Abstract

Rourea is a genus of climbing shrubs and small trees and widely distributed in the Amazon, Pacific region, Africa and Asia. It has 65 species and 129 varieties. They are widely used in ethnomedicine for various health complaints such as rheumatism, diabetes, tumor, asthma and diarrhoea. This paper summarizes 38 compounds from Rourea sp. from different classes of compounds such as flavonoids, triterpenes, phenolic compounds, lipids, phytosteroids and coumarin. Several bioactivities such as hypoglycaemia, antinociceptive, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiplasmodial and larvicidal activities are also discussed

Key words: Rourea; Connoraceae; flavonoids; Rourea minor; Rourea induta; ethnomedicine