Search Results (5)

(1) Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CBRAB) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CBRPA) are critical and high-priority pathogens that require new therapeutic developments. Medicinal plants are valuable pharmaceutical resources. This study explored the anti-infective properties of Mayan plants, Bignonia potosina, and Thouinia paucidentata. (2) Methods: Plant parts were extracted using n-hexane, and their ability to inhibit bacterial growth and counteract resistance mechanisms and virulence factors in CBRAB and CBRPA was assessed. GC-MS analysis of the composition of the non-polar extracts and chemometric techniques correlated the phytoconstituents with anti-infective properties. (3) Results: Bignonia potosina liana and flower extracts exhibited potent antibacterial activity against A. baumannii strains (MIC 15.7 to 250 µg/mL) and moderate activity against P. aeruginosa strains (MIC 250 to 1000 µg/mL). Thouinia paucidentata leaf extract at 1000 µg/mL reduced imipenem MIC by 2048-fold for CBRAB, and B. potosina flower extract significantly inhibited A. baumannii catalase activity (at 62.5 µg/mL) and reduced P. aeruginosa pyocyanin production (at 1000 µg/mL). Chemometric analysis identified fatty acids, fatty acid amides, terpenes, and higher alkanes as contributors to their anti-infective properties. (4) Conclusions: This study highlights the potential of medicinal plants in the development of novel anti-infective therapies against CBRAB and CBRPA with various targets. Full article

Coccoloba uvifera is a Mayan medicinal plant, and these leaves are used as antidiarrheal and diuretic agents. In the present work, we develop in-vitro, ex-vivo, in-vivo, and in-silico strategies to evaluate several aqueous extracts of C. uvifera leaves. In vitro tests showed that decoction extract (CuDe) presented the best yield and chlorophyll, phenol, and flavonoid content; however, CuDe showed low antioxidant activity (DPPH model). All aqueous extracts exert spasmolytic and vasorelaxant activity in a concentration-dependent manner (ex vivo), and in vivo tests showed that CuDe exerts the best antiperistaltic and diuretic effects. The in-silico analysis suggests that C. uvifera triterpenes act as a ligand of GPCR, and β-sitosterol could act as an antagonist of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype 3 (m3AChR). In the context of aqueous extracts of C. uvifera, β-sitosterol and their heterosides were identified by FTIR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. The concerted binding of β-sitosterol and other triterpenes within the m3AChR binding site may be relevant for the induction of relaxant effects at the gastrointestinal smooth muscle level. In this context, C. uvifera is a high-value plant species that requires analytical and pharmacological studies to confirm traditional medicinal use. Full article

The screening of rare plants from the Yucatan region and the known native plants in Mexico, that have been successfully introduced worldwide, has been conducted. Based on a literature analysis and a search of English and Spanish scientific information regarding botanical, plant biochemical, and antioxidant potential in databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, as well as the national databases of Mexico (Flora: Yucatan Peninsula (cicy.mx) and Especies endémicas|Biodiversidad Mexicana), rare or underutilized plants from the Yucatan region with antioxidant potential have been selected. The formulas of the most studied secondary metabolites of these selected rare plants are shown. Among the selected rare plants with antioxidant potential, the families Sapidaceae and Anacardiaceae had the highest number of representatives. Additionally, representatives from the families Annonaceae, Moraceae, Malpighiaceae, Solanaceae, Ebenaceae, Asteraceae, Ranunculaceae, and Leguminosae were also presented. The current scientific data analysis of selected rare plants from the Yucatan region, Mexico, provides significant background for their further use and introduction in not only the Yucatan region of Mexico, but also worldwide. Full article

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men around the world. It is a complex and heterogeneous disease in which androgens and their receptors play a crucial role in the progression and development. The current treatment for prostate cancer is a combination of surgery, hormone therapy, radiation and chemotherapy. Therapeutic agents commonly used in the clinic include steroidal and non-steroidal anti-androgens, such as cyproterone acetate, bicalutamide and enzalutamide. These few agents have multiple adverse effects and are not 100% effective. Several plant compounds and mixtures, including grape seed polyphenol extracts, lycopene and tomato preparations, soy isoflavones, and green tea extracts, have been shown to be effective against prostate cancer cell growth. In vivo activity of some isolated compounds like capsaicin and curcumin was reported in prostate cancer murine models. We prepared a library of plant extracts from traditional Mayan medicine. These plants were selected for their use in the contemporaneous Mayan communities for the treatment of different diseases. The extracts were assessed in a phenotypic screening using LNCaP prostate cancer androgen sensitive cell line, with a fixed dose of 25 μg/mL. MTT assay identified seven out of ten plants with interesting anti-neoplastic activity. Extracts from these plants were subjected to a bioguided fractionation to study their major components. We identified three compounds with anti-neoplastic effects against LNCaP cells, one of which shows selectivity for neoplastic compared to benign cells. Full article

The plant Aeschynomene fascicularis (Fabaceae) has been used in Mayan traditional medicine in the Yucatan peninsula. However, the compounds present in the plant responsible for its curative properties have not yet been investigated. Aeschynomene fascicularis root bark was extracted with 100% methanol to obtain a crude extract. The methanol extract was partitioned successively with solvents with increasing polarity to obtain the corresponding hexane (Hx), dichloromethane (DCM) and ethyl acetate fractions (EtOAc), as well as a residual water-alcoholic fraction. These fractions were tested for their cytotoxic activities using an MTT assay against Hep-2 cancer cell lines. The Hx fraction led to the isolation of spinochalcone C (1), spinochalcone A (2), isocordoin (3) and secundiflorol G (4). Their structures were identified based on spectroscopic evidence and chemical properties. All compounds were subjected to cytotoxicity and antiproliferative assays against a panel of seven cell lines, including one normal-type cell line. Spinochalcone A (2) exhibited cytotoxic activity against DU-145 cell line and antiproliferative activity against the KB cell line. Secundiflorol G (4) showed strong cytotoxic activity towards KB and Hep-2 cell lines. In addition, isocordoin (3) showed moderate activity on KB, Hep-2 and DU-145 cell lines. The active Compounds 2, 3 and 4 are potential therapeutic entities against cancer. Full article