Abstract
Garcinia is a genus of Clusiaceae, distributed throughout tropical Asia, Africa, New Caledonia, Polynesia, and Brazil. Garcinia plants contain a broad range of biologically active metabolites which, in the last few decades, have received considerable attention due to the chemical compositions of their extracts, with compounds which have been shown to have beneficial effects in several diseases. Our work had the objective of reviewing the benefits of five Garcinia species (G. brasiliensis, G. gardneriana, G. pedunculata, G. cambogia, and G. mangstana). These species provide a rich natural source of bioactive compounds with relevant therapeutic properties and anti-inflammatory effects, such as for the treatment of skin disorders, wounds, pain, and infections, having demonstrated antinociceptive, antioxidant, antitumoral, antifungal, anticancer, antihistaminic, antiulcerogenic, antimicrobial, antiviral, vasodilator, hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and cardioprotective properties. This demonstrates the relevance of the genus as a rich source of compounds with valuable therapeutic properties, with potential use in the prevention and treatment of nontransmissible chronic diseases.
Highlights
Research into medicinal plants can provide essential knowledge about drugs from plants and for the production of phytotherapeutic agents
Given the presence of various compounds with several functions in these organisms, our work had the objective of reviewing the benefits presented by five species of Garcinia (G. brasiliensis, G. gardneriana, G. pedunculata, G. cambogia, and G. mangstana)
Fractions of the most efficient extract were made, resulting in three purified prenylated benzophenones, 7-epi-clusianone (12), garciniaphenone (13), and guttiferone-a (14) [21,42]. These results suggested that the hexane extract and the polyprenylated benzophenones isolated from G. brasiliensis have relevant leishmanicidal activities and provide potential compounds for the development of new drugs against leishmaniasis
Summary
Research into medicinal plants can provide essential knowledge about drugs from plants and for the production of phytotherapeutic agents. The genus Garcinia contains a broad range of biologically active metabolites, and these, in the last few decades, has received considerable attention for the chemical composition of their extracts, being rich in derivates of polyisoprenylated benzophenones, polyphenols, bioflavonoids, and xanthones [18,19,20]. Another study reported the presence of the bioflavonoids volkensiflavone, fukugetin [24], and prenylated xanthones [25] These compounds have been associated with biological activities such as free-radical scavenging, antiulcer effects [26], cytotoxicity, inhibition of nitric oxide synthase [27], chemoprevention of cancer [28], induction of apoptosis [29], anti-HIV [30], and trypanocidal effects [31]. Given the presence of various compounds with several functions in these organisms, our work had the objective of reviewing the benefits presented by five species of Garcinia (G. brasiliensis, G. gardneriana, G. pedunculata, G. cambogia, and G. mangstana)
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