The genus Amoora: A phytochemical and pharmacological review

The genus Amoora belongs to the Meliaceae family comprising approximately 25-30 species. Many Amoora species have been used as folk medicines for the treatment of many diseases. This review focuses on diverse chemical constituents from Amoora species as well as significant pharmacological activities. Up to now, a total of 140 compounds including eight sesquiterpenoids, twenty-six diterpenoids, forty-two triterpenoids, twenty-two limonoids, seven steroids, seven alkaloids, seven rocaglamide derivatives, four flavonoids, four glycosides, two coumarins, nine phenols, and two organic acids and esters were reported from Amoora species. Triterpenoids are characteristic components for Amoora species. The extracts and chemical constituents of Amoora species exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities including cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal activity. The present review may provide useful evidence for reasonable utilization of Amoora species as folk medicines and further research in drug discovery.