Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: A review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) has been a part of Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. Agarwood has also been used as a traditional medicine in Southeast Asian countries, Bangladesh and Tibet. Its common uses include the treatment of joint pain, in-...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English English |
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2016
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| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/1/Paper_-Hashim_et_al_2016_%28JEP%29.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/4/51380_Aquilaria%20spp.%20%28agarwood%29%20as%20source%20of%20health%20beneficial%20compounds_Scopus.pdf |
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| author | Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun Kerr, Philip G. Abbas, Phirdaous Mohd Salleh, Hamzah |
| author_facet | Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun Kerr, Philip G. Abbas, Phirdaous Mohd Salleh, Hamzah |
| author_sort | Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun |
| building | IIUM Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Ethnopharmacological relevance: Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) has been a part of Ayurvedic and Traditional
Chinese Medicine for centuries. Agarwood has also been used as a traditional medicine in Southeast
Asian countries, Bangladesh and Tibet. Its common uses include the treatment of joint pain, in-
flammatory-related ailments, and diarrhoea, as well as a stimulant, sedative and cardioprotective agent.
In this paper, we aim to provide an overview of the phytochemistry, ethnomedicinal use, pharmacological
activities and safety of plant materials from Aquilaria spp. as an evidence base to further appraise its
potential use as a source of health beneficial compounds.
Materials and methods: Literature abstracts and full text articles from journals, books, reports and
electronic searches (Google Scholar, Elsevier, PubMed, Read Cube, Scopus, Springer, and Web of Science),
as well as from other relevant websites, are surveyed, analysed and included in this review.
Results: A literature survey of agarwood plant materials showed that they contain sesquiterpenes, 2(-2-
phenylethyl)-4H-chromen-4-one derivatives, genkwanins, mangiferins, iriflophenones, cucurbitacins,
terpenoids and phenolic acids. The crude extracts and some of the isolated compounds exhibit antiallergic,
anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-ischemic, anti-microbial, hepatoprotective,
laxative, and mosquitocidal properties and effects on the central nervous system. Agarwood
plant materials are considered to be safe based on the doses tested. However, the toxicity and safety of
the materials, including the smoke from agarwood incense burning, should be further investigated.
Future research should be directed towards the bio-guided isolation of bioactive compounds with proper
chemical characterisation and investigations of the underlying mechanisms towards drug discovery.
Conclusions: The traditional medicinal use of agarwood plant materials has provided clues to their
pharmacological properties. Indeed, agarwood contains a plethora of bioactive compounds that now elegantly support their use in traditional medicine. As wild agarwood trees are critically endangered and
vulnerable, sustainable agricultural and forestry practices are necessary for the further development and
utilization of agarwood as a source of health beneficial compounds. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T16:27:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | iium-51380 |
| institution | International Islamic University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T16:27:47Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | iium-513802017-04-03T08:12:09Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/ Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: A review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun Kerr, Philip G. Abbas, Phirdaous Mohd Salleh, Hamzah Q Science (General) Ethnopharmacological relevance: Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) has been a part of Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. Agarwood has also been used as a traditional medicine in Southeast Asian countries, Bangladesh and Tibet. Its common uses include the treatment of joint pain, in- flammatory-related ailments, and diarrhoea, as well as a stimulant, sedative and cardioprotective agent. In this paper, we aim to provide an overview of the phytochemistry, ethnomedicinal use, pharmacological activities and safety of plant materials from Aquilaria spp. as an evidence base to further appraise its potential use as a source of health beneficial compounds. Materials and methods: Literature abstracts and full text articles from journals, books, reports and electronic searches (Google Scholar, Elsevier, PubMed, Read Cube, Scopus, Springer, and Web of Science), as well as from other relevant websites, are surveyed, analysed and included in this review. Results: A literature survey of agarwood plant materials showed that they contain sesquiterpenes, 2(-2- phenylethyl)-4H-chromen-4-one derivatives, genkwanins, mangiferins, iriflophenones, cucurbitacins, terpenoids and phenolic acids. The crude extracts and some of the isolated compounds exhibit antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-ischemic, anti-microbial, hepatoprotective, laxative, and mosquitocidal properties and effects on the central nervous system. Agarwood plant materials are considered to be safe based on the doses tested. However, the toxicity and safety of the materials, including the smoke from agarwood incense burning, should be further investigated. Future research should be directed towards the bio-guided isolation of bioactive compounds with proper chemical characterisation and investigations of the underlying mechanisms towards drug discovery. Conclusions: The traditional medicinal use of agarwood plant materials has provided clues to their pharmacological properties. Indeed, agarwood contains a plethora of bioactive compounds that now elegantly support their use in traditional medicine. As wild agarwood trees are critically endangered and vulnerable, sustainable agricultural and forestry practices are necessary for the further development and utilization of agarwood as a source of health beneficial compounds. 2016 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/1/Paper_-Hashim_et_al_2016_%28JEP%29.pdf application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/4/51380_Aquilaria%20spp.%20%28agarwood%29%20as%20source%20of%20health%20beneficial%20compounds_Scopus.pdf Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun and Kerr, Philip G. and Abbas, Phirdaous and Mohd Salleh, Hamzah (2016) Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: A review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 189. pp. 331-360. ISSN 0378-8741 http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0378874116304159/1-s2.0-S0378874116304159-main.pdf?_tid=9d326bb0-57c0-11e6-b712-00000aacb361&acdnat=1470039726_69346d0743a9e1d10dce54b889b8b4c5 doi:10.1016/j.jep.2016.06.055 |
| spellingShingle | Q Science (General) Hashim, Yumi Zuhanis Has-Yun Kerr, Philip G. Abbas, Phirdaous Mohd Salleh, Hamzah Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: A review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology |
| title | Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: A review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology |
| title_full | Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: A review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology |
| title_fullStr | Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: A review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: A review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology |
| title_short | Aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: A review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology |
| title_sort | aquilaria spp. (agarwood) as source of health beneficial compounds: a review of traditional use, phytochemistry and pharmacology |
| topic | Q Science (General) |
| url | http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/1/Paper_-Hashim_et_al_2016_%28JEP%29.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/51380/4/51380_Aquilaria%20spp.%20%28agarwood%29%20as%20source%20of%20health%20beneficial%20compounds_Scopus.pdf |