Chapter 16
An Overview of the Bioactivities
of Gedunin
Yong Sze Ong, Kooi Yeong Khaw, Loh Teng-Hern Tan,
Peng-Nian Yew, Kai-Boon Tan, Wei Hsum Yap, Siah Ying Tang,
Liang Ee Low, Learn-Han Lee, and Bey-Hing Goh
Abstract Gedunin is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid secondary
metabolite presents in Meliaceae family. Since the first isolation and characterization of this compound at 1960s, the chemical synthesis and bioactive properties
of this compound have been continuing researched. The plant has been historically
used as the folk medicine to treat malaria and infectious diseases. Evidence-based
pharmacology study showed that gedunin and its derivatives exerted enormous
potential in the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases.
Considering this year marks 60 years since the isolation of gedunin, this review
presents an update of the bioactivity of gedunin and its derivatives with future
prospect of this bioactive compound.
Keywords Gedunin Á Bioactivities Á Anti-cancer Á Triterpenoid Á Pharmacology
Y. S. Ong Á K. Y. Khaw Á K.-B. Tan Á L. E. Low Á B.-H. Goh (&)
Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory (BMEX) Research Group, School of Pharmacy,
Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
e-mail: goh.bey.hing@monash.edu
L. T.-H. Tan Á L.-H. Lee
Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery (NBDD) Research Group, Microbiome and Bioresource
Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash
University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
P.-N. Yew
Faculty of Applied Sciences (FOAS), Department of Bioscience, Tunku Abdul Rahman
University College (TARUC), Jalan Genting Kelang, 53300 Kuala Lumpur,
Setapak, Malaysia
K.-B. Tan
The University of Edinburgh, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Hugh Robson Building,
15 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, Scotland
W. H. Yap
School of Biosciences, Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan,
Malaysia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Pal and A. K. Nayak (eds.), Bioactive Natural Products
for Pharmaceutical Applications, Advanced Structured Materials 140,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54027-2_16
563
An Overview of the Bioactivities
of Gedunin
Yong Sze Ong, Kooi Yeong Khaw, Loh Teng-Hern Tan,
Peng-Nian Yew, Kai-Boon Tan, Wei Hsum Yap, Siah Ying Tang,
Liang Ee Low, Learn-Han Lee, and Bey-Hing Goh
Abstract Gedunin is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid secondary
metabolite presents in Meliaceae family. Since the first isolation and characterization of this compound at 1960s, the chemical synthesis and bioactive properties
of this compound have been continuing researched. The plant has been historically
used as the folk medicine to treat malaria and infectious diseases. Evidence-based
pharmacology study showed that gedunin and its derivatives exerted enormous
potential in the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases.
Considering this year marks 60 years since the isolation of gedunin, this review
presents an update of the bioactivity of gedunin and its derivatives with future
prospect of this bioactive compound.
Keywords Gedunin Á Bioactivities Á Anti-cancer Á Triterpenoid Á Pharmacology
Y. S. Ong Á K. Y. Khaw Á K.-B. Tan Á L. E. Low Á B.-H. Goh (&)
Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory (BMEX) Research Group, School of Pharmacy,
Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
e-mail: goh.bey.hing@monash.edu
L. T.-H. Tan Á L.-H. Lee
Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery (NBDD) Research Group, Microbiome and Bioresource
Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash
University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
P.-N. Yew
Faculty of Applied Sciences (FOAS), Department of Bioscience, Tunku Abdul Rahman
University College (TARUC), Jalan Genting Kelang, 53300 Kuala Lumpur,
Setapak, Malaysia
K.-B. Tan
The University of Edinburgh, Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Hugh Robson Building,
15 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, Scotland
W. H. Yap
School of Biosciences, Taylor’s University, Subang Jaya, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan,
Malaysia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Pal and A. K. Nayak (eds.), Bioactive Natural Products
for Pharmaceutical Applications, Advanced Structured Materials 140,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54027-2_16
563