title: Mining chemodiversity from biodiversity: pharmacophylogeny of medicinal plants of Ranunculaceae.
abstract: This paper reports a pharmacophylogenetic study of a medicinal plant family, Ranunculaceae, investigating the correlations between their phylogeny, chemical constituents, and pharmaceutical properties. Phytochemical, ethnopharmacological, and pharmacological data were integrated in the context of the systematics and molecular phylogeny of the Ranunculaceae. The chemical components of this family included several representative metabolic groups: benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, ranunculin, triterpenoid saponin, and diterpene alkaloids, among others. Ranunculin and magnoflorine were found to coexist in some genera. The pharmacophylogenetic analysis, integrated with therapeutic information, agreed with the taxonomy proposed previously, in which the family Ranunculaceae was divided into five sub-families: Ranunculoideae, Thalictroideae, Coptidoideae, Hydrastidoideae, and Glaucidioideae. It was plausible to organize the sub-family Ranunculoideae into ten tribes. The chemical constituents and therapeutic efficacy of each taxonomic group were reviewed, revealing the underlying connections between phylogeny, chemical diversity, and clinical use, which should facilitate the conservation and sustainable utilization of the pharmaceutical resources derived from the Ranunculaceae.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Institute, School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China. Electronic address: hao@djtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Da-Cheng
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address: xiaopg@public.bta.net.cn.
authors.forename: Pei-Gen
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Institute, School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Nian
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001060:Aporphines / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044822:Biodiversity; D005663:Furans / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008759:Methylglycosides / Q000032:analysis; D010802:Phylogeny; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D029626:Ranunculaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D012503:Saponins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013729:Terpenes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D001060:Aporphines; D005663:Furans; D008759:Methylglycosides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012503:Saponins; D013729:Terpenes; C039859:ranunculin; C001670:magnoflorine
keywords: Bioactivity; Chemodiversity; Ethnopharmacology; Pharmacophylogeny; Ranunculaceae; Sustainability