# An Overview of Limonoids and Other Natural Products Isolated from the Medicinal Plant Cipadessa baccifera and Its Pharmacological Properties

## TL;DR

This paper reviews the medicinal plant Cipadessa baccifera, highlighting its use in traditional medicine and the diverse natural products, especially limonoids, that contribute to its pharmacological effects.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of over 200 natural products, including novel limonoid groups and bioactive compounds, isolated from Cipadessa baccifera.

## Key findings

- Cipadessa baccifera contains over 170 limonoids, including unique groups like cipacinerasins and cipadessains.
- Bioactive compounds such as cipaferen G and cipacyclonone show anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
- The plant exhibits larvicidal, insecticidal, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities.

## Abstract

The Asian medicinal plant Cipadessa baccifera (Roth) Miq., also known as C. fruticosa or C. cinerascens (Ranabili or Nalbila), has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat dysentery, skin disorders, rheumatism and parasitic infections. Extracts prepared from the leaves, seeds or fruits of the plant have revealed activities against mosquito vectors of parasitic diseases, notably marked larvicidal activities. Plant extracts have shown insecticidal and antibacterial activities, in addition to antioxidant effects. Numerous natural products at the origin of these pharmacological effects have been identified from all parts of the plant, from roots to leaves and seeds. The phytochemical survey presented here led to the identification of about 200 natural products isolated from C. baccifera, including a large majority of limonoids (>170), in addition to steroids, terpenoids, and a few other products. The panel of limonoids is extremely diversified with multiple groups of compounds: cipacinerasins, cipacinoids, cipacyclonone, cipadesins, cipadessains, cipadessalide, cipadonoids, cipafera, cipaferens, cipaferoids, ciparasins, cipatrijugins, cineracipadesins, cinerascenoids, and cipacinerasins. There are a few interesting bioactive products in Cipadessa, such as the anticancer agents cipaferen G and cipacyclonone, and the anti-inflammatory molecules cipadessain D and methyl-angolensate. Other bioactive products are discussed, such as cryptomeridiol, khayasin T, and febrifugin. An overview of Cipadessa phytochemicals is provided here to shed light on this under-valued medicinal plant.