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Planta Med 2015; 81(02): 95-107
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1396148
Reviews
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Symphonia globulifera, a Widespread Source of Complex Metabolites with Potent Biological Activities

Yann Fromentin
1   Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
,
Kevin Cottet
1   Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
,
Marina Kritsanida
1   Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
,
Sylvie Michel
1   Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
,
Nicolas Gaboriaud-Kolar
1   Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
2   Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
,
Marie-Christine Lallemand
1   Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 15 July 2014
revised 12 October 2014

accepted 19 November 2014

Publication Date:
15 January 2015 (online)

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Abstract

Symphonia globulifera has been widely used in traditional medicine and has therefore been subjected to several phytochemical studies in the American and African continents. Interestingly, some disparities have been observed concerning its metabolic profile. Several phytochemical studies of S. globulifera have led to the identification of more than 40 compounds, including several polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols. Biological evaluations have pointed out the promising biological activities of these secondary metabolites, mostly as antiparasitic or antimicrobial, confirming the traditional use of this plant. The purpose of this review is to describe the natural occurrence, botanical aspects, ethnomedicinal use, structure, and biogenesis, as well as biological activities of compounds isolated from this species according to their provenance.

Key words

Symphonia globulifera - Clusiaceae - ethnomedicine - secondary metabolites - biosynthesis - biological activities
 

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