Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of the Genus Ocotea (Lauraceae): A Review on Recent Research Results (2000-2016)

Ocotea (family: Lauracea), which comprises nearly 350 species, are distributed throughout tropical America, Africa, and Asia. Up to now, the reported constituents from the genus Ocotea involve neolignans, alkaloids, sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, lignans, butanolides, benzopyrans, steroids, essential oils and several other types of compounds (alkylphenols, arylpropene, coumarin, ester, saponin). Studies have shown that Ocotea and its active principles possess a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, larvicidal, and antiproliferative activities. The outcome of these studies will further support the therapeutic potential of the genus Ocotea, and provide convincing evidences to its future clinical applications in modern medicine. Thus, increasing amount of data supports application and exploitation for new drug development.