A Study for the Development of a Handbook of Selected Caribbean Herbs for Industry

This study is intended to produce a handbook, for the growers, extension workers, and other partners in the industry. It will provide up-to-date information on twenty Caribbean herbs selected for their possible economic potential..

Panamanian biodiversity: a valuable source of novel lead compounds of economic and medical potential

The rich plant diversity of developing countries in globalization era is a reservoir of unexplored sources of drugs and aromatic plants. Despite the intensive investigation of terrestrial flora, it is estimated that only 6% of the approximately 300,000 species (some estimates are as high as 500,000 species) of higher plants have been systematically investigated pharmacologically, and only some 15% phytochemically.1 The endophytic microorganisms that reside between living plant cells have received little attention. Historically, natural products have provided an endless source of medicines, and despite reduced funding for natural products-based drug discovery, natural products remain an undiminished source of new pharmaceuticals

Panamanian biodiversity: a valuable source of novel lead compounds of economic and medical potential

The rich plant diversity of developing countries in globalization era is a reservoir of unexplored sources of drugs and aromatic plants. Despite the intensive investigation of terrestrial flora, it is estimated that only 6% of the approximately 300,000 species (some estimates are as high as 500,000 species) of higher plants have been systematically investigated pharmacologically, and only some 15% phytochemically.1 The endophytic microorganisms that reside between living plant cells have received little attention. Historically, natural products have provided an endless source of medicines, and despite reduced funding for natural products-based drug discovery, natural products remain an undiminished source of new pharmaceuticals

Investigaciones farmacognósticas sobre la flora panameña

Plants represent an extraordinary reservoir of novel molecules and currently there is a renewed interest in plant kingdom as a source of novel lead compounds for screening libraries. The flora of Panama is one of the richest in the world, whose medical and economic potential has not been fully explored. Results from multinational projects financed by the Organization of American States, European Union, International Foundation for Science, CYTED Program, and International Biodiversity Cooperative Groups (ICBG) reveal that the Panamanian flora is undoubtedly a valuable source of lead molecules for the pharmaceutical industry. Historical development and the current status of pharmacognostic research on Panamanian flora carried out during the last 30 years are presented. Specifically, ethnobotanical inventories of three Amerindians groups Kuna, Ngöbe-Buglé and Teribes (Naso), pharmacological evaluation of plants used in folk medicine and screening of plants for anticancer, antifungal and antiparasitic activities and isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds are described. To date over 390 compounds have been isolated from the Panamanian Flora, of which 111 are new to world literature.Las plantas representan un reservorio extraordinario de moléculas novedosas y hoy en día hay un renovado interés en el reino vegetal como una posible fuente de nuevas moléculas cabezas de serie por su introducción en los programas de cribado. La flora de Panamá es una de las más ricas en el mundo y su potencial económico y medicinal aún no se ha explotado completamente. Los resultados más sobresalientes logrados en los proyectos multinacionales financiados por la Organización de los Estados Americanos, la Unión Europea, la Fundación Internacional para la Ciencia, el Programa CYTED, y el Programa Internacional Colaborativo de Grupos de Biodiversidad (ICBG), indican que la Flora de Panamá es, sin duda alguna, una fuente valiosa de moléculas líderes para la industria farmacéutica. Se presentan el desarrollo histórico y el estado actual de las investigaciones farmacognósticas sobre la flora panameña realizadas durante los últimos treinta años. Específicamente se discutirán los estudios etnobotánicos sobre Amerindios de las etnias Kuna, Ngöbe Buglé y Teribes o Naso; la evaluación farmacológica de las plantas medicinales usadas en la medicina folklórica y cribado de plantas para actividades inter alia anticáncer, antiparasitarias y antifúngicas de centenares de plantas y el aislamiento y caracterización de moléculas bioactivas. Se han aislado más de 390 compuestos químicos de los cuales 111 corresponden a nuevos compuestos no reportados en la literatura mundial

Effects of Essential Oils from Two Species of Piperaceae on Parasitized and Unparasitized Eggs of Oebalus insularis (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) by Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae)

Biological control of Oebalus insularis eggs is considered an important strategy in the control of this rice “stink bug”. Effects of essential oils (EOs) from Piper jacquemontianum Kunth and Piper marginatum Jacq. (Piperaceae) on the viability of parasitized and unparasitized eggs by Telenomus podisi, in concentrations of 0.5 to 2.0%, were evaluated. EOs from both species at a concentration of 2% affected the development of embryons of O. insularis as well as of T. podisi after 24 and 48h of their administration. In both species, P. jacquemontanium and P. marginatum LC50, 24 h before the application of treatments on eggs of O. insularis was 3.835 y 3.037, respectively. LC50 after 48 h of treatment with EOs showed contrasting results which varied from 2.207 and 1.811. for P. jacquemontianum and P. marginatum, respectively. LC50 calculated before 24 h in parasitized eggs of O. insularis by T. podisi, was 3.037 and 2.171 for P. jacquemontianum y P. marginatum, respectively, while after 48h of treatment it was 1.166 y 1.935, respectively. Absorption of the EO components by the unparasitized and parasitized eggs of O. insularis by T. podisi was higher after 48 h of exposition. This is due to the longer exposure time, which allows higher penetration of the EOs into the interior of insect eggs by microscopic pores and micropyle

