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This review is intended to investigate the published report regarding phytochemical, ethnomedicinal, and pharmacological activities and put forth the therapeutic potential of Artabotrys hexapetalus (L. f.) Bhandari. (A. hexapetalus). It belongs to the family Annonaceae, one of the therapeutically important plants, broadly distributed throughout the world. An extensive review of the literature available in various recognized databases including logical writing and scientific literature, search engines such as Springerlink, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and BioMed Central as well as relevant books, websites, scientific publications, and dissertations were utilized as a source of information that provided an up-to-date review. Phytochemical profiling of these species revealed the presence of some imperative phytochemicals alkaloids, terpenoids, anthraquinones, butyrolactones, flavonoids, neolignans, phenolic compounds, and leucoanthocyanins as the basis of its valuable therapeutic properties. The other imperative phytoconstituents which contribute to the therapeutic properties are isoamericanin A, isoamericanol, americanin, artabotricinol and artabotriol, β-unsaturated-β-butyrolactones, arapetaloside taxifolin, apigenin-7-O-apiosylglucoside, glucoluteolin, and artabotrine. The pharmacological activities exhibited by Artabotrys hexapetalus as antimicrobial, antileishmanial, antioxidant, antifungal, antifertility, and anthelmintic properties are attributed to the presence of valuable bioactive phytoconstituents. Considering these facts an effort was made to present a comprehensive review enlightening the taxonomical, phytochemical, and pharmacological activities of plant Artabotrys hexapetalus. Future research can be directed to an extensive investigation about phytochemistry, clinical trials, pharmacokinetics, and acquiring safety data to add new dimensions to the therapeutic utilization of Artabotrys hexapetalus and other Artabotrys species.

The family Annonaceae comprises about 80 genera and 850 species occurring in the tropics, but with relics of earlier distributions remaining in some temperate regions. The large, edible, pulpy fruits typically called “annona” include species of Annona, custard apple (A. squamosa), soursop/graviola (A. muricata) and bullock's heart (A. reticulata) which are known to have excellent health and medicinal benefits which deserve to be further explored. They contain antioxidants, possess anti cardio-vascular, anti-obese, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-microbial activity and have a positive effect on blood haemoglobin. It is also efficacious to control blood pressure, normalize digestive function, cure constipation, treat diarrhoea and dysentery. High potassium and magnesium levels in these fruits help to protect against heart disease. These fruits also contain vitamin A, which is beneficial for a healthy skin, hair and eyes. High magnesium content helps balance the water in the body, remove acid from the joints and reduce the symptoms of rheumatism and arthritis. The potassium contained in it, helps fight muscle weakness and fatigue. In the light of the above facts, a biochemical study was made to assess their proximate principle and mineral content to pave the way for better utilization, to meet nutritional security and to aid in disease prevention.

The genus Annona belongs to the family Annonaceae and includes several species of tropical and subtropical crops characterized by their edible and exotic fruits. Twenty species of Annona have been reported in Mexico, localized mainly in the tropical southeastern regions of the country. Most species, however, are not marketable and remain underutilized, and are often referred to as wild Annona species, but they are a valuable source of bioactive compounds. According to ethnobotanical evidence, extracts obtained from different Annona species and different parts of the plant (stem bark, leaves, roots, seeds, and peel) have been used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments. Most of their reported health benefits are attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds with various in vitro and in vivo biological activities, such as antidepressant, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, vasorelaxant, antipyretic, anti-ulcer, analgesic, and healing activities. Therefore, further extensive knowledge of these species especially information on their health benefits is essential to increase their cultivation and commercial use. The present review focuses on traditional uses of underutilized Annona species, their bioactive compounds content, and biological activities.

Pollen of angiosperms may be either binucleate or trinucleate at maturity. According to Schurhoff–Brewbaker law, the binucleate state is pleisomorphic occuring in about 70% of all angiosperms, while the trinucleate state is advanced occurring in about 30% of the angiosperms. The derivation of trinucleate pollen from binucleate pollen is irreversible, thus trinucleate or mixed pollen was considered uncommon in early lineage. In the present work, using conventional paraffin section method, the coexistence of both binucleate and trinucleate pollen in the same intact anther were observed in Mitrephora macclurei, a species belonging to the eumagnoliid family Annonaceae. The increasing number of plants with trinucleate or mixed pollen discovered in early lineages, as well as climatic introduced changes in nuclear number challenge analyses of ancestral state and evolution of pollen nuclear number in angiosperms.

