An overview on Diospyros malabarica

Abstract

The medicinal uses and chemical constituents of various Diospyros species are now reviewed. About 300 organic chemicals have been isolated and identified. The uniqueness of the genus is the elaboration of a large number of pentacyclic triterpenes and juglone based 1, 4-naphthoquinone metabolites. These metabolites can be used as chemical markers for taxonomic studies. It is a long lived, very slow growing tree, which can reach up to 35 m in height with a black trunk up to 70 cm in diameter. It is used for the treatment of such diseases like cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, liver diseases and atherosclerosis as well as in degenerative processes associated with ageing is the consequence of various metabolic activities in our body that results in the formation of the free radicals. Antioxidant compounds play an imperative role as a health defending factor and are defined as free radical scavengers.