Genus Miliusa: A Review of Phytochemistry and Pharmacology.

A vast amount of data showed that genus Miliusa contained various classes of secondary metabolites. Herein, more than two hundred constituents were isolated, comprising alkaloids, geranylated homogentisic acids, flavonoids, lignans, neolignans, terpenoids, acetogenins, styryls, lactones, phenolics, amides, alcohols, and furfural derivatives. Novel miliusanes and bicyclic lactones have been remarkable characteristics of Miliusa plants. Essential oils from these plants were also detected, with a high amount of β-caryophyllene. Numerous in vitro biological researches on, for example, anticancer, antifungal, antimycobacterial, anti-inflammation, and cardiac activity, especially in terms of cytotoxicity, using either isolated compounds or plant extracts, implied that Miliusa phytochemical components now set out to have a key role in pharmacological development. M. smithiae ethyl acetate extract and its flavonoid ayanin (75) inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cell line comparable with positive control ellipticine. (+)-Miliusol (72) stimulated in vivo anticancer experiment against HCT116 xenograft mouse tumor following the p21-dependent induction of cellular senescence mechanism.