Review on the therapeutic activities of the genus Trichilia

Abstract

The genus Trichilia (Meliaceae family) has been attracting interest among Brazilian Flora, due to the biological activities of its secondary metabolites. This genus has species distributed throughout tropical America, recognized for its significant economic importance and high commercial value. Its composition consists mainly of terpenoids (triterpenes, sesquiterpenes, limonoids and steroids) and polyphenols (flavonoids and tannins). In folk medicine this genus is used in preparations such as antimicrobial, antimalarial, antiviral and antioxidant. Studies carried out with several species of the genus Trichilia show that these plants have antioxidant, anticholinesterase, antimicrobial activities against pathogens of great clinical importance, neuroprotective, anti-anaphylactic and anti-inflammatory. In addition, analgesic, antineoplasic, hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory activities have also been investigated and proven in the literature. Based on the great biotechnological potential of the genus Trichilia, from the few studies on its applications in human health and in view of the importance of searching for natural substances that have effective therapeutic activities, this review highlights the main therapeutic applications of species of this genus found in the literature, and stimulate further studies on the use of these plants in the treatment of various diseases. For this, a survey on the topic was carried out in the main sources of scientific research in the period from 2005 to 2020, leading us to conclude that this genus can be a potent ally in the search for new phytotherapic drugs.

Review on phytochemical constituents of the genus Trichilia and biological activities

“…Despite the promising activity of this plant against some human pathogens, high toxicity of the extract has been observed and future studies can be conducted to better study these effects. It is worth noting that no tests have been performed to show the selectivity index [34] .…”

“…Antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative Trichilia silvatica has loads to offer, that is cautioned through the presence of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and tannins observed in its extracts [34] . Trichilia silvatica possesses the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities of the methanolic extracts of leaves and bark [35] .…”

“…Among the metabolites present in Trichilia, highly oxygenated limonoids and triterpenes were observed with a remarkable frequency. They deserve special attention as they are considered major markers of chemosystematics in the family Meliaceae [34,35] . This compound is also called meliacin because of its bitter taste.…”

Extracts of Trichilia heudelotii (Meliaceae) Planch, a Nigerian Medicinal Plant have Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity

“…Currently, it`s reported that the global market value of medicinal plant products is in the neighbourhood of 100 Billion USD per annum [11]. Trichilia heudelotii (Meliaceae), a tree about 12-20m high which is common in most countries in West Africa, including Nigeria, is a plant that has shown great potential as a possible source of bioactive agents for phytotherapy [12]. The bark and leaves of Trichilia heudelotii have several medicinal applications, in decoction form, pulp, or as dry powder.…”

Essential Oils of Aromatic Plant Species from the Atlantic Rainforest Exhibit Extensive Chemical Diversity and Antimicrobial Activity

“…The sampling and analyses of native plants in the current work is authorized by Sistema Nacional de Gestão do Patrimônio Genético e do Conhecimento Tradicional Associado (SisGen), under license permit AD0077F [ 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 …”