Publications

Abstract

This review focuses on the chemical constituents from Croton species. This genus offers a great amount and variety of constituents like phorbol esters, alkaloids, di and triterpenoids as clerodanes, euphol derivatives, and flavonoids and their glycosides with notable medicinal applications. In addition, several species of Croton have a red sap, in some species containing proanthocyanidins and/or alkaloids. Diterpenes are very common in Croton, corresponding to clerodanes, cembranoid, halimanes, kauranes, labdanes, phorbol esters, trachylobanes and sarcopetalanes. Some species are aromatic due to the possession of volatile oil. The present review provides a significant clue for further research of the chemical constituents from the Croton species as potential medicines. It is important to mention that the occurrences of classes of secondary metabolites in Croton are a point deserving consideration, because it may end up useful in prospects of pharmacologically active substances.

Keywords: Croton, diterpenes, Phytosterol.