Background: The fruits of Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich, (herein called XYA), family Annonaceae, commonly known as “Guinea pepper”, “Ethiopian pepper” or “Negro pepper”, are widely used in traditional African medicines to treat a wide array of diseases including malaria, fungal infections, rheumatism, arthritis, etc. Scientific investigations have ascribed the following activities to the fruits of XYA; anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, analgesic, anti-nociceptive, anti-proliferative, spermatogenic and neuropharmacological effects. The main active principle reported is xylopic acid (XA), a kaurene diterpene. This study aimed to develop and validate a simple HPLC/UV (high performance liquid chromatography – ultraviolet detection) analytical method for the quantification of XA that can be reproduced in poor-resource settings where advanced analytical detection techniques such as HPLC-MS are unavailable.Materials and Methods: Thus in this study, a simple C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) column-pretreatment ─ HPLC/UV analytical procedure was developed for the quantification of XA in the dried fruits of XYA from four African countries, Benin, Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria. The samples of XYA from the four countries were assessed for similarities using chromatographic fingerprinting.Results: The HPLC method was validated for linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision and accuracy. The samples of XYA from Cameroon were found to have the highest average content of XA while those from Benin had the lowest average content of XA.Conclusion: Using the chromatographic fingerprint evaluation, the similarities of the samples from the four countries to the reference chromatogram was in the order: Benin > Cameroon > Nigeria > Ghana.Key words: Xylopia aethiopica, xylopic acid, C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-treatment, HPLC/UV, chromatographic fingerprint evaluation

Cancer remains a leading cause of death in the USA and around the world. Although the current synthetic inhibitors used in targeted therapies have improved patient prognosis, toxicity and development of resistance to these agents remain a challenge. Plant-derived natural products and their derivatives have historically been used to treat various diseases, including cancer. Several leading chemotherapeutic agents are directly or indirectly based on botanical natural products. Beyond these important drugs, however, a number of crude herbal or botanical preparations have also shown promising utility for cancer and other disorders. One such natural resource is derived from certain plants of the family Annonaceae, which are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Among the best known of these is Annona muricata, also known as soursop, graviola or guanabana. Extracts from the fruit, bark, seeds, roots and leaves of graviola, along with several other Annonaceous species, have been extensively investigated for anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Phytochemical studies have identified the acetogenins, a class of bioactive polyketide-derived constituents, from the extracts of Annonaceous species, and dozens of these compounds are present in different parts of graviola. This review summarizes current literature on the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanism of these constituents from A.muricata against cancer and many non-malignant diseases. Based on available data, there is good evidence that these long-used plants could have both chemopreventive and therapeutic potential. Appropriate attention to safety studies will be important to assess their effectiveness on various diseases caused or promoted by inflammation.

Premise of the study The pawpaw, Asimina triloba, is an underutilized fruit crop native to North America that belongs to the mainly tropical, early-divergent family Annonaceae. Asimina is the only genus within the Annonaceae with species adapted to cold climates. A thorough analysis of its reproductive biology, specifically pollen-pistil interaction during the progamic phase, is essential to understand both its adaptation to cold climates and how to optimize its fertilization and fruit set. Methods We characterized pollen-pistil interaction in Asimina triloba, including the floral cycle and anatomy, stigmatic receptivity, and the pollen tube pathway. We used a combination of histological, cytological, and immunolocalization approaches. Key results Asimina triloba has a gynoecium formed by plicate carpels with a short stylar canal. Unicellular papillae form a continuous tissue covered by a copious secretion from the stigma to the ovary, which is most prominent on the stigma surface where it forms an extragynoecial compitum. Compared to the stigmas of other species in the Annonaceae, the stigmas of A. triloba show a long stigmatic receptivity associated with a long flowering cycle. Stigmatic receptivity is concomitant with the secretion of cell-wall-related arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs). Conclusions A long female phase with a long period of stigmatic receptivity is unusual among protogynous flowers of the magnoliid clade, suggesting a derived condition of A. triloba within the Annonaceae. This phase further correlates with the presence of cell-wall-related arabinogalactan proteins in the secretion, which may indicate the conservation of these glycoproteins during stigmatic receptivity and pollen tube growth in angiosperms.

