Pharmacological Effects of Aquilaria spp. Leaves and Their Chemical Constituents

Aquilaria is one of the most famous and historical botanical tree species in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Far East including Japan. Resin-containing wood from Aquilaria trees is known as agarwood or gaharu. Many studies have been conducted on the wood of Aquilaria; however, it is not the case with the leaves. Aquilaria leaves have been proclaimed as effective for the treatment of several diseases, although few cases had been reported until 2008. We have previously reported that compounds from Aquilaria had a laxative effect in a mouse model of constipation, and the main active constituents include mangiferin and genkwanin-5-O-beta-premeveroside. In this chapter, we review the biological effects of Aquilaria species and its main chemical constituents, especially mangiferin, which is one of the active constituents that shows a laxative effect.