Document Type : Review Articles
Authors
1
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt
2
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sadat City, Sadat City 32897, Egypt
3
Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
4
Department of Natural Products and Alternative Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
10.21608/ejchem.2025.401429.12009
Abstract
Integrating medicinal plants into healthcare supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and facilitates the development of new drugs. Anisotes is a genus of medicinal plants traditionally used to treat various diseases, including diabetes, hepatitis, jaundice, gallstones, and other hepatic disorders. The genus comprises 19 species that are widely distributed in tropical eastern and southern Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula. Among them, Anisotes trisulcus and A. sessiliflorus are the most extensively studied species. Phytochemical investigations reveal that pyrroloquinazoline alkaloids, such as vasicine, vasicinone, anisotine, and trisulcusine derivatives, are dominant constituents, with several exhibiting potent biological activities. The purpose of this review is to provide information on the traditional uses, chemical constituents, spectral data of isolated alkaloids, and biological activities of Anisotes species. The reported biological properties include antioxidant, anti-hypercholesterolemic, antismoking, anorexigenic, hepato-protective, acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, and antihyperglycemic activities, largely attributed to their alkaloidal content. By documenting the traditional uses and biological activities of Anisotes species, we aimed to support new research on these plants, especially on those species whose biological potential has not yet been studied.
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