Many Vochysiaceae species, in special Qualea and Vochysia genera, are widely used in folk medicine to treat several diseases. This review describes some aspects of their ethnopharmacology potential, biological activity and the secondary metabolites reported so far for Vochysiaceae. The chemical constituents of this family include triterpenoids, steroids and polyphenols like flavonoids and ellagic acid derivatives.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)