Genus Calophyllum from the family of Calophyllaceae is an evergreen broad-leaved tree that is endemic to Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia. They have been reported for various ethnomedicinal uses in traditional medicine. Previous studies of Malaysian Calophyllum species revealed them to be a rich source of bioactive phytoconstituents such as xanthones, coumarins, terpenoids, and chromanone acids. To date, the extracts and compounds from Malaysian Calophyllum species have shown a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. For example, calanolide A, a coumarin isolated from Malaysian C. lanigerum, has now reached clinical development to become an anti-HIV drug. This article presents an overview of the significant phytochemical and pharmacological activities of Malaysian Calophyllum species to aid researchers in further discovery of potential benefits of various species of this genus.
Keywords: Calophyllum; bioactivity; ethnomedicinal; phytochemical.