Nauclea latifolia: biological activity and alkaloid phytochemistry of a West African tree

Abstract

Covering up to 2016Nauclea latifolia (syn. Sarcocephalus latifolius, Rubiaceae), commonly called the African pincushion tree, is a plant widely used in folk medicine in different regions of Africa for treating a variety of illnesses, including malaria, epilepsy and pain. N. latifolia has not only drawn the interest of traditional healers but also of phytochemists, who have identified a range of bioactive indole alkaloids in its tissue. More recently, following up on the traditional use of extracts in pain management, a bio-guided purification from the roots of the tree led to the identification of the active ingredient as tramadol, available as a synthetic analgesic since the 1970s. The discovery of this compound as a natural phytochemical was highlighted worldwide. This review focuses on the correlation between extracted compounds and pharmacological activities, paying special attention to infectious diseases and neurologically-related disorders. A critical analysis of the data reported so far on the natural origin of tramadol and its proposed biosynthesis is also presented.

Pathway-specific enzymes from bamboo and crop leaves biosynthesize anti-nociceptive C-glycosylated flavones

“…Plants and microbes have provided humankind with some of the most clinically relevant drugs and secondary metabolites with beneficial effects on various ailments including pain relief. For example, some recent successful cases reported are indole alkaloids from Nauclea latifolia 40,41 and Corydalis yanhusuo 42 , and diterpene glucosides from Rhododendron micranthum 43 . Flavonoids are an important class of phytochemicals ubiquitously existing in the plant kingdom and have members that are considered promising candidates for natural analgesics 44 .…”

Nauclea latifolia Sm. Leaf Extracts Extenuates Free Radicals, Inflammation, and Diabetes-Linked Enzymes

“…The anti-inflammatory activity of this class of phytochemical has been well reported such as the erythrocyte membrane stabilising effect, cation-binding activity of tannins and wound healing properties of lycopene and β-carotene [36][37][38]. Boucherle et al [39] reported the presence of tannins in the leaf extract of N. latifolia buttressing findings 9 Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity usually witnessed with synthetic inhibitors such as acarbose and voglibose [15,42]. This study revealed the promising inhibitory α-amylase and α-glucosidase potential of N. latifolia leaf extracts.…”

Basic approaches to the synthesis of pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinolines derivatives: a review

“…One of the main directions of the development of chemistry is the search for substances with high biological effect, which can become the base for the creation of new biologically active substances that would be competitive as potential medicines in the market of imported and domestic products. Nitrogencontaining heterocyclic compounds are known as natural and synthetic molecules [1,2] that exhibit a wide range of biological effects [3][4][5]. Among various N-heterocycles, pyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoline derivatives attract considerable attention due to their unique biological activity [6][7][8][9][10][11][12].…”