A comprehensive review of chemicals and biosynthetic pathways in toad(Bufo)bile
The toad,known for its various medicinal properties including parotid gland secretion(toad venom),dried skin,and gallbladder(toad bile),holds considerable medicinal applications as a valuable traditional Chinese animal medicine.Currently,in-depth attentions have been paid to the chemical composition and pharmacological properties of toad venom and skin;however,a lesser number of detailed analyses were concentrated on the toad bile.This review provides an overview of the chemical constituents in the bile of the Bufo genus,with a special focus on the cholestane and bufadienolides,and highlights the progress in their biosynthetic pathway and pharma-cological activities.The analysis uncovers a distinct category of unsaturated ⊿22 or ⊿23-C27/C28 bile acids in the toad gallbladder,potentially acting as key intermediaries in forming C-17 a-pyrone of bufadienolides.Furthermore,the high presence of 3a-OH configured bufadienolides in toad bile,in contrast to the common 3β-OH configured found in toad venom or skin,indicates a possible link between their minimal toxicity and the toad's self-defensive or physiological control.This review provides scientific basis for the development and utilization of toad bile resources,and provides useful reference for the discovery of lead compounds,analysis of the biosynthetic pathway of bufadienolides,and research on toad physiology.