Xanthones from ecuridaca inappendiculata and ecuridaca longepedunculata: Chemistry and Biological Activity

The genus Securidaca (Polygalaceae) comprises 49 taxonomically accepted species distributed in Asia and Africa. The roots, barks, and leaves of Securidaca species are famous for medicinal purposes, especially in Africa and Asia. In this paper, we review the xanthones isolated from S. inappendiculata and S. longepedunculata, the two main species that have been investigated and the bioactivities of these compounds to evaluate the traditional use of these plant species and future development. The references regarding Securidaca species were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and SciFinder between 1990 and 2022. Chemical structures of more than 70 xanthones isolated mainly from the stems and roots of S. inappendiculata and S. longepedunculata are presented. These xanthones might be responsible for the ethnomedicinal uses reported in the literature based on the exhibited biological properties such as cytotoxic, antidiabetic, antiviral, and erectile dysfunction of these compounds. Reviewing the research progress made on the isolated xanthones from the genus Securidaca lays a foundation for the future utilization and development of this genus.