Christophe Wiart

Medicinal Plants of Asia and the Pacific

Introduction Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Annonaceae General Concept Fissistima lanuginosum (Hk. f. et Th.) Merr Fissistigma manubriatum (Hk. f. et Th.) Phaeanthus ebracteolatus (Prels) Merr References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Myristicaceae General Concept Knema glaucescens Jack Knema Globularia (Lamk.) Warb. Myristica argentea Warb. Myristica elliptica Wall. Ex Hook. F. Thoms References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Lauraceae General Concept Cinnamomun sintoc Bl Beilschmiedia pahangensis Gamb. Bielschmiedia tonkinensis Ridl. Cryptocarya griffithiana Wight Cryptocarya tomentosa Bl. Litsea umbellata (Lour.) Merr. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Piperaceae General Concept Piper Abbreviatum Opi Piper betle L. Piper officinarum DC Piper sarmentosum Roxb References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Aristolochiaceae General Concept Aristolochia philippinensis Warb. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Nympheaceae General Concept Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn Nymphea Pubescens Willd Nymphea stellata Willd References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Menispermaceae General Concept Arcangelica flava (L.) Merr. Limacia oblonga Hook f. & Thoms. Stephania Japonica (Thunb.) Miers References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Polygonaceae General Concept Polygonum chinense L. Polygonum Minus Huds. Polygonum tomentosum Willd. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Myrsinaceae General Concept Aegiceras corniculatum Blco Aridisia corolata Roxb Ardisia elliptica Thunb. Ardisia fuliginosa Bl. Ardisia humilis Vahl Ardisia lanceolata Roxb. Ardisia odontophylla Wall Ardisia oxyphylla Wall. Ardisia pyramidalis (Cav.) Pers Ardisia ridleyi King & Gamble Ardisia squamulosa Presl Maesa cumingii Mez Maesa denticullata Mez Maesa laxa Mez Maesa perlarius (Lour.) Merr. Maesa ramentacea (Roxb.) A.DC. Maesa tetrandra A. DC. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Ebenaceae General Concept Diospyros lanceifolia Roxb Diospyros malabarica (Desr.) Kostel. Diospyros multiflora Blco Diospyros pilosanthera Blco. Diospyros sumatrana Miq. Diospyros rufa King & Gamble Diospyros toposioides King & Gamble References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Bombacaceae General Concept Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. Neesia Altissima Bl. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Elaeocarpaceae General Concept Elaeocarpus floribundus Bl. Elaeocarpus obtusus Bl. sensu King References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Capparaceae General Concept Capparis micrantha DC Crateva religiosa Forts. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Flacourtiaceae General Concept Flacourtia jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch Homalium tomentosum (Vent.) Benth. Hydnocarpus kurzii ssp. Australis Sleumer References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Passifloraceae General Concept Adenia cordifolia Engl Passiflora foetida L. Passiflora quadrangularis L. Passiflora laurifolia L. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Cucurbitaceae General Concept Gymnopetalum cochinchinense (Lour.) Kurz. Hodgsonia macrocarpa (Bl.) Cogn. Trichosanthes quinquangulata A. Grey Trichosanthes tricuspidata Lour. Trichosanthes villosa Bl Trichosanthes wawrae Cogn References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Connaraceae General Concept Connarus ferrugineus Jack References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Anisophylleaceae General Concept Anisophyllea disticha Hook f. Reference Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Rosaceae General Concept Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. Prunus arborea (Bl.) Kalkman Rubus moluccanum L References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Thymeleaceae General Concept Gonystylus confusus Airy Shaw Gonystylus macrophyllus (Miq.) Airy Shaw References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Melastomataceae General Concept