title: Phytomedicinal potential of tropical cloudforest plants from Monteverde, Costa Rica.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, USA.
authors.forename: Mary C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Setzer
authors.forename: Debra M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Moriarity
authors.forename: Robert O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.forename: William N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Setzer
authors.forename: Glenn A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Gentry
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Haber
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D010936:Plant Extracts