α -OH) 连接。 植物仅在植物细胞的甲羟戊酸途径中以乙酰辅酶A为前体从甲羟戊酸合成PE；最常见的PE是20-羟基蜕皮激素。迄今为止，已识别和报告了 400 多个 PE，并且之前对 1998 年 166 个 PE 的汇编进行了审查。在本次综述中，我们总结了 1999 年至 2019 年间报道的 212 种新 PE。我们还批判性地分析了 PE 的生物学、药理学和药用特性，以了解这些植物成分对健康和疾病的全面影响。