Annona muricata (A. muricata) is a tropical plant species belonging to family Annonaceae and known for its many medicinal uses. This review focuses on the research history of its traditional uses, phytochemicals, pharmacological activities, toxicological aspects of the extracts and isolated compounds, as well as the in vitro propagation studies with the objective of stimulating further studies on this plant for human consumption and treatment. A. muricata extracts have been identified in tropical regions to traditionally treat diverse conditions ranging from fever to diabetes and cancer. More than 200 chemical compounds have been identified and isolated from this plant, the most important being alkaloids, phenols and acetogenins. Using in vitro studies, its extracts and phytochemicals have been characterized as antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, larvicidal, and cytotoxic to cancer cells. In vivo studies have revealed anxiolytic, anti-stress, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antimalarial, antidepressant, gastro protective, wound healing, hepato-protective, hypoglycemic, anticancer and anti-tumoral activities. In silico studies have also been reported. In addition, clinical studies support the hypoglycemic as well as some anticancer activities. Mechanisms of action of some pharmacological activities have been elucidated. However, some phytochemical compounds isolated from A. muricata have shown a neurotoxic effect in vitro and in vivo, and therefore, these crude extracts and isolated compounds need to be further investigated to define the magnitude of the effects, optimal dosage, and mechanisms of action, long-term safety, and potential side effects. Additionally, more clinical studies are necessary to support the therapeutic potential of this plant. Some studies were also found to have successfully regenerated the plant in vitro, but with limited success. The reported toxicity notwithstanding, A. muricata extracts seem to be some of the safest and promising therapeutic agents of the 21st century and beyond that need to be studied further for better medicinal formulations and diseases management.

Annonaceous acetogenins (ACG), belonging to the family Annonaceae, represent a class of bioactive compounds whose toxic effects have been reported for several spe-cies of insects. Given their insecticidal properties, we first carried out the isolation of the ACG from a Brazilian collection of the seeds of Annona squamosa (Annonaceae) and prepared their methoxy methylated (MOM) and acetylated (OAc) derivatives by chemical methods. ACG analogues were semi-synthesized and characterized by spec-troscopic techniques (1H and 13C-NMR). We isolated ten natural acetogenins: squamo-cin, molvizarin, motrilin, rolliniastatin-2, almunequin, cherimolin-1, cherimolin-2, an-nonacin, squamocin D and asiminecin. The main objective of this study is to report the antifeedant, toxic and nutritional effects of three of those natural acetogenins and their acetylated and methoxy methylated derivatives on Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lep-idoptera: Noctuidae). The natural ACGs squamocin and molvizarin killed 100% of S. frugiperda larvae, followed by motrilin (80%). Acetylated derivatives had less toxic and nutritional effects that led to pupal mortality and adult fatal malformations. The addition of MOM derivatives to the larval diet has not toxic effects on larvae, but significantly reduces growth rate and efficiency in conversion of ingested food into biomass, affecting adult survival.

Annona squamosa (the sugar apple) is a member of family Annonaceae that is local to the tropical America and broadly developed for its sweet-smelling, succulent, and tasteful fruit, which have more vitamin C than an orange. The sugar apple is the most developed tropical fruit in the family.

