226
N. N. Win and H. Morita
lactones, diterpenoids, sesquiterpene lactones, triterpenoid saponins, fatty acids, and
esters, various types of flavonoids (cyclohexenyl chalcones, chalcones, flavanones),
coumarins, xanthones, quinones, quinols, curcuminoids, benzoic acid derivatives,
and lignans. These structurally diverse phytochemicals were found to possess various
pharmacological effects, such as cytotoxicity, NO inhibitory activity, antimalarial
activity, antitrypanosomal activity, anti-austerity activity, leishmanicidal activity,
HIV-1 viral protein R inhibitory activity, antimelanogenesis activity, and antibacterial activity. On the basis of internationally recognized documentation, only about
0.25% of the 11,800 plant species listed as indigenous, or are naturally occurring or
cultivated in Myanmar, have been investigated in a scientific manner so far. Thus,
further efforts and investment should be made to investigate the remaining Myanmar
medicinal plants in order to potentially discover new drug candidate molecules. The
bioactive compounds obtained from the medicinal plants of Myanmar may serve
also as lead compounds for new analogs with either improved therapeutic activity or
reduced toxcity.
Acknowledgments The authors are grateful to Professors Douglas Kinghorn and Heinz Falk for
their enormous assistance and encouragement with the preparation of the manuscript and whose
contributions to this volume went far beyond their editorial duties. The authors would like to
express their gratitude to Professor Yoshinori Asakawa (Tokushima Bunri University), Professor
Ikuro Abe (University of Tokyo), and Professor Dr Daw Hla Ngwe (Yangon University) for valuable
suggestions. The authors also acknowledge the researchers from Myanmar, Germany, Japan, and
Korea for their great contributions to the scientific research publications regarding the medicinal
plants from Myanmar. Special thanks are owed to Professor Dr Ni Ni Than (Yangon University),
Dr Myint Myint Than (Department of Traditional Medicine), Dr Yi Yi Win (Dawei University), Dr
Khine Zar Wynn Lae (Yangon University), and Dr Ei Ei Thwin (Taunggoke Degree College), who
helped to take the photographs of the Myanmar medicinal plants.
References
1. Gupta GL, Nigam SS (1970) Chemical examination of the leaves of Acacia concinna. Planta
Med 18:55
2. Sekine T, Fukasawa N, Ikegami F, Saito K, Fujii Y, Murakoshi I (1997) Structure and synthesis
of a new monoterpenoidal carboxamide from the seeds of the Thai medicinal plant Acacia
concinna. Chem Pharm Bull 45:148
3. Tezuka Y, Honda K, Banskota AH, Thet MM, Kadota S (2000) Kinmoonosides A−C, three
new cytotoxic saponins from the fruits of Acacia concinna, a medicinal plant collected in
Myanmar. J Nat Prod 63:1658
4. Kiuchi F, Gafur MA, Obata T, Tachibana A, Tsuda Y (1997) Acacia concinna saponins. II.
Structures of monoterpenoid glycosides in the alkaline hydrolysate of the saponin fraction.
Chem Pharm Bull 45:807
5. Okada Y, Koyama K, Takahashi K, Okuyama T, Shibata S (1980) Gleditsia saponins I.
Structures of monoterpene moieties of Gleditsia saponin C. Planta Med 40:185
6. Ikeda T, Fujiwara S, Kinjo J, Nohara T, Ida Y, Shoji J, Shingu T, Isobe R, Kajimoto T (1995)
Three new triterpenoidal saponins acylated with monoterpenic acid from Albizziae Cortex.
Bull Chem Soc Jpn 68:3483
7. Ikeda T, Fujiwara S, Araki K, Kinjo J, Nohara T, Miyoshi T (1997) Cytotoxic glycosides from
Albizia julibrissin. J Nat Prod 60:102
N. N. Win and H. Morita
lactones, diterpenoids, sesquiterpene lactones, triterpenoid saponins, fatty acids, and
esters, various types of flavonoids (cyclohexenyl chalcones, chalcones, flavanones),
coumarins, xanthones, quinones, quinols, curcuminoids, benzoic acid derivatives,
and lignans. These structurally diverse phytochemicals were found to possess various
pharmacological effects, such as cytotoxicity, NO inhibitory activity, antimalarial
activity, antitrypanosomal activity, anti-austerity activity, leishmanicidal activity,
HIV-1 viral protein R inhibitory activity, antimelanogenesis activity, and antibacterial activity. On the basis of internationally recognized documentation, only about
0.25% of the 11,800 plant species listed as indigenous, or are naturally occurring or
cultivated in Myanmar, have been investigated in a scientific manner so far. Thus,
further efforts and investment should be made to investigate the remaining Myanmar
medicinal plants in order to potentially discover new drug candidate molecules. The
bioactive compounds obtained from the medicinal plants of Myanmar may serve
also as lead compounds for new analogs with either improved therapeutic activity or
reduced toxcity.
Acknowledgments The authors are grateful to Professors Douglas Kinghorn and Heinz Falk for
their enormous assistance and encouragement with the preparation of the manuscript and whose
contributions to this volume went far beyond their editorial duties. The authors would like to
express their gratitude to Professor Yoshinori Asakawa (Tokushima Bunri University), Professor
Ikuro Abe (University of Tokyo), and Professor Dr Daw Hla Ngwe (Yangon University) for valuable
suggestions. The authors also acknowledge the researchers from Myanmar, Germany, Japan, and
Korea for their great contributions to the scientific research publications regarding the medicinal
plants from Myanmar. Special thanks are owed to Professor Dr Ni Ni Than (Yangon University),
Dr Myint Myint Than (Department of Traditional Medicine), Dr Yi Yi Win (Dawei University), Dr
Khine Zar Wynn Lae (Yangon University), and Dr Ei Ei Thwin (Taunggoke Degree College), who
helped to take the photographs of the Myanmar medicinal plants.
References
1. Gupta GL, Nigam SS (1970) Chemical examination of the leaves of Acacia concinna. Planta
Med 18:55
2. Sekine T, Fukasawa N, Ikegami F, Saito K, Fujii Y, Murakoshi I (1997) Structure and synthesis
of a new monoterpenoidal carboxamide from the seeds of the Thai medicinal plant Acacia
concinna. Chem Pharm Bull 45:148
3. Tezuka Y, Honda K, Banskota AH, Thet MM, Kadota S (2000) Kinmoonosides A−C, three
new cytotoxic saponins from the fruits of Acacia concinna, a medicinal plant collected in
Myanmar. J Nat Prod 63:1658
4. Kiuchi F, Gafur MA, Obata T, Tachibana A, Tsuda Y (1997) Acacia concinna saponins. II.
Structures of monoterpenoid glycosides in the alkaline hydrolysate of the saponin fraction.
Chem Pharm Bull 45:807
5. Okada Y, Koyama K, Takahashi K, Okuyama T, Shibata S (1980) Gleditsia saponins I.
Structures of monoterpene moieties of Gleditsia saponin C. Planta Med 40:185
6. Ikeda T, Fujiwara S, Kinjo J, Nohara T, Ida Y, Shoji J, Shingu T, Isobe R, Kajimoto T (1995)
Three new triterpenoidal saponins acylated with monoterpenic acid from Albizziae Cortex.
Bull Chem Soc Jpn 68:3483
7. Ikeda T, Fujiwara S, Araki K, Kinjo J, Nohara T, Miyoshi T (1997) Cytotoxic glycosides from
Albizia julibrissin. J Nat Prod 60:102