Abstract
The main chemical constituents of agarwood are sesquiterpenes and chromones, which can be divided into different categories depending on their molecular skeletons. Agarwoods are obtained from different plant species: Aquilaria sinensis, A. malaccensis, A. crassna, and A. subintegra. In this review, we systematically summarized the structures of 367 compounds isolated from agarwoods originating from four main species. We structurally classified all the components into 11 different types and summarized the number of compounds in each type. Different and identical components were obtained by enumerating the chemical compositions of the different species. Knowledge regarding the chemical constituents of agarwoods of different species will aid understanding of the chemical compositions of agarwoods and will subsequently identify similar compounds that can serve as standards for quality control to provide a reference for future studies on agarwoods from different species and to increase their usefulness.
Highlights
Agarwood is a resinous portion of Aquilaria trees, a genus belonging to the family Thymelaeaceae
Sesquiterpenoids and phenylethyl chromone derivatives are the principal compounds in the oleoresin of agarwood, which are mostly found in the species Aquilaria, A. malaccensis, A. agallocha, A. sinensis, and A. crassna.[1,4]
It has been reported that different countries have endemic species; for example, A. crassna principally grows in Indochina, A. malaccensis is an Indomalesian type found in Malaysia, Thailand and India, and A. sinensis is endemic in China
Summary
Agarwood is a resinous portion of Aquilaria trees, a genus belonging to the family Thymelaeaceae. Sesquiterpenoids and phenylethyl chromone derivatives are the principal compounds in the oleoresin of agarwood, which are mostly found in the species Aquilaria, A. malaccensis, A. agallocha, A. sinensis, and A. crassna.[1,4] In 2016, a review of agarwood noted A. agallocha Roxb. Other genera of the family Thymelaeaceae, such as Aetoxylon, Gyrinops, Phaleria, and Gonystylus, have been reported to produce agarwoods.[3] It has been reported that different countries have endemic species; for example, A. crassna principally grows in Indochina, A. malaccensis is an Indomalesian type found in Malaysia, Thailand and India, and A. sinensis is endemic in China. This review will focus on species that are frequently used and reported, including A. malaccensis (synonymous with A. agallocha), A. sinensis, and A. crassna, and will describe the main chemical constituents of agarwoods from different species. This review discusses compounds that have been isolated since 1963
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