A bioactive spirolactone iridoid and triterpenoids from Himatanthus sucuuba.

Himatanthus sucuuba is an Amazonian tree with abundant, yet conflicting ethnobotanical information. Investigation of the polar and non-polar constituents led to the isolation of plumericin, a bioactive spirolactone iridoid, and four known pentacylic triterpenes: lupeol acetate, lupeol cinnamate, lupeol beta-phenyl propionate, and alpha-amyrin cinnamate.

(+)-epi-Alpha-bisabolol [correction of bisbolol] is the wound-healing principle of Peperomia galioides: investigation of the in vivo wound-healing activity of related terpenoids.

Bioassay-guided investigation of the ethanol extract of Peperomia galioides using a tensile strength method in mice as a monitor led to the isolation of epi-alpha-bisabolol (1) (ED(50) 155 microg/mL). An in vivo healing study of selected commercially available monoterpenoids yielded two bioactive compounds, alpha-bisabolol (2) and alpha-terpineol (3) (ED(50) of 228 and 240 microg/g mouse[corrected], respectively).

Cytotoxic triterpene acids from the Peruvian medicinal plant Polylepis racemosa.

Cytotoxicity-guided fractionation of the bark and stem extract of Polylepis racemosa led to the identification of ursolic acid, pomolic acid, 3-O-acetylpomolic acid, and 2-oxopomolic acid. Pomolic acid was the most cytotoxic component, and was specific for M-14 melanoma and ME180 cervical carcinoma, with GI50 values of 6.9 and 8.3 micrograms/mL respectively.

Bioactive indole alkaloids from the bark of Uncaria guianensis.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOH extract of the bark of Uncaria guianensis (Aubl.) Gmel (Rubiaceae) using a yeast-based assay for DNA-damaging agents has furnished the two weakly but selectively active indole alkaloids uncarine C (1) and uncarine E (2) as the major bioactive constituents in this assay.

A survey of traditional medicinal plants from the Callejón de Huaylas, Department of Ancash, Perú.

The medicinal uses of local flora from the Callejón de Huaylas, Department of Ancash, northeastern Perú, are reported. This geographical area has an old tradition of herbal healing. A total of 33 species have been documented through interactions with village elders, traditional doctors and herbalists. Of the 33 medicinal plant species surveyed in the Callejón de Huaylas, six have not been previously reported, seven have received only minor phytochemical coverage in the literature, and the medicinal uses of seven other plants have not been corroborated with traditional medicinal reports from around the world. The traditional medicinal uses of six medicinal plants have been corroborated with previously published reports but their biological activities have yet to be confirmed in the laboratory. The medicinal uses of four other plants have been corroborated with previously published reports and their biological activities have been confirmed in the laboratory. The purported medicinal use of three plant species could not be confirmed in the laboratory.

Evaluation of the wound-healing activity of selected traditional medicinal plants from Perú.

Folk medicine practitioners in Perú employ plant preparations as wound-healing agents on superficial and internal wounds (gastric ulcers). The results of a scientific evaluation of the wound-healing activity of nine plants found in the Amazon jungle near Iquitos and in the Andes mountains is presented. The species studied were: Peperomia galioides, Mentzelia cordifolia, Mutisia acuminata, Himatanthus sucuuba, Spondias mombin, Eleutherine bulbosa, Muehlenbeckia tamnifolia, Anredera diffusa and Jatropha curcas. These plants have also been examined for their toxicological properties, their effect on blood pressure, smooth muscle and capillary permeability. Significant wound-healing activity was detected in Peperomia galioides, Anredera diffusa and Jatropha curcas. Extracts from Peperomia galioides and Anredera diffusa had no effect on cell proliferation and did not exhibit mutagenic activity.

Taspine is the cicatrizant principle in Sangre de Grado extracted from Croton lechleri.

Sangre de Grado extract used by Peruvian natives as a cicatrizant agent, was collected from trees of the species Croton lechleri growing in the Peruvian jungle. The Sangre de Grado was found to contain one alkaloid identified as taspine and which was shown to be the active cicatrizant principle by an in vivo test in mice. This alkaloid exhibited a dose-related cicatrizant effect and an ED50 of 0.375 mg/kg. Experiments with taspine hydrochloride in order to study its mechanism of action in cell culture systems showed that the alkaloid was non-toxic to human foreskin fibroblasts at concentrations below 150 ng/ml and that it had no effect on cell proliferation. On the other hand, taspine hydrochloride was found to increase the migration of human foreskin fibroblasts. This effect on the migration of fibroblasts is probably the mechanism by which Sangre de Grado and taspine hydrochloride accelerate the wound healing process. Using the two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis system, we have been able to show that neither Sangre de Grado nor taspine hydrochloride had carcinogenic or tumour promoter activity after 17 months of treatment.