A review of the total syntheses of triptolide.

Triptolide is a complex triepoxide diterpene natural product that has attracted considerable interest in the organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry societies due to its intriguing structural features and multiple promising biological activities. In this review, progress in the total syntheses of triptolide are systematically summarized. We hope to gain a better understanding of the field and provide constructive suggestions for future studies of triptolide.