Blastus cogniauxii Stapf. Diplectra divaricata (Willd.) O. Ktze Dissochaeta annulata Hook. f. Dissochaeta bracteata (Jack) Bl Dissochaeta punctulata Hook. f. ex Triana Medinilla hasseltiI Bl Medinilla radicans (Bl.) Bl. Melastoma polyanthum Bl. Melasatoma sanguineum Sims Memecylon dichotomum C.B. Clarke Neodissochaeta gracilis (Jack) Bakh. f. Osbeckia chinensis L. Pternandra coerulescens Jack References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Rhizophoraceae General Concept Bruguiera sexangula (Lour.) Poir. Carallia brachiata (Lour.) Merr. Carallia suffruticosa King Ceriops tagal (Pers.) C.B. Rob. Gynotroches axillaris Bl. Rhizophora apiculata Bl. Rhizophora mucronata Lamk. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Olacaceae General Concept Ochanostachys amentacea Mast Ximenia americana L Strombosia philippinensis (Baill.) Rolfe References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Icacinaceae General Concept Gonocaryum gracile Miq References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Euphorbiaceae General Concept Antidesma ghaemsembilla Gaertn. Euphorbia thymifolia L Macaranga tanarius Muell.-Arg. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Sapindaceae General Concept Dodonaea viscosa (L.) Jacq Lepisanthes tetraphylla (Vahl) Radlk. Nephelium juglandifolium Bl Pometia pinnata Forst. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Anacardiaceae General Concept Dracontomelon dao (Blanco) Merr. & Rolfe Gluta rhengas L. Melanochyla auriculata Hook. f. Pentaspadon officinalis Holmes References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Simaroubaceae General Concept Eurycoma apiculata Benn. Quassia indica (Gaertn.) Nootebom References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Meliaceae General Concept Aglaia odorata Lour Aphanamixis grandifolia Bl Aphanamixis rohituka (Roxb.) Pierre Chisocheton penduliflorus Planch. ex Hiern Dysoxylum alliaceum Bl. Dysoxylum cauliflorum Hiern Sandoricum koejape (Burm. f.) Merr. Toona sureni (Bl.) Merr. Trichilia connaroide (Wight & Arn.) Bentvelzen Xylocarpus granatum Koenig. Xylocarpus moluccensis (Lamk.) Roem References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Rutaceae General Concept Aegle marmelos Correa Atalantia monophylla DC Atalantia roxburghiana Hook. f. Citrus hystrix DC Citrus mitis Blco. Clausena excavata Burm. f. Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeells Euodia elleryana F. Muell. Lunasia amara Blco Micromelum minutum (Forst f.) W. & A Paramignya andamanica Tanaka Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lamk. Zanthoxylum avicennae (Lamk.) DC Zanthoxylum myriacanthum Wall. ex Hk. f. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Loganiaceae General Concept Fagraea auriculata Jack Fagraea blumei G.Don Fagraea obovata (non Wall.) King Neuburgia corynocarpa (A Gray) Leenh References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Gentianaceae General Concept Nymphoides indica (Thwaites) Kuntze Swertia javanica Bl References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Apocynaceae General Concept Alstonia angustifolia Wall. ex A. Dc Alstonia macrophylla Wall. ex G. Don Alstonia spectabilis Alstonia spatulata Bl. Carissa carandas L Epigynum maingayi Hook. f Ervatamia sphaerocarpa Bl Holarrhena curtisii King & Gamble Kibatalia arborea (Bl.) G.Don Kopsia larutensis King & Gamble Willughbeia edulis Ridl Wrightia pubescens R. Br. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Asclepiadaceae General Concept Hoya coriacea Bl. Hoya coronaria Bl. Hoya diversifolia Bl Streptocaulon cumingii (Turcz.) F.-Vill. Telosma cordata (Burm.f.) Merr. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Solanaceae General Concept Capsicum minimum Roxb Solanum ferox var. laniocarpum Solanum mammosum L Solanum nigrum L. Solanum verbascifolium L. References Medicinal Plants Classified in the Family Verbenaceae General Concept Callicarpa arborea Roxb. Clerodendrum dDeflexum Wall. Clerodendrum inerm (L.) Gaertn Duranta plumieri Jacq. Gmelina elliptica Sm. Peronema canescens Jack Sphenodesme pentandra Jack Sphenodesme trifolia Wight Teijmanniodendron pteropodium (Miq.) Bakh. References Index

