The current review is aimed to deliver some updates on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry and biological
activities of
Beilschmiedia
species in order to throw more light on their therapeutic potentials and future
research priorities. Phytochemical studies on
Beilschmiedia genus yielded essential oils, endiandric acid
derivatives, amides/alkaloids, lignans/neoligans, flavonoids and miscellaneous compounds, while
bioactivity studies revealed that the extracts and compounds displayed a broad spectrum of biological
activities. Only 24 species of the genus
Beilschmiedia have been studied phytochemically thus far.
Therefore, there is a need to ascertain the pharmacological properties of the plant extracts and new
compounds from this genus. More studies on the standardization and pharmacology of
Beilschmiedia
extracts need to be conducted to ascertain new pharmacological properties and their biochemical and
physiological mechanisms. Furthermore, detailed preclinical toxicity, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics
and pharmacodynamics of extracts of the species and their isolated compounds require additional
investigation in order to verify their safety and determine their suitability as sources of some current
medicines.
