Antifungal constituents of Melicope borbonica

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  • Henrik Toft Simonsen
  • Anne Adsersen
  • Paul Bremner
  • Michael Heinrich
  • Ulla Wagner Smitt
  • Jerzy W Jaroszewski

Fractionation of extracts of the leaves of Melicope borbonica (syn. Euodia borbonica var. borbonica), a medicinal plant from the Réunion Island that is traditionally used for wound healing and other ailments, afforded an acetophenone (xanthoxylin) and two coumarins, scoparone and limettin, as the major constituents. All three compounds exhibited moderate antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Penicillium expansum, in accordance with the traditional use of the plant. Moreover, 2,4,6-trimethoxyacetophenone (methylxanthoxylin), three other coumarins [7-(3-methyl-2-butenyloxy)-6-methoxycoumarin, cedrelopsin and psoralen], two sesquiterpenes (alpha-curcumene and 3,6-epidioxy-1,10-bisaboladiene), eugenol, methyleugenol and a lignan (sesamin) were isolated. None of the isolated constituents exhibited antiin fl ammatory activity in vitro. No alkaloids were detected.

Original languageEnglish
JournalPhytotherapy Research
Volume18
Issue number7
Pages (from-to)542-5
Number of pages4
ISSN0951-418X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2004

    Research areas

  • Antifungal Agents, Candida albicans, Humans, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Penicillium, Phytotherapy, Plant Extracts, Plant Leaves, Rutaceae, Wound Healing

ID: 128570986