Secondary Metabolites and Biological Properties of Gesneriaceae Species

Abstract

The family Gesneriaceae comprises ca. 150 genera and 3000 species, distributed in the tropics around the world. It is constituted of herbs, lianas, or shrubs, frequently with ornamental potential, due to the beauty of their flowers. Some species have been used in traditional medicine, mainly against fever, cough, colds, snakebite, pains, and infectious and inflammatory diseases. Although Gesneriaceae are a large family, only few species were chemically investigated, and this took place mainly in the last decade. In the present work, chemical and pharmacological studies on Gesneriaceae are reviewed based on original articles published. Altogether 300 compounds have been reported in Gesneriaceae species, including flavonoids, terpenes and steroids, phenolic glucosides, simple phenolics, quinones, lignans, xanthones, and compounds with unusual skeletons. Several species had been used in folk medicine, and some constituents have shown biological activities, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflamatory, antioxidant, and antitumor properties.

Shoot Organogenesis and Plant Regeneration from Leaf Explants ofLysionotus serratusD. Don

“…Several plants in this genus are harvested by local people as herbal medicine for treatment of lymph node tuberculosis, cough with tachypnoea, and rheumatic pains [15]. The functional compounds of their secondary metabolites have been isolated [16, 17]. Harvesting plants from the wild for medicine or horticulture purposes makes the species even more endangered.…”

Plantamajoside — A current review

“…Plantamajoside was also found in other species of Gesneriaceae family, namely Chirita longgangensis var. rongyao (Wang et al, 2005;Verdan and Stefanello, 2012) and C. eburnean (Chen et al, 2010). Yang et al (2012) also detected plantamajoside in Boschniaka himalaica from the Orobanchaceae plant family.…”

“…hongyao (Wang et al, 2005;Verdan and Stefanello, 2012). In the Orobanchaceae family, the leaves of a parasitic plant growing on the roots of the genus Rhododendron (Betulaceae): Boschniakia himalaica contained plantamajoside ) (see Table 1).…”

“…Plantamajoside also occurs in the Gesneriaceae family, more specifically in Aeschynanthus speciosus (Jensen, 1996;Verdan and Stefanello, 2012) and two Chirita species: Chirita eburnean (Chen et al, 2010(Chen et al, , 2011 and C. longgangensis var. hongyao (Wang et al, 2005;Verdan and Stefanello, 2012).…”

Warmingiins A and B, Two New Dimeric Naphthoquinone Derivatives from Sinningia warmingii (Gesneriaceae)

“…3 A preliminary phytochemical screening of the tubers detected phenolic glycosides, terpenes, and steroids, 3 classes of compounds that are widespread in Gesneriaceae family. 4 Recently we reported the isolation of eight known compounds from S. warmingii, which were identified as lapachenole, tectoquinone, 7-methoxytectoquinone, 1-hydroxytectoquinone, 7-hydroxytectoquinone, aggregatin C, aggregatin D and halleridone. 5 In continuing the phytochemical investigation of S. warmingii tubers, we report now the isolation of two new dimeric naphthoquinone derivatives, warmingiin A (1) and B (2), together with six known compounds identified by comparison with literature as aggregatin E (3), 6 aggregatin F (4), 6 tectoquinone (5), 7 halleridone (6), 8 cleroindicin B (7), 9 and cornoside (8).…”