Planta Med 2008; 74 - SL33
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1083913

Phytochemistry and chemotaxonomy of the Madagascan Cedrelopsis

DA Mulholland 1, NR Crouch 2, M Randrianarivelojosia 3
  • 1Division of Chemical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildfod, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
  • 2Ethnobotany Unit, SANBI, PO Box 52099, Berea Rd, Durban, 4001, South Africa
  • 3Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Unité Paludisme, BP 1274, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar

The Ptaeroxylaceae J. Leroy, comprising Ptaeroxlon and Cedrelopsis, has, at various times, been placed in the Sapindaceae, Meliaceae, Rutaceae and Simaroubaceae before being widely accepted as a small natural family [1,2]. Recent rbcL sequence analyses [3] have indicated Ptaeroxylon, Cneorum and Harrisonia to nest within the Rutaceae clade [4,5].

Results of phytochemical investigations of five Cedrelopsis species which have yielded coumarins, chromones, complex limonoid derivatives, terpenoids, flavanoids, chalcones, lignans (1) and quassinoids (2) are discussed. The biosynthesis of the complex limonoids are discussed and these will be related to the complex limonoid derivatives isolated from Harrisonia and Cneorum.

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2

References: 1. Pennington, T.D., Styles, B.T. (1975) Blumea 22:419–40.

2. White, F. (1986) Bothalia 16:143–168.

3. Savolainen et al. (2000) Kew Bulletin 55:257–309.

4. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2003) Botanical Journal o the Linnean Society 141:399–436.

5. Victor. et al. (2003) Strelitzia 14:841–852.