RESUMO A família Annonaceae possui representantes de grande interesse medicinal e o gênero Xylopia é um dos que merecem destaque. Composta por aproximadamente 160 espécies distribuídas na América do Sul, América central, África e Ásia, as espécies desse gênero podem ser arbustivas ou arbóreas. No Brasil são encontradas nas regiões Norte, Nordeste, Centro-Oeste e Centro Sul. Este gênero produz uma variedade de metabólitos incluindo alcalóides, amidas, lignóides, acetogeninas e terpenóides e têm sido investigados como fonte potencial de acetogeninas, compostos esses que apresentam uma ampla variedade de propriedades biológicas com destaque para: citotóxica, antitumoral, antiparasitária, antimicrobial, inseticida e antimalarial. Neste estudo, efetuou-se uma revisão das principais espécies de Xylopiaencontradas no Brasil, já estudadas e descritas na literatura, abordando os aspectos químico-farmacológicos, destacando os constituintes químicos isolados bem como a ação farmacológica evidenciada. ABSTRACT The family Annonaceae has representatives of great medical interest, and the Xylopia species deserves attention. The Xylopia genus is composed by approximately 160 species, with geographic distribution in tropical and subtropical regions of America, Africa and Asia. This genus can present shrubs or trees. In Brazil, they can be found at the North, North-west, Central-West and Central-South Regions. The phytochemical investigations resulted mainly in the isolation of alkaloids, diterpenos, quinolines and acetogenins, with the latter presenting very interesting biological properties such as the cytotoxic, antiprotozoal and the insecticide activities.This study aimed to review the botanical, chemical and pharmacological aspects of the Xylopia genus found in Brazil, highlighting the chemical components, as the well-known pharmacological effect .

Annona muricata is a tropical evergreen tree belonging to the family Annonaceae, commonly named as soursop, custard apple, and guanabana whose leaves are identified as graviola, extensively grown and consumed around the world. It is native to the Amazon basin in South America and Southeast Asia. Graviola pulp is consumed as juice and used in making smoothies and as a flavoring agent of ice creams. Graviola has also long been used for the treatment of widespread human diseases which include bacterial and fungal infections, fever, digestive problems, inflammatory diseases (rheumatism), neuralgia, diabetes, hypertension, insomnia, cystitis, parasitic infections, and cancer in traditional medicine systems (Taylor 2002). Annonaceous acetogenins are the main bioactive compounds that are obtained from various parts of the plant. The roots, stems, leaves, and fruits of graviola are rich sources of flavonoids, isoquinoline alkaloids, and annonaceous acetogenins (de Sousa et al. 2010). These are derivatives of long-chain (C35 or C37) fatty acids extracted from polyketide pathway which are selectively toxic to cancer cells and are MDR against various cancer cell lines (Chang and Wu 2001).

Azabicycloheptenoylditerpene 1-((2E,6E,10E)-3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadeca-2,6,10,14-tetraenyl)-2-azabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-3-one (artamodamide, 1), diphenylpentanoid (E)-1,5-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-pent-1-en-3-one (artamenone, 2) and N-methoxy-5-oxoaporphinoid (artamonteirine, 3) were isolated as new metabolites from Artabotrys modestus Diels ssp macranthus Verdc. and Artabotrys monteiroae Oliv. (Annonaceae), together with several known compounds. Structures of the isolated compounds were established based on analysis of their spectroscopic data. Some of the compounds exhibited antimicrobial activity (minimum inhibitory concentration values between 2.5 and 20 µg mL⁻¹) and varying levels of mosquito larvicidal potency. These results further indicate the versatility of the family Annonaceae in accumulating bioactive natural products with diverse chemical structures and wide spectra of biological activities, and hence suggesting the need to conserve Annonaceae species that are potentially vulnerable to extinction.

The Pseuduvaria species belong to the family Annonaceae which is rich in bioactive compounds. They are commonly found in Malaysia, Thailand, Burma and Indonesia and in the northeastern part of Queensland, Australia. Currently, there are about 52Pseuduvaria species that were classified and documented but only a few were investigated chemically and biologically. This paper will briefly describe the bioactive compounds from the Pseuduvaria species based on previous studies.

