Abstract

Brief Review on the Genus Diospyros:A Rich Source of Naphthoquinones

Author(s): Venu Sharma

Diospyros genus (Ebenaceae) comprises about 500 species. A number of them are used for their multiple pharmacological activities. Ethano-phramacologically various plant parts are formulated and prescribed in the form of extracts and the decoctions for remedy of different diseases in many tribes. These activities are due to presence of bioactive secondary metabolites in the plant. Systematicand detailed investigation on the composition and pharmacological significance of medicinal plants should be conducted to standardize the formulations, based on ingredients. In the present review, naphthoquinone, naphthalene and naphthol derivatives isolated from Diospyrosspecies are documented here with the pharmacologically important species of the genus.

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