A bioactive component Marmesin from Feronia limonia fruit pericarp: A review

Plants serve as a vast source for many phytoconstituents that exhibit pharmacological properties. Identification of such types of potential plants is of great significance in medicine. It's a necessity to study the pharmacognostic characteristics of any plant before using it in the field of research and pharmaceutical formulation. Feronia limonia plant is well known for its medicinal properties. Wood apple has antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, antimicrobial and hepato-protective activity. In India, the fruit pericarp is used as a stomachic, diuretic, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardiotonic and tonic to liver and lungs. Fruit pericarp of Feronia limonia contains marmesin and other components. Shell shows anti-fungal activity against gram positive and gram negative bacteria because of Psoralen. The fruit shells also contain anti-fungal compounds xanthotoxin, 2, 6-dimethoxybenzoquinone and osthenol. The structure elucidation was performed with the help of UV, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectra that confirmed the identity of Marmesin. It is a bioactive component furanocoumarin, which has a variety of pharmacological functions such as anti-inflammatory, antihepatotoxic, antiangiogenic, anticancer and antitumor activities. This article explains all about these things.