Potential of Panamanian aromatic flora as a source of novel essential oils

Flora of Panama is one of the richest in the world and occupies fourth place in vascular plant diversity in the American content. Many plants of the families interalia Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Lauraceae, Lamiaceae, Myrtaceae, Piperaceae, Rutaceae, Rosaceae and Sapindaceae have yielded essential oils (EOs). A summary of results on chemical composition and biological activities of 20 EOs from selected Panamanian plants is provided here, which shows the potential of aromatic flora of Panama. Six species of Piper had sesquiterpene hydrocarbons as major components, three were characterized by monoterpene hydrocarbons, and one by a phenylpropanoid, dillapiole. EOs of P. hispidum and P. longipsicum at a concentration of 250μg/ml showed larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti, while P. multiplinervium against Helicobacter pylori (IC50 = 0.1μg/mL). The main components of EOs from 9 species belonging to 4 genera: Eugenia, Calyptranthes, Eugenia, Plinia, and Myrcia were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (E-caryophyllene) or oxygenated sesquiterpenes (α-bisabolol). EO of E. acapulensis showed strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC=125μg/mL) and Mycobacteria smegmatis (MIC=250μg/mL)

Effects of Essential Oils from Two Species of Piperaceae on Parasitized and Unparasitized Eggs of Oebalus insularis (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) by Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae)

Biological control of Oebalus insularis eggs is considered an important strategy in the control of this rice “stink bug”. Effects of essential oils (EOs) from Piper jacquemontianum Kunth and Piper marginatum Jacq. (Piperaceae) on the viability of parasitized and unparasitized eggs by Telenomus podisi, in concentrations of 0.5 to 2.0%, were evaluated. EOs from both species at a concentration of 2% affected the development of embryons of O. insularis as well as of T. podisi after 24 and 48h of their administration. In both species, P. jacquemontanium and P. marginatum LC50, 24 h before the application of treatments on eggs of O. insularis was 3.835 y 3.037, respectively. LC50 after 48 h of treatment with EOs showed contrasting results which varied from 2.207 and 1.811. for P. jacquemontianum and P. marginatum, respectively. LC50 calculated before 24 h in parasitized eggs of O. insularis by T. podisi, was 3.037 and 2.171 for P. jacquemontianum y P. marginatum, respectively, while after 48h of treatment it was 1.166 y 1.935, respectively. Absorption of the EO components by the unparasitized and parasitized eggs of O. insularis by T. podisi was higher after 48 h of exposition. This is due to the longer exposure time, which allows higher penetration of the EOs into the interior of insect eggs by microscopic pores and micropyle

Bioactivity Profiling of Plant Biodiversity of Panama by High Throughput Screening

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.We report relative bioactivities of extracts prepared from a large collection of plants from three national parks in Panama. Over 181 plants were collected, taxonomically identified and their detannified dichloromethane (DCM)-methanolic extracts were used for profiling selected bioactivities. Assays were performed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the extracts for Antioxidant Response Element (ARE) induction, total non-enzymatic antioxidant potential, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. The high throughput analysis of 280 extracts resulted in identification of 57.5% of the extracts that could induce ARE at one or more concentrations tested, 93.5% that harbored total antioxidant capacity, and 2.1% of the extracts that showed lung cancer cell line-specific cytotoxicity. Data from our profiling experiments indicate that a large number of extracts could be a source for further isolation and chemical identification of compounds that could serve as leads for discovery of antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory agents to prevent or treat complex diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders

Potential of Panamanian aromatic flora as a source of novel essential oils

Flora of Panama is one of the richest in the world and occupies fourth place in vascular plant diversity in the American content. Many plants of the families interalia Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Lauraceae, Lamiaceae, Myrtaceae, Piperaceae, Rutaceae, Rosaceae and Sapindaceae have yielded essential oils (EOs). A summary of results on chemical composition and biological activities of 20 EOs from selected Panamanian plants is provided here, which shows the potential of aromatic flora of Panama. Six species of Piper had sesquiterpene hydrocarbons as major components, three were characterized by monoterpene hydrocarbons, and one by a phenylpropanoid, dillapiole. EOs of P. hispidum and P. longipsicum at a concentration of 250μg/ml showed larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti, while P. multiplinervium against Helicobacter pylori (IC50 = 0.1μg/mL). The main components of EOs from 9 species belonging to 4 genera: Eugenia, Calyptranthes, Eugenia, Plinia, and Myrcia were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (E-caryophyllene) or oxygenated sesquiterpenes (α-bisabolol). EO of E. acapulensis showed strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC=125μg/mL) and Mycobacteria smegmatis (MIC=250μg/mL)