African Sandalwood or Nepalese Sandalwood: a Brief Synthesis

Abstract

African sandalwood or East African sandalwood (Osyris lanceolata Hochst. & Steud.; Santalaceae), also known as Nepalese sandalwood (Osyris wightiana var. rotundifolia P.C. Tam), is a hemi-parasitic tree known for its fragrant wood. The essential oil is extracted from the root bark for the perfume industry and different parts of the tree have various medicinal uses. African sandalwood contains an array of phytochemicals such as dihydro-β-agarofuran polyesters, agarofuranases, polyesters, other sesquiterpenes and bisabolanes. This mini-review focuses on the general biology, traditional uses, phytochemical properties, propagation for conservation, and hemiparasitism of O. lanceolata.