The anti-inflammatory and antitumor potential of Cryptocarya concinna Hance and its phytoconsituents

The tree Cryptocarya concinna Hance is largely distributed in southeast Asia and essentially used for its robust wood. Alcoholic extracts made from the leaves or roots of the plant have revealed anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. The DNA-damaging dihydrochalcone derivative cryptocaryone accounts for the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities observed with the extracts. Other bioactive products have been isolated, including α-pyrone derivatives such as cryptoconcatones A-L and flavonoids such as cryptoconones A-E. A structural analogy is underlined between cryptoconcatone D and two known compounds with an α,β-unsaturated δ-lactone: pironetin and the styryl-lactone goniothalamin which targets the peroxisomal protein MFE2 (multifunctional enzyme type2). Pironetin is a potent α-tubulin binder with robust anticancer properties. By analogy, the binding of cryptoconcatone D to the pironetin-site of α-tubulin is proposed. The review shed light on the phytochemical constituents of Cryptocarya concinna and the biological properties of α,β-unsaturated lactone compounds isolated from this little studied plant.