Biological importance of phytochemical constituents isolated from genus Eugenia

Eugenia (Myrtaceae)is the largest genus comprising over 1000 species with centers of concentration in tropical and sub-tropical America and tropical Asia,. with a few species occurring in Australia and Africa. The compounds generally associated with this genus are flavonoids and triterpenoids, although chalcones and tannins are also present. Among the flavonoids, such as glycosides or aglycone, there is a predominance of polyhydroxylated flavanols. The majority of compounds isolated from these species are pentacyclic triterpenes with a lupane or oleanane skeleton. These compounds exhibit numerous pharmacological activities including analgesic, antipyretic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antioxidant activity. We have systematically reviewed Eugenia genus as it may be helpful to pharmaceutical and food industry as well as biologists, pharmacologists and phytochemists.