Bioactive Compounds from Kalanchoe Genus Potentially Useful for the Development of New Drugs

Abstract

The genus Kalanchoe Adans. (Crassulaceae) is native to Madagascar and comprises 145 species, being naturalized in the tropics and cultivated worldwide. In addition to having ornamental value, several Kalanchoe species are commonly used in popular medicine for the treatment of inflammatory conditions, wounds, gastric ulcers, and other diseases. The great importance of the genus is reflected on its acknowledgment by traditional and alternative health systems and organizations, as well as on the growing number of papers reporting pharmacological properties of extracts and isolated compounds from Kalanchoe. Among these properties, we highlight anti-inflammatory, antitumor, wound healing, antiulcer, and muscle relaxing properties. These activities are attributed mostly to flavonoids and bufadienolides, the main secondary metabolites reported in Kalanchoe extracts. While bufadienolides are generally related to cytotoxic and muscle relaxing activities, flavonoids are commonly reported as anti-inflammatory and wound healing agents. This review provides up to date information and perspectives on bioactive compounds from the Kalanchoe genus that are potentially useful for the development of new drugs. It includes not only a discussion on the advantages of the Kalanchoe species as source of bioactive compounds, but also the gaps, opportunities, and challenges to translate the acquired knowledge into innovation for drug development.

Biological Activities and Chemical Profiles of Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi Extracts

“…It is known that Kalanchoe species can contain multiple flavonoids such as quercetin (Qu), kaempferol, myricetin, luteolin, eupafolin, or their derivatives [ 35 ]. These compounds have been reported among several species, for example, K. pinnata , K. gracilis , K. blossfeldiana , K. tomentosa , and K. pathulate [ 19 , 20 , 36 ].…”

“…Traditionally, preparations from species of the Kalanchoe genus are utilized in different countries such as Brazil, India, and China. In addition, some of them (i.e., K. pinnata ) belong to the list of medicinal plants to be used in national public health systems, such as the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) [ 19 ].…”

A glimpse into the fungal metabolomic abyss: Novel network analysis reveals relationships between exogenous compounds and their outputs

“…Hellebrigenin 3-acetate (XIC ID 10) is a natural product isolated from the plants Bersama abyssinica ( 59 ) and Kalanchoe spp. ( 60 ) with no reported biological roles. Beta-cyclopiazonate (XIC ID 70) is a polyketide involved in the synthesis of cyclopiazonic acid, which is a mycotoxin produced by species of Aspergillus and Penicillium ( 61 ).…”

Exploring the therapeutic mechanism of potential phytocompounds from Kalanchoe pinnata in the treatment of diabetes mellitus by integrating network pharmacology, molecular docking and simulation approach

“…As per the findings of ( Ogidigo et al, 2022 ) ethyl acetate fractions of K. Pinnata contains significant amounts of quercetin, luteolin, isorhamnetin, and luteolin-7-glucoside, the extract exhibited a reduction in an oxidative imbalance in rats subjected to neurotoxicity induced by aluminium chloride; these results indicate a potential neuroprotective effect. According to a study ( Nascimento et al, 2023 ), bufadienolides were identified as the key compounds accountable for the anticancer effects observed in K.pinnata extracts, bryophyllin A which is a principal compound of it has been distinguished from other compounds such as Vitamin D, stigmasterol, alpha-amyrin, and beta-amyrin compounds found in K. pinnata . These compounds were previously reported by ( Rajesh and Shamsudin, 2017 ) to exhibit activity against pi-class Glutathione-S-transferase for lymphatic filariasis through an in-silico approach.…”