Goniothalamus plants belonging to the family Annonaceae are found in Thailand and have been used as Thai traditional medicines. Members of this family are rich in a wide variety of biological active compounds including alkaloids, acetogenins and styryllactones. The present research described phytochemical study of the leaves and twigs of G. marcanii together with their cytotoxicity. The G. marcanii was selected and percolated with hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol. The extracts were purified and elucidated chemical structures. The constituents of ethyl acetate extract of G. marcanii have been investigated. We isolated and identified three derivative styryllactones e.g., 5-hydroxygoniothalamin (1), 5-acetylgoniothalamin (2) and goniopypyrone (3). The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Studies on ethyl acetate extract of G. marcanii have now resulted the isolation and structural characterization of three styryllactones. Their anticancer activities were evaluated using SRB assays. In this method, compound 1 and 2 showed potential activity in cell lines.

Over the centuries, nature has contributed to the basic needs of human beings. In particular, plants have cooperated as a source of drugs for the treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases because of the structural diversity of secondary metabolites. With strict attention to antineoplastic therapy, the search for anticancer drugs has increased in order to meet more specific and selective treatments. The acetogenins (ACGs), a class of secondary metabolites found exclusively in the family Annonaceae, are substances of great importance due to their well-known cytotoxic potency in human tumor cell lines in vitro , which can be exploited in designing anticancer agents. Among the 150 genera of Annonaceae family, genus Annona is in which is recorded the highest number of these substances. In order to identify the therapeutic potential and future directions for research, the purpose of this review is to provide data pertaining to the studies of cytotoxicity in vitro in cell lines of human cancer of isolated ACGs of Annona species in the period between 1989 and 2012 as well as basic information regarding the phytochemical studies of the same. DOI: 10.5935/1984-6835.20160068

Esta revisão descreve algumas propriedades biológicas e químicas, bem como os usos etnobotânicos e farmacológicos de algumas substâncias isoladas a partir do gênero Annona (família Annonaceae). As espécies dessa família possuem distribuição tropical e subtropical. A Annona muricata L., em especial, possui proeminência na economia de frutos tropicais, além de ser quimicamente caracterizada pela presença de substâncias fenólicas e terpênicas. Logo, este trabalho destaca a importância e ocorrência desses metabólitos, bem como suas atividades biológicas.

Custard apple (Annona squamosa L.) is a delicious and important minor fruit crop which is cultivated in tropical and subtropical climate. It comes under family Annonaceae and native of the West Indies, but it was cultivated since early times throughout Central America to Southern Mexico.

Many researchers (Botanists, Systematists, Taxonomists, etc.), especially who concern in plant conservation are afraid about the existence of Stelechocarpus burahol (Bl.) Hook.f. and Th., family Annonaceae. Because, the plant is becoming rare and facing extinction. Information about the species is so limited and difficult to get. Fortunately, based on the preliminary study of the population shows that it can be found in Wilderness Zone, Bande Alit Resort, Meru Betiri National Park. The mapping of the species disperse in this location was also done.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-02-02T12:39:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-09-01Bitstream added on 2015-02-02T13:07:56Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 S2317-15372014000300012.pdf: 849387 bytes, checksum: 14886d38c80b474995c4f84f2d0317a8 (MD5) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) O trabalho teve por objetivo adequar o teste de tetrazólio para a avaliação da viabilidade de sementes de atemoia (Annona cherimola Mill. x A. squamosa L.). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 3 x 3 (concentrações do sal de tetrazólio x períodos de exposição), totalizando 9 tratamentos com quatro repetições de 25 sementes. Após a imersão em água por 24 horas, as sementes foram seccionadas longitudinalmente e expostas a três concentrações do sal de tetrazólio (0,05%, 0,5% e 1%) por três períodos (2, 4, e 6 horas). As avaliações foram realizadas de acordo com critérios pré-estabelecidos de coloração e integridade dos tecidos. Foi também conduzido o teste de germinação, empregando-se as concentrações de 0 e 300 mg.L-1 dos reguladores GA4+7 + N-(fenilmetil)-aminopurina, devido à dormência existente em espécies da família Annonaceae. Com a concentração de 1% do sal de tetrazólio foi possível vizualizar a maior porcentagem de sementes viáveis no menor tempo, ao passo que com as concentrações de 0,05% e 0,5% houve a necessidade de se utilizar os maiores tempos de exposição. Conclui-se que para sementes de atemoia, a concentração de 1% por duas horas de exposição ao sal de tetrazólio é a mais adequada para a avaliação da viabilidade. The study aimed to adapt the tetrazolium test to assess the viability of atemoya (Annona cherimola Mill. x A. squamosa L.) seeds. The experimental design was completely randomized in 3 x 3 factorial arrangement (tetrazolium salt concentrations x exposure times), totaling 9 treatments with four replicates of 25 seeds. After immersion in water for 24 hours, the seeds were longitudinally sectioned and exposed to three tetrazolium salt concentrations (0.05%, 0.5% and 1%) for three periods of time (2, 4 and 6 hours). The evaluations were performed according to pre-established criteria of tissue integrity and staining. The germination test was performed, using the GA 4+7 + N-(fenilmetil)-aminopurina regulators at concentrations of 0 and 300 mg.L-1, because dormancy is observed in species of the family Annonaceae. Tetrazolium salt at 1% yielded the highest percentage of viable seeds within the shortest time, while longer exposure times were necessary with concentrations of 0.05% and 0.5%. It can be concluded that the concentration of 1% of tetrazolium salt for two hours of exposure is more appropriate for assessing the viability of atemoya seeds. UNESP Departamento de Botânica UNESP Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Botânica UNESP Departamento de Produção e Melhoramento Vegetal UNESP Departamento de Botânica UNESP Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Botânica UNESP Departamento de Produção e Melhoramento Vegetal

