Nectandra

Nectandra is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lauraceae. They are primarily Neotropical, ranging from northern Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean, and tropical South America to northern Argentina. They have fruit with various medical effects. Sweetwood is a common name for some plants in this genus. Several species formerly placed in Nectandra are now placed in genus Damburneya.

Nectandra is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lauraceae. They are primarily Neotropical, ranging from northern Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean, and tropical South America to northern Argentina. They have fruit with various medical effects. Sweetwood is a common name for some plants in this genus. Several species formerly placed in Nectandra are now placed in genus Damburneya. ==Medical use== Plants from this genus have been used to treat several human clinical disorders. It has been demonstrated that Nectandra plants have potential for analgesic, anti-inflammatory, febrifuge, energetic, and hypotensive activities. Nectandra has also been investigated as a possible antitumoral agent, and the presence of neolignans suggests its potential use as a source of chemotherapeutics. Crude extracts of Nectandra contain alkaloids and lignans, berberine and sipirine. Some authors have postulated that tannins play important roles as antioxidant compounds in scavenging free radicals. It is reported that an extract of N. salicifolia has potent relaxant activity on vascular smooth muscle. Researchers around the entire world agree that extensive pre-clinical studies on herbal medicine are important and urgent, especially high-quality clinical and pre-clinical trials. In pre-Columbian Peru the seeds, called amala in Spanish, were used as a muscle relaxant. In sites of the Sican culture, collections of the seeds have been associated with human sacrifice, and used to incapacitate victims prior to being killed. ==Species== 99 species are accepted. ==References==

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