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Review
. 2019 Nov 21;24(23):4238.
doi: 10.3390/molecules24234238.

The Genus Nerine Herb. (Amaryllidaceae): Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, and Biological Activity

Lucie Cahlíková  1 , Nina Vaněčková  1 , Marcela Šafratová  2 , Kateřina Breiterová  1 , Gerald Blunden  3 , Daniela Hulcová  1 , Lubomír Opletal  1
Affiliations
Review

The Genus Nerine Herb. (Amaryllidaceae): Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, and Biological Activity

Lucie Cahlíková et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Nerine Herbert, family Amaryllidaceae, is a genus of about 30 species that are native to South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Swatini (formerly known as Swaziland). Species of Nerine are autumn-flowering, perennial, bulbous plants, which inhabit areas with summer rainfall and cool, dry winters. Most Nerine species have been cultivated for their elegant flowers, presenting a source of innumerable horticultural hybrids. For many years, species of Nerine have been subjected to extensive phytochemical and pharmacological investigations, which resulted in either the isolation or identification of more than fifty Amaryllidaceae alkaloids belonging to different structural types. Amaryllidaceae alkaloids are frequently studied for their interesting biological properties, including antiviral, antibacterial, antitumor, antifungal, antimalarial, analgesic, cytotoxic, and cholinesterase inhibition activities. The present review aims to summarize comprehensively the research that has been reported on the phytochemistry and pharmacology of the genus Nerine.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Amaryllidaceae; Nerine; Nerine bowdenii; antitumor activity; folk medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Biosynthetic pathway of main structural types of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids identified in the genus Nerine [3,13].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Amaryllidaceae alkaloids of crinine-, galanthamine-, belladine-, tazettine-, haemanthamine, and montanine-type reported in Nerine species.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Amaryllidaceae alkaloids of lycorine-, homolycorine-, and mesembrine type reported in Nerine species.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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