title: Yucatec Mayan medicinal plants: evaluation based on indigenous uses.
abstract: As part of an ethnopharmacological field study 48 medicinal plants were evaluated using several biological assays with the goal to obtain information on the pharmacological effects of these plants, which may be of direct relevance to the indigenous uses. Three species used to treat gastrointestinal disorders showed remarkable activity against Helicobacter pylori. One of them showed activity against Giardia duodenalis. Cytotoxic effects against KB cells were found for six species. In the group of plants used for dermatological conditions several species were active against gram-positive bacteria and Candida albicans. Two plant species of this group were found to be active in an Nuclear Factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) assay measuring inhibition of this pro-inflammatory transcription factor. A species of the Solanaceae, applied in cases of pain and fever, showed a weak activity against Plasmodium falciparum. One species traditionally used for diabetes exhibited antihyperglycemic activity. None of the six species from the group of 'women's medicine' showed relevant affinity to the D(2) dopamine receptor. Based on this evaluation, plants with strong activities should be further investigated phytochemically and pharmacologically to identify active fractions and compounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biosciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ankli
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bork
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wolfram
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bauerfeind
authors.forename: Reto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brun
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruggisser
authors.forename: Jürg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gertsch
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wasescha
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sticher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004341:Drug Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008800:Mexico; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D010936:Plant Extracts