Research is continuing on the vegetable material from this continent in an endeavour to find new compounds of therapeutic interest. An outline is presented here covering the results obtained by the Institute of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry of the University of Lausanne during 15 years work on African plants. The strategy employed for the study of these plants is outlined, covering all aspects from the selection of plant material to the isolation of pure natural products. Results are also included for antibacterial, cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory testing. The Meliaceae family is well represented in Southern and Eastern Africa and Madagascar.
Plants range in size from magnificent forest trees to small shrubs.
Certain species are important as timber trees and they have wide-ranging uses in ethnomedicine in the region, prompting extensive investigation. Relatively few of the compounds and extracts from these species have been screened for biological activity, probably due to the limited screening facilities available in the area. The similar chemistry of the genera Ptaeroxylon and Cedrelopsis support their grouping together in the distinct family Ptaeroxylaceae. Examination of the chemistry of species from this family suggests a close relationship with the Cneoraceae family. Over 130 compounds belonging to different classes including anthrones, chromones, pyrones, coumarins, alkaloids, glycoproteins, naphthalenes and flavonoids have so far been reported from the genus.