Crude seed extract of three tropical fruits belonging to the family Annonaceae, viz., sweetsop ( Annona squamosa L.), soursop ( A. muricata L.) and biriba ( Rollinia mucosa Baill.) were investigated for their repellent effects on the Asian subterranean termite Coptotermes gestroi Wasmann (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae ). Results of laboratory feeding bioassay (choice and no-choice) indicated that crude extract of A. squamosa, A. muricata and R. mucosa had feeding deterrent effects on C. gestroi . Termites showed significant avoidance behavior to filter paper treated with extracts of the three Annona species investigated. Soil barrier test revealed that Annona extracts were able to limit penetration of C. gestroi in laboratory tunneling test. The results suggest that Annona seed extracts may offer an alternative source of natural insecticide against subterranean termites.

GC-MS analysis of fractions prepared from hydro-alcoholic extract of Annona reticulata Linn (Family Annonaceae) leaf revealed the presence of 9,10-dimethyltricyclo[4.2.1.1(2,5)]decane-9,10-diol; 4-(1,5-dihydroxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohex-2-enyl)but-3-en-2-one; 3,7-dimethyl-6-nonen-1-ol acetate; 9-octadecenamide,(Z)-; glycerine; D-glucose,6-O-α-D-galactopyranosyl-; desulphosinigrin and α-methyl-D-mannopyranoside as few of the major compounds in different fractions. The presence of these compounds in the plant has been identified for the first time.

The large tropical family Annonaceae is subject to systematic research by a group of scientists, who are collaborating within the framework of the Annonaceae Project. The significance of the Annonaceae is outlined briefly, and the achievements of the Annonaceae Project are summarized.

Miliusa Leschenault ex A. de Candolle (1832: 213) is a Paleotropical genus in the family Annonaceae with about 60 species distributed mostly to the Austral-Asiatic region, ranging from India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Malay Islands, Philippines, Papua New Guinea to Australia and New Zealand (Mols & Keßler 2003,Chaowasku & Keßler 2013, Chaowasku et al. 2013). According to molecular phylogenetic analysis, the genus is placed in subfamily Malmeoideae, tribe Miliuseae (Chatrou et al. 2012). Thailand and India are considered as the centres of diversity for Miliusa with more than twenty species each (Mols & Keßler 2003, Chaowasku & Keßler 2013, Chaowasku et al. 2013, Turner 2015). A total of 23 species and one variety of the genus are so far recorded from India (Mitra 1993, Karthikeyan et al. 2009, Turner 2015, Page & Nerlekar 2016, Page et al. 2016, Josekutty et al. 2016, Karuppusamy & Richard 2016). Among these, 15 species and one variety are reported from the Western Ghats of India. Except for four species, namely M. indica Leschenault ex A. de Candolle (1832: 213), M. horsfieldii (Bennett 1840: 165) Pierre (1881: 38), M. tomentosa (Roxburgh: 1795: 31. t. 35.) Sinclair (1955: 378) and M. velutina (Dunal) Hooker & Thomson (1855: 151), all are endemic to that region (Nayar et al. 2014). As a whole, the genus is phytogeographically significant to Western Ghats with 71% of the species being endemics, which makes the genus more important from conservation point of view.

