A review on the genus Calophyllum L. (Clusiaceae): a potential medicinal tree species

Abstract

Calophyllum L. is the genus of evergreen tropical flowering plants in the Clusiaceae family. They are predominantly located in Asia with some of its genus distributed in the Pacific Islands, Americas, Australasia and Africa. Plants of the genus are well known for their chemical properties with lots of secondary metabolites such as triterpenes, flavonoids, coumarins and xan-thones. Compounds from Calophyllum have been reported to have cytopro-tective, anti-HIV, anti-secretory, cytotoxic, antinociceptive, molluscicidal and antimicrobial properties. Some of the plants in Calophyllum are used in folk medicine to treat conditions like peptic ulcers, tumours, inflammation, infections and pain. Calophyllum genus is important with respect to their ecological as well as their medicinal properties. But in India, some species located in Western Ghats are in vulnerable stage. So, for a sustainable environment, we should focus on the conservation, restoration and rehabilitation of the genus that makes significant differences in their population. This article reviews the genus Calophyllum of Western Ghats as a potential medicinal tree species.