The Advances in the Limonoid Chemistry of the Meliaceae Family

TLDR: The Meliaceae family is rich sources of limonoid (meliacin), which are well known for their antifeedant activity and bitterness as mentioned in this paper, although their existence also could be found in Rutaceae, Cneoraceae, Ptaeroxylaceae, and Simaroubaceae family.

Abstract: The Meliaceae family is rich sources of limonoid (meliacin), which are well know for their antifeedant activity and bitterness. Although their existence also could be found in Rutaceae, Cneoraceae, Ptaeroxylaceae, and Simaroubaceae family, they are especially abundant and structurally diversified in the Meliaceae family. Structurally, they are highly oxygenated and modified nortriterpenoids either containing or derived from a precursor with a 4,4,8-trimethyl-17-furanylsteroid skeleton. Nearly three decades ago, Taylor divided so far found three hundreds of the meliacins from the Meliaceae family into protolimonoids and nine classes of limonoids based on which of the four triterpenoid skeleton rings have been oxidatively opened. From then on, much progress has been made on the field. Up to very recently, approximately 1300 limonoids, exhibiting more than 35 different carbon frameworks have been observed from the four families.