Phytomedicinal potential of tropical cloudforest plants from Monteverde, Costa Rica.
A pharmacological survey of plants from Monteverde, Costa Rica, including 165 species representing 61 families has been carried out. Crude plant extracts have been tested for in-vitro bactericidal and fungicidal activity as well as cytotoxic and anti-herpes activity. Of these, 123 extracts exhibited notable cytotoxicity, 62 showed antibacterial activity, 4 showed antifungal activity, and 8 showed promising antiviral activity. Thus, 101 of the plant species examined in this work, or 62%, showed marked bioactivity in one or more bioassays. These results underscore the phytomedicinal potential of Neotropical cloud forests.
Setzer
Mary C
MC
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, USA.
Moriarity
Debra M
DM
Lawton
Robert O
RO
Setzer
William N
WN
Gentry
Glenn A
GA
Haber
William A
WA
D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003364:Costa Rica; D006224:Cricetinae; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification*; D014197:Trees
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts