Afzeliixanthones A and B, two new prenylated xanthones from Garcinia afzelii ENGL. (Guttiferae)

Cytotoxic Xanthones from the Leaves of Garcinia Urophylla

Two new xanthones, 7-hydroxydesoxymorellin (1) and isocaledonixanthone D (2), and four known ones, gaudichaudione H, 1,7-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)xanthone, 1,5-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)xanthone, and 1,3,7-trihydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)xanthone, as well as lupeol were isolated from the leaves of Garcinia urophylla (Guttiferae). Their structures were determined using a combination of 1D (1H NMR, 13C NMR, DEPT) and 2D (COSY, gHSQC, gHMBC) NMR spectroscopic techniques. Among the isolates, 7-hydroxydesoxymorellin (1), gaudichaudione H, 1,5-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)xanthone, and 1,3,7-trihydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)xanthone demonstrated cytotoxic activities against breast (MCF-7), prostate (DU-145), and lung (NCI-H460) human cancer cell lines.

Medicinal Potential, Utilization and Domestication Status of Bitter Kola (Garcinia kola Heckel) in West and Central Africa

Garcinia kola Heckel (Clusiaceae), known as bitter kola, is a multipurpose tree indigenous to West and Central Africa. This highly preferred species is called “wonder plant” because all of its parts can be used as medicine. Its seeds, the most valued product of the tree, are commonly eaten to prevent/cure gastric disorders and for their typical astringent taste. There is a vast evidence that bioactive components of the seeds can serve as alternative medicine to treat/prevent severe illnesses such as malaria, hepatitis and immune-destructive diseases. Despite the species’ pharmaceutical potential and its high preference by West and Central African communities, G. kola is still at the beginning of its domestication process. Even though, there are numerous scientific articles published on species‘ biological activities, it is a difficult task to find basic information on its diversity, distribution, genetics, silvicultural management or botany. Therefore, in this very first review published on G. kola, we summarize all relevant information known about the species, target some of the challenges connected with its cultivation and propose a leading direction for future research and domestication process.

A Rapid Determination and Quantification of Three Biologically Active Polyisoprenylated Benzophenones using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MRM) Method in Five Garcinia species from Cameroon

Following investigation of Garcinia genus, a sensitive, rapid and simple reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method has been developed for the identification and quantification of three polyisoprenylated benzophenones, garcinol (1), isogarcinol (2) and 7- epi-clusianone (3), in the extracts of five Garcinia species from Cameroon. The separation of those compounds was achieved on a RP-18 column using a solvent system consisting of a mixture of acetonitrile-water-formic acid as a mobile phase in a gradient elution mode. The identification of the three compounds was determined on a triple quadripole mass spectrometer with ESI interface operating in the negative mode. A multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) method was developed for the quantification of these polyisoprenylated benzophenones in the extracts of the Garcinia species. The method was validated through intra- and inter-day precision, with the relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 6%, limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) <1 ng. Overall recoveries ranged from 94% to 104%, with RSDs ranging from 0.8% to 4.5%. The results indicated that the fruits of G. preussii and the roots of G. brevipedicellata are good source of garcinol (1) and isogarcinol (2) respectively.

Chemical and Biological Research on Herbal Medicines Rich in Xanthones

Xanthones, as some of the most active components and widely distributed in various herb medicines, have drawn more and more attention in recent years. So far, 168 species of herbal plants belong to 58 genera, 24 families have been reported to contain xanthones. Among them, Calophyllum, Cratoxylum, Cudrania, Garcinia, Gentiana, Hypericum and Swertia genera are plant resources with great development prospect. This paper summarizes the plant resources, bioactivity and the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of xanthones from references published over the last few decades, which may be useful for new drug research and development on xanthones.

Cameroonian medicinal plants: pharmacology and derived natural products

Many developing countries including Cameroon have mortality patterns that reflect high levels of infectious diseases and the risk of death during pregnancy and childbirth, in addition to cancers, cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory diseases that account for most deaths in the developed world. Several medicinal plants are used traditionally for their treatment. In this review, plants used in Cameroonian traditional medicine with evidence for the activities of their crude extracts and/or derived products have been discussed. A considerable number of plant extracts and isolated compounds possess significant antimicrobial, anti-parasitic including antimalarial, anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetes, and antioxidant effects. Most of the biologically active compounds belong to terpenoids, phenolics, and alkaloids. Terpenoids from Cameroonian plants showed best activities as anti-parasitic, but rather poor antimicrobial effects. The best antimicrobial, anti-proliferative, and antioxidant compounds were phenolics. In conclusion, many medicinal plants traditionally used in Cameroon to treat various ailments displayed good activities in vitro. This explains the endeavor of Cameroonian research institutes in drug discovery from indigenous medicinal plants. However, much work is still to be done to standardize methodologies and to study the mechanisms of action of isolated natural products.

Globulixanthone F, a New Polyoxygenated Xanthone with an Isoprenoid Group and Two Antimicrobial Biflavonoids from the Stem Bark of Symphonia Globulifera¶

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the stem bark of Symphonia globulifera has yielded three known xanthones, ugaxanthone (1), mbarraxanthone (2) and gentisein (3), two biflavonoid derivatives named GB2 (4) and manniflavanone GB3 (5), and one new polyoxygenated xanthone with an isoprenoid group, named globulixanthone F (6). The structures of these compounds were elucidated by means of spectroscopic methods. The spectral data of 1 and 2 are reported here for the first time, as well as the antimicrobial activity of globulixanthone F against a range of microorganisms. We also report the total synthesis of the xanthone skeleton.