Chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oils of genus Xylopia L. (Annonaceae). A review

Xylopia L. includes approximately 180 species and is an important genus of the Annonaceae family due to its production of secondary compounds. It comprises several species that are native to the African region and can serve as valuable medicinal plants thanks to their biological and pharmacological properties. In fact, the local populations often use it for different medicinal purposes, such as for malaria, cough, stomachache, rheumatism, and inflammation. The objective of this study was to carry out a review of essential oils of the genus Xylopia and their biological activities. The data were collected from the scientific electronic databases including SciFinder, Scopus, Elsevier, PubMed, and Google Scholar. A total of thirty-seven Xylopia species have been reported for their essential oils and biological activities. It can be observed that the major components were germacrene D, bicyclogermacrene, (E)-caryophyllene, limonene, alpha-pinene, and beta-pinene. Pharmacological studies indicated that the essential oil exhibited antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, anticancer, cytotoxicity, molluscicidal, anti-proliferative, anti-trypanosoma, larvicidal, spasmolytic action, anti-inflammatory, and toxicity. This review is mainly meant to provide relevant information on the phytochemical features of Xylopia species, with emphasis on the essential oil, providing guidance for the selection of accessions or species with the best chemical profiles. It was also possible to identify species that have not yet started studies and possible activities of their essential oils. Besides, more preclinical analyses, as well as clinical trials, are required to evaluate the potential of essential oils from Xylopia species for drug development.