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Planta Med 1984; 50(3): 210-212
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-969680
Research Articles

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

A Contribution to the Phytochemistry of Zanthoxylum tessmannii 1

J. Foyere Ayofor, B. T. Ngadjui, B. L. Sondengam, E. Tsamo
  • Department of Organic Chemistry, The University of Yaounde, Box 812, Yaounde, Cameroon, West Africa.
1 This taxon was described by Engler of Fagara tessmannii. The modern tendency, however, is to include the general Fagara and Zanthoxylum in one genus, Zanthoxylum L. When P.G. Waterman (Taxon, 24, 361 (1975)) made the new combinations which became necessary by fusion of the two former genera he did not treat F. Tessmannii because its taxonomic status was still unclear. Recent findings (P.G. Waterman, private communication) and results reported in this article have clarified existing doubts. Therefore we propose the new combination Zanthoxylum tessmannii (Engl.) Ayafor Comb. now.-syn. Fagara tessmannii Engl. Bot. Jahrb. (1911) 46, 406.
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Publication Date:
26 February 2007 (online)

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Abstract

Root bark extracts of Zanthoxylum tessmannii (Engl.) Ayafor Comb. nov. (Syn. Fagara tessmannii Engl.) yielded, besides chelerythrine, dihydrochelerythrine, fagaramide and lupeol previously reported from this taxon, ten other compounds viz:nitidine, dihydronitidine, 9-methoxychelerthrine, γ-fagarine, skimmianine, arctigenin methylether, savinin and a mixture of campesterol, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol. The implications of the present results for the taxonomic position of Zanthoxylum tessmannii is discussed.

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