The family Sterculiaceae is one of the most important families among flowering plants. Many of its members demonstrate medicinal properties and have been used for the treatment of various ailments and wounds. A wide range of compounds including alkaloids, phenyl propanoids, flavonoids, terpenoids and other types of compounds including hydrocarbons, sugars, quinones, phenolic acids, lactones, lignans, amine and amides have been isolated from several species in this family. Few studies have reported that some extracts and single compounds isolated from this family exhibited several biological activities, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. The present review is an effort to provide information about the traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of species from family Sterculiaceae, and to uncover the gaps and potentials requiring further research opportunities regarding the chemistry and pharmacy of this family.
Several species from the genus Sapium possess a broad range of medicinal properties and they have been used as traditional medicines by indigenous groups in several regions such as Malaysia, Africa, Southern China and Bolivia. Most of the species reported to possess therapeutic effects which are used for the treatment of skin-related diseases such as eczema and dermatitis, but they may also be used for overstrain, lumbago, constipation and hernia. Species of this genus are also used to treat wounds and snake bites. In addition, the saps/latex of Sapium glandulosum, Sapium indicum and Sapium sebiferum have/has toxic effects and are used as bird and fish poisons. This review discusses the current knowledge of the medicinal uses, phytochemistry, biological activities and toxicities of species from the genus Sapium to reveal their therapeutic potentials and gaps offering opportunities for future research.
Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre is one of the many plants with diverse medicinal properties where all its parts have been used as traditional medicine in the treatment and prevention of several kinds of ailments in many countries such as for treatment of piles, skin diseases, and wounds.
A new triterpene, malaytaraxerate (1), and four known compounds, taraxerol (2), taraxerone (3), docosyl isoferulate (4) and docosanoic acid 2',3'-dihydroxypropyl ester (5), were isolated from the acetone extract of Sapium baccatum stem bark. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined using several spectroscopic methods, including UV-Vis, FT-IR, 1D and 2D NMR, and mass spectrometry. Major isolated compounds were assayed for cytotoxicity. The chemotaxonomic significance of this plant was also studied.
A new sesquiterpenoid, malayscaphiol (1), and three known compounds, lupeol (2), lupenone (3) and stigmasterol (4), were isolated from the methanolic extract of the stem bark of Scaphium macropodum. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined using several spectroscopic methods, including UV-vis, FT-IR, 1D and 2D NMR, and mass spectrometer. Major isolated compounds were assayed for cytotoxicity and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities. The chemotaxonomy significance of this plant was also discussed.
Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) is up regulated in wide variety of solid tumors and therefore presents a remarkable target for drug discovery in cancer. A novel class of extremely potent TPase inhibitors based on benzopyrazine (1-28) has been developed and evaluated against thymidine phosphorylase enzyme. Out of these twenty-eight analogs eleven (11) compounds 1, 4, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24 and 28 showed potent thymidine phosphorylase inhibitory potentials with IC50 values ranged between 3.20±0.30 and 37.60±1.15μM when compared with the standard 7-Deazaxanthine (IC50=38.68±4.42μM). Structure-activity relationship was established and molecular docking studies were performed to determine the binding interactions of these newly synthesized compounds. Current studies have revealed that these compounds established stronger hydrogen bonding networks with active site residues as compare to the standard compound 7DX.