Genus Detarium: Ethnomedicinal, phytochemical and pharmacological profile

Abstract The genus Detarium (Fabiaceae, Sub family Caesalpiniaceae) is indigenous to Africa. In west Africa the genus is represented by 8 species, however only 3 species D. macrocarpum, D. microcarpum and D. senegalense are of ethnomedicinal and pharmacological interest. These three species are morphologically similar, but tend to vary in regional distribution. Detarium species are widely and commonly used in traditional medicine in the treatment of diverse ailments, including, fever, malaria, bronchitis, convulsions, diabetes, microbial infections, etc. Some pharmacological studies have been carried out to authenticate some of these claims. Phytoconstituents with biological activities have been isolated from the genus. Among the identified compounds include, flavenes, polysaccharides, clerodane diterpenes, dihydroclerodane diterpenes, tetranoditerpenes, anthocyanidin alkaloids, as well as other secondary metabolites. This paper reviews the comprehensive information on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical profile and pharmacological activities of the genus Detarium

Novel Marine Secondary Metabolites Worthy of Development as Anticancer Agents: A Review

Secondary metabolites from marine sources have a wide range of biological activity. Marine natural products are promising candidates for lead pharmacological compounds to treat diseases that plague humans, including cancer. Cancer is a life-threatening disorder that has been difficult to overcome. It is a long-term illness that affects both young and old people. In recent years, significant attempts have been made to identify new anticancer drugs, as the existing drugs have been useless due to resistance of the malignant cells. Natural products derived from marine sources have been tested for their anticancer activity using a variety of cancer cell lines derived from humans and other sources, some of which have already been approved for clinical use, while some others are still being tested. These compounds can assault cancer cells via a variety of mechanisms, but certain cancer cells are resistant to them. As a result, the goal of this review was to look into the anticancer potential of marine natural products or their derivatives that were isolated from January 2019 to March 2020, in cancer cell lines, with a focus on the class and type of isolated compounds, source and location of isolation, cancer cell line type, and potency (IC50 values) of the isolated compounds that could be a guide for drug development