Historical story on natural medicinal chemistry: Steroids / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Steroids are the most important class of natural products. In the history of the development of human beings, not only steroidal compounds have made the special contribution for human health, but also its special stereochemical structure plays an important role in the development of organic chemistry, especially organic chemistry theory, which could improve the stereochemical theory. In this paper, the discovery, biological activity, the stereochemical structure of important compounds, stereochemistry, and the synthesis of steroids are briefly introduced for the purpose to broaden their horizon and provide some ideas for young teachers in the teaching and scientific research.