Myristica fragrans Houtt. (Myristicaceae), an aromatic evergreen tree, is well known as a commercial source of mace (aril) and nutmeg (seed), which have long been widely used as spices in the culinary field. In addition, various parts of M. fragrans have been used in folk medicine for treating several diseases. Since its extensive uses in the culinary sector and folk medicine, M. fragrans has long attracted a great deal of attention from pharmacologists and chemists. Numerous studies have indicated that M. fragrans contains diverse phytochemicals such as lignans, neolignans, diphenylalkanes, phenylpropanoids, and terpenoids, which exhibit many of pharmacological activities. Among them, macelignan (1), meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (2), myristicin (111), and malabaricone C (Mal C, 104) are the most active compounds. The aim of this review is to comprehensively summarize the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of M. fragrans that have reported to date.
Keywords: Diphenylalkane; Lignan; Malabaricone C; Myristica fragrans; Myristicaceae; Neolignan.