MINI REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1622814
This article is part of the Research TopicMedicinal Plants from the Americas: A Source of Biologically Active Extracts and MetabolitesView all 6 articles
Mini review: Ethnopharmacology and Phytochemistry of the Tropical American family Marcgraviaceae
Provisionally accepted
Ana Francis Carballo Arce1*
Luis Roberto Villegas-Peñaranda1Raúl Esteban Garro-Álvarez1Yohana Alfaro-Ureña1Manuel Sandoval-Barrantes1Martha Mullaly2
John Thor Arnason3- 1Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
- 2Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
- 3Ottawa University, Ottawa, Canada
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The Marcgraviaceae is a neotropical family of lianas and shrubs that has received limited investigation for its medicinal properties. Characterized by prominent, nectar-rich terminal inflorescences, the family comprises 7 genera and 136 species. Traditional uses among Indigenous communities in the Americas include treatments for anxiety, sleep disorders, mental health conditions, and various dermatological ailments. Pharmacological and phytochemical studies have confirmed that extracts from the genus Marcgravia, traditionally used for dermatological conditions, inhibit bacterial quorum sensing, with active principles identified as naphthoquinones. Schwartzia brasilensis (syn. Norantea brasilensis) has demonstrated antiviral activity against Dengue virus, in vivo antimalarial efficacy, anti-inflammatory properties, and DNA-protective effects, but active principles remain to be accurately determined. Ruyschia phylladenia, containing triterpenes and isofraxidin, has shown promising antileishmanial, antibacterial, and antitumor activities. Pharmacological research on Souroubea spp. from Central America has revealed strong anxiolytic properties in animal models, with active compounds identified as the triterpenes betulinic acid, α-amyrin, and β-amyrin. Following toxicity and efficacy trials, Souroubea sympetala leaf extracts have been developed into a practical veterinary formulation for the management of noise aversion in dogs. Given the extensive diversity and wide distribution of this tropical American family, Marcgraviaceae offers considerable untapped potential for the discovery of new medicinal properties and phytochemicals.
Keywords: Marcgraviaceae, anxiolytics, antiviral, antileischmanial, biofilm inhibitors, Triterpenes, napthaquinones
Received: 04 May 2025; Accepted: 26 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Carballo Arce, Villegas-Peñaranda, Garro-Álvarez, Alfaro-Ureña, Sandoval-Barrantes, Mullaly and Arnason. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ana Francis Carballo Arce, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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