Goniothalamus Species: A Source of Drugs for the Treatment of Cancers and Bacterial Infections?

Irrespective of the presence of cytotoxic acetogenins and styryl-lactones in the genus Goniothalamus, only 22 species in the genus Goniothalamus, out of 160 species (13.7%) have so far been investigated. In an effort to promote further research on the genus Goniothalamus which could represent a source of drugs for the treatment of cancers and bacterial infections, this work offers a broad analysis of current knowledge on Goniothalamus species. Therefore, it includes (i) taxonomy (ii) botanical description (iii) traditional medicinal uses and (iv) phytochemical and pharmacological studies. We discuss the molecular mechanisms of actions of acetogenins and styryl-lactones, with some emphasis on the possible involvement of protein kinase, Bax and TRAIL receptors in the cytotoxic effects of styryl-lactones. We also report (v) the growth inhibition of several nosocomial bacteria by Goniothalamus. scortechinii. The crude methanol extract of G. scortechinii showed a good and broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.

Optimal methods for evaluating antimicrobial activities from plant extracts.

The search for antimicrobial agents from plants has been a growing interest in the last few decades. However, results generated from many of these studies cannot be directly compared due to the absence of standardization in particular antimicrobial methods employed. The need for established methods with consistent results for the evaluation of antimicrobial activities from plant extracts has been proposed by many researchers. Nevertheless, there are still many studies reported in the literature describing different methodologies. The aim of this study was to find optimal methods to give consistent quantitative antimicrobial results for studying plant extracts. Three different agar-based assays (pour plate disc diffusion (PPDD), streak plate disc diffusion (SPDD) and well-in agar (WA)) and one broth-based (turbidometric (TB)) assay were used in this study. Extracts from two plant species (Duabanga grandiflora and Acalypha wilkesiana) were tested on two bacterial species, namely Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Amongst the agar-based assays, PPDD produced the most reproducible results. TB was able to show the inhibitory effects of the test samples on the growth kinetic of the bacteria including plant extracts with low polarity. We propose that both agar- (i.e PPDD) and broth-based assays should be employed when assessing the antimicrobial activity of plant crude extracts.

High Correlation of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) Radical Scavenging, Ferric Reducing Activity Potential and Total Phenolics Content Indicates Redundancy in Use of All Three Assays to Screen for Antioxidant Activity of Extracts of Plants from the Malaysian Rainforest

Extracts of plants from the Malaysian rainforest and other fragile habitats are being researched intensively for identification of beneficial biological actions, with assessment of antioxidant behavior being a common component of such assessments. A number of tests for antioxidant behavior are used, with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reduction activity potential (FRAP) assays often being used in parallel, and also with measurement of total phenolics content (TPC) as a surrogate marker for antioxidant capacity. The present study investigated the possible redundancy in using all three assays to determine antioxidant capacity in 92 extracts obtained from 27 plants from the Malaysian rainforest. The results demonstrated that the assays displayed a high (R ≥ 0.82) and significant (P < 0.0001) correlation with one another, indicating a high level of redundancy if all three assays are used in parallel. This appears to be a waste of potentially valuable plant extracts. Because of problems with the FRAP assay relating to color interference and variable rates of reaction point, the DPPH assay is the preferred assay in preliminary screening of extracts of plants from the Malaysian rainforest.

Terengganensines A and B, dihydroeburnane alkaloids from Kopsia terengganensis

Five known indole alkaloids, (+)-quebrachamine, (−)-eburnamine, (+)-isoeburnamine, (−)-eburnaminol and (+)-larutensine, and two new alkaloids, terengganensines A 1 and B 2, possessing a unique dihydroeburnane skeleton were isolated from the bark of Kopsia terengganensis. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectral methods.

6-Acylcoumarins from Mesua racemosa

Abstract Two new 6-acylcoumarins, racemosol 1 and mammea A/AC cyclo F 2 were isolated by fractionation of a leave extract of Mesua racemosa (Planch. ex Triana and Planch.) Kostermans. Their structures were solved by extensive spectroscopic analysis as 5,7-dihydroxy-8- (2‴-hydroxy-3‴-methylbut-3‴-ene)-6- (1″-oxobutyl)-4-phenyl-2 H -benzo [ b ]pyran-2-one 1 and 5-hydroxy-8- (1‴-hydroxy-1‴-methylethyl)-6- (1″-oxobutyl)-4-phenyl-8,9-dihydro-2 H -furo [2′,3′:5,6]benzo [1,2-b]pyran-2-one 2. Five known compounds namely mammea A/AC 3, mammea A/AC cyclo D 4, mammea A/AD cyclo D 5, mammea A/BB 6 and mammea A/AA 7 were also isolated from the same source.

