Machaerium, in the family Fabaceae, predominantly is a genus of a Neotropical distribution of trees, shrubs, and lianas occurring from southern Mexico to Brazil and northern Argentina and as far as South America. Several Machaerium species are widely used in traditional medicine and are considered to have multiple medicinal properties. This review aims to provide up-to-date and comprehensive information on the taxonomy, phytochemistry, traditional uses and biological activities of plants in the genus Machaerium.

Gossypol(8,8¢-dicarboxaldehyde, 1,1¢,6,6¢,7,7¢-hexahydroxy, 5,5¢-diisopropyl, 3,3¢-dimethyl, 2,2¢-binaphthalene) was isolated from root bark of Gossypium barbadense L. var. Giza 86. Its 1,4-binaphthoquinone derivative, gossypolone, was prepared by oxidation of gossypol with FeCl 3 in acetic acid/acetone. The structures of gossypol and gossypolone were confirmed by physical and spectral data. Their antimitotic activity on Allium cepa L. root tips was investigated. The mitotic rate was markedly decreased after 3, 6 and 24 hr of incubation with 500, 250 and 125 ppm gossypol, respectively. With gossypolone, the decrease in mitotic rate was noticed after 6, 12 and 24 hr incubation with 500, 250 and 125 ppm, respectively. The decrease was irreversible in root tips incubated with 500 and 250 ppm gossypol or gossypolone. On the other hand, root tips incubated with 125 ppm gossypol or gossypolone regained normal mitotic activity after postincubation in water. Both gossypol and gossypolone markedly decreased the growth rate of Allium cepa L. bulbs in a dose-dependent manner. This assay may be used as an easy and inexpensive method to evaluate the antimitotic potential of agents that could be useful for the treatment of cancer.

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A new acylated kaempferol glycoside, kaempferol 3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-O-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-4-O-acetyl-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-d-galactopyranoside, has been isolated from the leaves of Tipuana tipu (Benth.) Lillo growing in Egypt, along with three known flavonol glycosides, kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside, quercetin 3-O-rutinoside (rutin) and kaempferol 3-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)]-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2]-β-d-glucopyranoside. Structure elucidation was achieved through different spectroscopic methods. Structure relationship with anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenin-induced rat paw oedema model is discussed.

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The inhibitory effects of secondary metabolites of Sclerotium cepivorum against itself were studied both in vitro and in vivo. The highest inhibition of fungal growth and a 98.6 % reduction in the number of sclerotia was obtained with 50 % culture filtrate. No sclerotial germination was observed on media amended with culture filtrates at 10, 25 and 50 %. Methanol extract of mycelia and sclerotia, and ethyl acetate extract of culture filtrate both exhibited over 90 % inhibition of S. cepivorum growth at 1200 ppm. A chloroform extract of culture filtrate resulted in 71.1 % inhibition at 1200 ppm. All extracts completely suppressed the formation and germination of sclerotia at 400, 800 and 1200 ppm. In greenhouse experiments, no disease was observed with the ethyl acetate extract when onion seedlings were dipped in the extract for 4 or 8 h. The GC-MS analysis revealed 28 compounds in the methanol extract. The methanol extract contained mainly hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (31.16 %), whereas 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, HMF, (36.40 %) was the main constituent of the ethyl acetate extract. These results suggest that the secondary metabolites of S. cepivorum are potential and promising antifungal agents for the control of onion white rot. These results can be also applied to reduce the incidence and severity of other diseases in different crops.

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