Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Sep;4(3):299-311.
doi: 10.1093/ecam/nem009.

Goniothalamus species: a source of drugs for the treatment of cancers and bacterial infections?

Christophe Wiart  1
Affiliations

Goniothalamus species: a source of drugs for the treatment of cancers and bacterial infections?

Christophe Wiart. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2007 Sep.

Abstract

Irrespective of the presence of cytotoxic acetogenins and styryl-lactones in the genus Goniothalamus, only 22 species in the genus Goniothalamus, out of 160 species (13.7%) have so far been investigated. In an effort to promote further research on the genus Goniothalamus which could represent a source of drugs for the treatment of cancers and bacterial infections, this work offers a broad analysis of current knowledge on Goniothalamus species. Therefore, it includes (i) taxonomy (ii) botanical description (iii) traditional medicinal uses and (iv) phytochemical and pharmacological studies. We discuss the molecular mechanisms of actions of acetogenins and styryl-lactones, with some emphasis on the possible involvement of protein kinase, Bax and TRAIL receptors in the cytotoxic effects of styryl-lactones. We also report (v) the growth inhibition of several nosocomial bacteria by Goniothalamus. scortechinii. The crude methanol extract of G. scortechinii showed a good and broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.

Keywords: Goniothalamus; Goniothalamus scortechinii; acetogenins; antibacterial; antifungal; apoptosis; cytotoxic; foodborn bacteria; nosocomial; styryl-lactones..

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Acetogenins from Goniothalamus species.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Hypothetical molecular mode of action of bullatacin against Complex I. MM: Mitochondrial Matrix, MIN: Mitochondrial Inner Membrane; IS: Intermembrane Space.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Styryl-lactones from Goniothalamus species.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Note the proximity of chemical structure between flavokavain A, an inhibitor of protein kinase, and goniothalamin. What is the precise activity of styryl lactones against protein kinases?.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Putative mechanism of action of Goniothalamus styryl-lactones in apoptosis. TRAIL R: TRAIL receptor, Cyt. c: Cytochrome c; C: caspases. 1: styryl-lactone interacts with cellular kinase, 2: kinase mediation of TRAIL induction of apoptosis, 3: TRAIL induced translocation of Bax to mitochondria, 4, 5: release of cytochrome C and activation of caspases, SMAC/Diablo, EndoG, 6: chromatin condensation and cellular death.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Antibacterial activity of G. scortechinii against Klebsiella pneumoniae.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sinclair J. A revision of the Malayan Annonaceae. The garden's Bulletin Singapore. 1955;2:149–516.
    1. Watt G. Dictionary of the Economic Products of India. III. London: Allen; 1890. p. 533.
    1. Burkill IH. A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Vol. 1. London: Crown Agent; 1953. p. 1097.
    1. Quisumbing E. Medicinal Plants of the Philippines. Manila: Bureau of Printing; 1951. p. 324.
    1. Cronquist A. An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants. New York: Columbia University Press; 1981.