Distribution, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of the genus Hugonia

Hugonia L, is a genus belonging to the subfamily Hugonioideae within the family Linaceae. The genus comprises more than 40 plant species. This review highlights the global distribution of plant species under the genus Hugonia , their ethnomedicinal uses, the structural classifications and distribution of their phytochemicals, and a discussion of their pharmacological properties. The information for this review was collected from various electronic databases such as Google scholar, Science Direct, Springer, PubMed, Plants of the World, and Research Gate. The available information indicates that species of this genus are distributed in tropical Africa, Madagascar, Southeastern and Southwestern Asia. Several species in the genus Hugonia including H. castaneifolia, H. mystax, H. busseana, H. platysepala, and H. serrata are used in folklore medicine for treatment of different ailments including hernia, malaria, diarrhea, intestinal worms, fever, indigestion, toothache, vomiting, and viral infections. Application of these plants in ethnomedicine has attracted investigations on the compounds responsible for the acclaimed medicinal properties. Over the past 38 years (1987 to 2025), a total of forty-six (46) compounds with various biomedical potentials have been revealed to originate from this genus, of which terpenoids, lignans and phenolics are the most diverse groups. Presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, tannins and saponins have also been reported in previous studies. Some of the crude extracts and phytochemicals therefrom are reported to possess varied pharmacological properties including antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer activities. Literature has shown that only a few species from this genus have been investigated for their phytochemistry and pharmacological properties. Thus, the information provided in this review may be used as the basis for future endeavors, including further chemical and pharmacological investigations of the genus Hugonia .