This review provides a summary of the current state of research concerning the unique specialised metabolites from Haemodoraceae.

Phytochemical profiling was undertaken on the crude extracts of Drosera magna to determine the nature of the chemical constituents present. In total, three new flavonol diglycosides (1–3), one new flavan-3-ol glycoside (4), and 12 previously reported compounds of the flavonol (5, 9), flavan-3-ol (15), flavanone (8), 1,4-napthoquinone (6, 7, 13, 14), 2,3-dehydroxynapthalene-1,4-dione (10–12), and phenolic acid (16) structure classes were isolated and identified. Compounds 1–9, 13, 17, and 18 were assessed for antimicrobial activity, with compounds 6, 7, 8, and 9 showing significant activity. Compounds 1, 2, and 6 were also evaluated for anthelmintic activity against larval forms of Hemonchus contortus, with compound 6 being active.

No abstract

Phytochemical profiling was undertaken on the crude extracts of the bulbs, stems, and the fruits of Haemodorum brevisepalum, to determine the nature of the chemical constituents present. This represents the first study to investigate the fruits of a species of Haemodorum. In total, 13 new and 17 previously reported compounds were isolated and identified. The new compounds were of the phenylphenalenone-type class, with a representative of a novel structural form, named tentatively "oxabenzochromenone" (1), a compound akin to an intermediate in a recently proposed phenylphenalenone metabolic network (2), seven new phenylphenalenones (4−10), four new phenylbenzoisochromenones (11−14), and a new phenylbenzoisochromenone derivative (18). The previously reported compounds identified were of the following structure classes: oxabenzochrysenone (3, 23−26),