Phytochemicals and biological activities of species from the genus Maytenus

Abstract

Maytenus is a genus in the plant family Celastraceae, the species of which are primarily distributed in China, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. These plants have long been used as a resource for the development of medicines. The latest advances in the pharmacology and phytochemistry of Maytenus are reviewed in this paper. Studies have discovered that Maytenus spieces have efficacy in the treatment of various diseases. They are widely used as antitumor, anti-septicaemia, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial, antioxidative, antiulcer, antipathogenic, anti-proliferative and salivation-inducing drugs. In addition, they are used for treating asthma, digestive tract diseases, rheumatism, and rheumatoid diseases. Recently, there has been growing interest in the medicinal value of Maytenus. The diversity of the biological and pharmacological activities attributed to Maytenus is associated with the presence of a large number of chemical substances in these species, the most important of which are triterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and alkaloids. Among these, certain triterpenes have been demonstrated to be effective anticancer agents. In this paper, we present an overview of the phytochemicals in species within the Maytenus genus and their associated biological activities, which can provide a reference for future research, development, and utilisation of these species.