During the study of the family Annonaceae for the flora of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India (Karthigeyan et al. 2010, 2011), we found that the name Popowia parvifolia Scheffer (1885: 16), a New Guinean endemic species (Moeljono 2009), is a later homonym (Art. 53.1 of the ICN, McNeill et al. 2012) of the Indian endemic species (Mitra 1993, Rao 1999) Popowia parvifolia Kurz (1875: 324). Accordingly, a new name P. arfakensis is formally proposed here to replace Popowia parvifolia Scheff.

Synthetic studies of Annonaceous acetogenins isolated from the plant family Annonaceae and marine natural products (miraziridine A, tokaramide A, and callipeltins) containing unusual amino acids, and recent studies of the structure-activity relationship of cysteine protease inhibitor are described.

Synthetic studies of Annonaceous acetogenins isolated from the plant family Annonaceae and marine natural products (miraziridine A, tokaramide A, and callipeltins) containing unusual amino acids, and recent studies of the structure-activity relationship of cysteine protease inhibitor are described.

Constituents of the plant family Annonaceae, called Annonaceous acetogenins, have a broad field of biological activity ranging from insecticidal and fungicidal to cancerostatic effects. Since the first disclosure of a member of this class of natural products by Cole and co-workers in 1982, more than 90 members of this class of compounds have been isolated to date. The goal of the present review is to summarize the knowledge concerning Annonaceous acetogenins with the focal point being on the synthetic work.

The Annonaceous acetogenins are promising new antitumor and pesticidal agents that are found only in the plant family Annonaceae. Chemically, they are derivatives of long-chain fatty acids. Biologically, they exhibit their potent bioactivities through depletion of ATP levels via inhibiting complex I of mitochondria and inhibiting the NADH oxidase of plasma membranes of tumor cells. Thus, they thwart ATP-driven resistance mechanisms. This review presents the progress made in the chemistry, biology, and development of these compounds since December 1995.

Duguetia is one of the larger genera in the family Annonaceae. About 16 out of 100 species have been examined for alkaloids, and 105 of these compounds have been identified or, if new, their structures have been determined. Many of the isolates are commonly distributed isoquinoline alkaloids. Other alkaloids belong to subgroups specific to this genus or limited to Duguetia and the fairly closely related genus Guatteria , some have unusual stereochemistry, and some appear to be structurally unique. Most of the structures were assigned over 20 years ago, largely on the basis of spectroscopic studies, and in part, based on chemical transformations and/or synthesis. The last two decades have seen important strides in the biosynthesis of isoquinoline alkaloids. However, the most striking advances are in their pharmacology, which has lent support to some traditional uses and uncovered possible leads for the development of anticancer, antifungal, antiparasitic, cardiovascular, and psychoactive drugs.

Dasytrichone, A Novel Flavone With An Unusual A-Ring Substitution Pattern Was Isolated From The Stems And Leaves Of Dasymaschalon Trichophorum Merr. (Family Annonaceae). Its Structure Was Established By Spectroscopic Methods And Single Crystal X-Ray Crystallography. Dasytrichone Inhibits The Metabolism Of The Carcinogen Benzo[A]Pyrene By Hamster Embryo Cell Cultures, Suggesting That It Warrants Further Evaluation As A Potential Chemopreventive Agent.

