An overview is given on both well-known and recently discovered phytoecdyteroids including a sophisticated isolation scheme and notable physiological and pharmacological effects of ecdysteroids on vertebrates. The isolation of pure ecdysteroids has been improved by the use of low-pressure reversed-phase chromatography. An optimized combination of preliminary purification and chromatographic separations results in pure ecdysteroids. Structural elucidation has been done using spectroscopic methods, however, the final proof of the steric structure is rendered using x-ray crystallography. Ecdysteroid containing preparations show a boom and both OTC products and numerous preparation techniques can be found using the Internet. This paper will give a review on the kaleidoscope of pharmacological effects attributed to the ecdysteroids, such as: An increase of protein synthesis (for body-building, AIDS, patients with neoplasm disease, etc.), and other body functions; Antidepressant effect; Shielding the body from stress, and improve the physical and sexual performance; Prevention from infections and certain diseases. A list of recent offers of ecdysteroid-containing products will also be given. The perspective use of ecdysteroids is promising in genetics. Steroid regulation of programmed cell death during development and differentiation has recently come to the limelight. Murine model of human diseases and its influencing with ecdysteroids are detailed.

A new natural compound, 9alpha,20-dihydroxyecdysone (1), and two known related compounds, 20-hydroxyecdysone and ecdysone, were isolated from the herb Silene italica ssp. nemoralis. Compound 1 is the first C-9 hydroxylated ecdysteroid with a cis-fused A/B ring junction to have been isolated from a plant source, and its structure was determined using a combination of spectroscopic techniques.

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A new ecdysteroid glycoside, 2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 22-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, is isolated from the herb Silene italica ssp. nemoralis (Waldst. and Kit.) Nyman. The compound is purified with multistep chromatography, such as classical column chromatography on alumina and droplet countercurrent distribution. Also, it is expanded using twice low-pressure reversed-phase liquid column chromatography. Chromatography in four steps results in the purified 2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 22-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside. Two other ecdysteroids have also been separated, including the formerly identified integristerone A and 24(28)-dehydromakisterone A.

5-Alpha-2-deoxyintegristerone A and 5-beta-2-deoxyintegristerone A were isolated from the aerial parts of Silene italica ssp. nemoralis (Waldst. and Kit.) Nyman using a specific combination of absorption column chromatography, preparative thin-layer chromatography and preparative HPLC. Both normal-phase and reversed-phase modes of HPLC were employed for isolation. Structural elucidation of 5-alpha-2-deoxyintegristerone A was completed by X-ray diffraction. Both 5-alpha-2-deoxyintegristerone A and 5-beta-2-deoxyintegristerone A were firstly isolated from this plant. We propose that 5-alpha-2-deoxyintegristerone A is not an artifact but an integral part of the ecdysteroid spectrum of Silene italica ssp. nemoralis (Waldst. and Kit.) Nyman.