Nauclea latifolia: biological activity and alkaloid phytochemistry of a West African tree

• Published in: Natural product reports 2016-01, Vol.33 (9), p.1034-1043
• Main Authors: Boucherle, Benjamin, Haudecoeur, Romain, Queiroz, Emerson Ferreira, De Waard, Michel, Wolfender, Jean-Luc, Robins, Richard J, Boumendjel, Ahcène
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analgesics, Opioid - therapeutic use; Animals; Chemical Sciences; Indole Alkaloids - chemistry; Indole Alkaloids - isolation & purification; Indole Alkaloids - pharmacology; Malaria - drug therapy; Medicine, Traditional; Molecular Structure; Plant Roots - chemistry; Rubiaceae; Rubiaceae - chemistry; Tramadol - chemistry; Tramadol - isolation & purification; Tramadol - metabolism; Tramadol - pharmacology; Trees - chemistry
• ISSN: 0265-0568; 1460-4752
• DOI: 10.1039/c6np00039h

Covering up to 2016Nauclea latifolia (syn. Sarcocephalus latifolius, Rubiaceae), commonly called the African pincushion tree, is a plant widely used in folk medicine in different regions of Africa for treating a variety of illnesses, including malaria, epilepsy and pain. N. latifolia has not only drawn the interest of traditional healers but also of phytochemists, who have identified a range of bioactive indole alkaloids in its tissue. More recently, following up on the traditional use of extracts in pain management, a bio-guided purification from the roots of the tree led to the identification of the active ingredient as tramadol, available as a synthetic analgesic since the 1970s. The discovery of this compound as a natural phytochemical was highlighted worldwide. This review focuses on the correlation between extracted compounds and pharmacological activities, paying special attention to infectious diseases and neurologically-related disorders. A critical analysis of the data reported so far on the natural origin of tramadol and its proposed biosynthesis is also presented.