Annonaceae: bio-resource for tomorrow's drug discovery

One of the rich sources of lead compounds is the Angiosperms. Many of these lead compounds are useful medicines naturally, whereas others have been used as the basis for synthetic agents. These are potent and effective compounds, which have been obtained from plants, including anti-cancer (cytotoxic) agents, anti-malaria (anti-protozoal) agents, and anti-bacterial agents. Today, the number of plant families that have been extensively studied is relatively very few and the vast majorities have not been studied at all. The Annonaceae is the largest family in the order Magnoliales. It includes tropical trees, bushes, and climbers, which are often used as traditional remedies in Southeast Asia. Members of the Annonaceae have the particularity to elaborate a broad spectrum of natural products that have displayed anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-protozoal effects and have been used for the treatment of medical conditions, such as skin diseases, intestinal worms, inflammation of the eyes, HIV, and cancer. These special effects and the vast range of variation in potent compounds make the Annonaceae unique from other similar families in the Magnoliales and the Angiosperms in general. This paper attempts to summarize some important information and discusses a series of hypotheses about the effects of Annonaceae compounds.

Acalypha wilkesiana extracts induce apoptosis by causing single strand and double strand DNA breaks

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The seeds of Acalypha wilkesiana have been used empirically by traditional healers in Southwest Nigeria together with other plants as a powder mixture to treat patients with breast tumours and inflammation. AIM OF THE STUDY There is an increasing interest among researchers in searching for new anticancer drugs from natural resources, particularly plants. This study aimed to investigate the anticancer properties of Acalypha wilkesiana extracts and the characteristics of DNA damage against brain and lung cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS The antiproliferative activity of Acalypha wilkesiana extracts (ethyl acetate, hexane, and ethanol) was examined on human glioma (U87MG), human lung carcinoma (A549), and human lung fibroblast (MRC5) cells. RESULTS Cell viability MTT assay revealed that ethyl acetate extract of the plant possessed significant antiproliferative effects against both U87MG (GI(50)=28.03 ± 6.44 μg/ml) and A549 (GI(50)=89.63 ± 2.12 μg/ml) cells (p value<0.0001). The hexane extract was found to exhibit crucial antiproliferative effects on U87MG (GI(50)=166.30 ± 30.50 μg/ml) (p value<0.0001) but not on A549 cells. Neither plant extract possessed noticeable antiproliferative effects on the non-cancerous MRC5 cells (GI(50)>300 μg/ml). The ethanol extract showed no antiproliferative effects on any cell line examined. Haematoxylin & Eosin (H & E) staining and single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) comet assay confirmed that plant extract-treated cells underwent apoptosis and not necrosis. SCGE comet assays confirmed that plant extracts caused both single strand (SSB) and double strand (DSB) DNA breaks that led to the execution of apoptosis. CONCLUSION The extracts (especially ethyl acetate and hexane) of Acalypha wilkesiana possess valuable cytotoxic effects that trigger apoptosis in U87MG and A549 cancer cells through induction of DNA SSBs and DSBs.

Reviews on 1,4-naphthoquinones from Diospyros L.

The genus Diospyros is one of the most important sources of bioactive compounds, exclusively 1,4-naphthoquinones. The following information is an attempt to cover the developments in the biology and phytochemistry of 1,4-naphthoquinones isolated from this genus, as well as the studies done and the suggested mechanisms regarding their activities. During the past 60 years, many of these agents have been isolated from Diospyros L. Twelve considerable bioactive structures are reported in this review. The basic 1,4-naphthoquinone skeletons, on which a large number of studies have been done, are plumbagin and diospyrin. Today, the potential for development of leads from 1,4-naphthoquinones obtained from Diospyros L. is growing dramatically, mainly in the area of anticancer and antibacterial investigations. The data prepared and described here are intended to be served as a reference tool to the natural products and chemistry specialists in order to expand the rational drug design.

In Vitro Antimicrobial, Antioxidant Activities and Phytochemical Analysis of Canarium patentinervium Miq. from Malaysia

Six different extracts of Canarium patentinervium Miq. (Burseraceae) leaves and barks were screened for their phytochemical composition, and antimicrobial and free radical scavenging activities. Among the different extracts tested, the ethanol extract of leaves showed significant antimicrobial and radical scavenging activities. The most susceptible micro-organisms were found to be Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA) and Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Phytochemical analysis of the extracts revealed that the antimicrobial and the radical scavenging activities are mainly due to the presence of tannins and flavonoids. The results obtained suggest that Canarium patentinervium Miq. could be exploited in the management of various infectious diseases.