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Review
. 2022 May 5;11(9):1252.
doi: 10.3390/plants11091252.

Xylosma G. Forst. Genus: Medicinal and Veterinary Use, Phytochemical Composition, and Biological Activity

Rodrigo Duarte-Casar  1   2 , Juan Carlos Romero-Benavides  2
Affiliations
Review

Xylosma G. Forst. Genus: Medicinal and Veterinary Use, Phytochemical Composition, and Biological Activity

Rodrigo Duarte-Casar et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

Xylosma G. Forst. is a genus of plants belonging to the Salicaceae family with intertropical distribution in America, Asia, and Oceania. Of the 100 accepted species, 22 are under some level of conservation risk. In this review, around 13 species of the genus used as medicinal plants were found, mainly in Central and South America, with a variety of uses, among which antimicrobial is the most common. There is published research in chemistry and pharmacological activity on around 15 of the genus species, centering in their antibacterial and fungicidal activity. Additionally, a variety of active phytochemicals have been isolated, the most representative of which are atraric acid, xylosmine and its derivatives, and velutinic acid. There is still ample field for the validation and evaluation of the activity of Xylosma extracts, particularly in species not yet studied, and concerning uses other than antimicrobial and for the identification and evaluation of their active compounds.

Keywords: Salicaceae; Xylosma; biological activity; ethnopharmacology; phytochemicals.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Xylosma flexuosa (Kunth) Hemsl. leaves and berries, left. Xylosma congesta (Lour.) Merr. inflorescence, right. Image sources: left, Public Domain (CC0); right, Miwasatosi, GDFL license.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Worldwide Xylosma distribution, by country, after [10].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Publications containing the word Xylosma since the year 1973 in Medical and Health sciences, and in Chemistry. Data source: [22].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Ethnopharmacological and ethnoveterinary uses of Xylosma spp. Circle diameter proportional to use reports for the country.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Summary of in vitro activity of Xylosma species.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Xylosmin (1) structure. Moieties are highlighted as follows: xylosmic acid in yellow, benzoates in teal, d-β-glucose in light green, 2,5-dihydroxybenzylic alcohol in yellow-green.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Characteristic compounds identified in Xylosma extracts.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Flavonoids, terpenoids, and other compounds identified in Xylosma extracts.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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