Recent advances in biosynthesis and pharmacology of β-elemene

β-Elemene is a valuable sesquiterpene isolated from the essential oil of the traditional Chinese medicine Curcuma wenyujin. As a Chinese class II non-cytotoxic antitumor drug, β-elemene has been broadly used to treat various cancers due to its excellent anti-tumor activity, inhibition of tumor cell migration, and relatively minor adverse effects. Commercial β-elemene is mainly produced via extraction from traditional Chinese medicinal plants and by chemical synthesis. However, limitations in medicinal plant resources and the complexity of chemical synthesis restrict its use given the growing demands. Therefore, it is imperative to identify high-yield biological sources, improve production strategies, develop effective downstream processing, and evaluate the therapeutic applications of β-elemene. Several studies have thoroughly elucidated pathways of β-elemene synthesis in plants and heterologous biosynthesis in microorganisms, which may provide a promising alternative approach for industrial production. The current review aims to discuss the β-elemene biosynthetic pathways and key enzymes involved. Since β-elemene exhibits sensitization properties, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, recent progress in the understanding of its molecular mechanisms and toxicity, and the application prospects of β-elemene as a medicine have also been critically reviewed here.