The genus Lindera: a source of structurally diverse molecules having pharmacological significance

Lindera plants not only have good ornamental and economic uses but also have great medicinal and therapeutic values. The genus Lindera consists of approximately 100 species that are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world. This extensive geographical distribution allows Lindera plants to produce diverse secondary metabolites having novel structures. Phytochemical investigations have shown that Lindera plants produce 341 constituents, including sesquiterpenoids, alkaloids, butanolides, lucidones, flavonoids, and phenylpropanoids. Moreover, some Lindera plants show significant chemotaxonomic reference under family Lauraceae and tribe Litseae. Although Lindera plants have various pharmacological and biological properties, their anticancer, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties have been focused in many studies. Butanolides and lucidones have shown great potential in developing anticancer agents while aporphine alkaloids have shown great potential in developing antiarthritic and antinociceptive agents. However, these compounds need to be assessed further by performing in-depth and systematic research.