Seeds of various accessions of Annona muricata, Greenwayodendron suaveolens and Cleistopholis patens were collected from the wet forest, dry forest and derived savanna areas of Nigeria to determine their karyotype. Each of the species has a chromosome number of n = 7 (2n = 14). A pair of satellited chromosomes was observed in the genome of Greenwayodendron suaveolens and Cleistopholis patens. The centromeric positions in the species of Annonaceae investigated are nearly median with predominance of large chromosome types. The karyotypes were similar within the species studied, with small intra-and inter-generic variations in terms of size. The karyotypic patterns suggest that there is no evidence of chromosome rearrangement in their evolution. IFE Journal of Science Vol. 9 (2) 2007 pp. 161-166

MORPHOLOGY AND PALYNOLOGY OF THE AFRICAN ANNONACEAE: PHYLOGENETICINTER-RELATIONS Taxonomy not only the practice of plant classification, but also a science of synthesis attempting to outline the possible stages followed by the evolution of a group. It attempts, therefore, to re-create and to explain the dynamics of the evolution of plants through the analysis of all their characters and of the relationships existing between them. Consequently, it can only benefit from the birth or development of all disciplines that analyse fresh aspects of plants or study them in time and space. For these reasons, palynology has developed considerably within taxonomy, revealing new morphological characters that permit a comparison with many fossil examples. In the family Annonaceae, of which the different classifications are admittedly artificial, pollen studies have shown that evolution is expressed in continuous morphological series along parallel lines. The established correlations with other morphological characters throw some light on certain phenomena of parallel evolution within the family, showing that the flower of the Annonaceae is in the process of reduction and the correlations contribute to a better knowledge of the affinities between generic taxa and their respective evolutionary levels.

In an earlier paper, which includes pollen descriptions for 93 genera and approximately 430 species of the large tropical family Annonaceae, the author laid the foundation for a generic reclassification and natural phylogeny of the family based largely on comparative palynology. The present paper includes generic pollen descriptions for an additional 12 genera and 18 species of Annonaceae.

In an earlier paper, which includes pollen descriptions for 93 genera and approximately 430 species of the large, tropical family Annonaceae, the author laid the foundation for a generic reclassification and natural phylogeny of the family based largely on comparative palynology. The present paper includes generic pollen descriptions for an additional 18 genera and 21 species of Annonaceae

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the azafluorenone alkaloids as completely as possible, discusses a small number of structurally unusual though not unprecedented compounds, and also updates the older contributions on the mainline isoquinoline alkaloids insofar as the genus Guatteria is concerned. Guutteriu alkaloids can be classified into eight main types depending on the structural characteristics of their skeleton, and these eight skeletal types are biosynthetically related, or at least conceivable proposals for their formation in vivo are reported. Aporphinoids are by far the most abundant alkaloids in this genus and also, generally speaking, in the family Annonaceae. Guatteria has proved to be a rich source of unusual structures of this general type. Dehydronornuciferine and O-methyldehydroisopiline are isolated from G. ouregou, where they cooccur with the corresponding noraporphines, and the N-formyl derivatives dehydroformouregine and formouregine.

The primitive antgiosperm family Annonaceae possesses a remarkable type of pollen that appears unique in its size (diameter up to 350 micrometers), lack of exine over nearly 50 percent of the grain surface at maturity, and proximalipolar aperture. This unique pollent is further distinguished by being in polyads which are compartmentalized individually within septate stamens.

Annona squamosa L. (custard apple) belongs to the family Annonaceae and is an important tropical fruit cultivated in the West Indies, South and Central America, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, India, Mexico, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and Egypt. Leaves of custard apple plants have been studied for their health benefits, which are attributed to a considerable diversity of phytochemicals. These compounds include phenol-based compounds, e.g., proanthocyanidins, comprising 18 different phenolic compounds, mainly alkaloids and flavonoids. Extracts from Annona squamosa leaves (ASLs) have been studied for their biological activities, including anticancer, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiobesity, lipid-lowering, and hepatoprotective functions. In the current article, we discussed the nutritional and phytochemical diversity of ASLs. Additionally, ASL extracts were discussed with respect to their biological activities, which were established by in vivo and in vitro experiments. A survey of the literature based on the phytochemical profile and health-promoting effects of ASLs showed that they can be used as potential ingredients for the development of pharmaceutical drugs and functional foods. Although there are sufficient findings available from in vitro and in vivo investigations, clinical trials are still needed to determine the exact effects of ASL extracts on human health.