Exploration of photoprotective and antibiotic activity of wild Polypodiaceae ferns from Costa Rica.

Skin disorders affect millions of people all over the world. There are limited options to treat dermal illnesses such as vitiligo, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis (eczema). Central American ferns are a potential source of bioactive metabolites against those diseases. Currently, Polypodium leucotomos Poir. is the only one being commercially utilized for this purpose. In this work, we evaluated the concentration of the skin bioactive compounds: quinic and chlorogenic acid, in the extract of 20 wild ferns from Costa Rica. We also evaluated the antimicrobial capabilities of the crude extracts of wild ferns and the sun protection factor (SPF) of the extracts. We found 19 out of 20 have either an important concentration of the compounds mentioned above or antimicrobial properties. Also, most samples result in higher SPF than P. aureum's rhizome. We also have studied the fern acclimatization, at different shading conditions, finding a significant influence of the culturing conditions on metabolite production. After acclimatization. So far, we demonstrate that various ferns included in this study are a potential source of treatments for skin conditions.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of two Costa Rican cultivars of ber (Ziziphus mauritiana): An underexploited crop in the American tropic.

Ber is an antioxidant-rich fruit from Asia and has recently been cultured in Central America. The antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity of Z. mauritiana cultured of bers from Guanacaste, Costa Rica, were evaluated. Two farm locations and two cultivars were evaluated. Total polyphenolic compounds (TPC), proanthocyanidin compounds (PAC), and ascorbic acid were spectrophotometrically quantified. Antioxidant activity has been analyzed using the DPPH method. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Ber samples contained 11-44 mg GAE/g TPC. Green fruits and leaves had the highest concentrations. The ascorbic acid concentration in ber fruits was determined between 251 and 466 mg/100 g. Ber vitamin C content is higher than most common fruits. Proanthocyanidin compounds were determined between 1.8 and 9.9 mg 4-MCG/g, and the highest concentration was observed in the leaves. Our samples showed the antioxidant activity of 90-387 µmol TE/g, which was moderate activity. The nutritional quality of ber fruits was related to maturity conditions. The ber fruits, a crop from Asia previously adapted to live in Costa Rica, are rich in vitamin C and TPC, and the concentration of those metabolites was even higher than the concentration reported in bers grown in other countries. The TPC and PACs had an interestingly wide antimicrobial spectrum. Cultivars and farm locations have a significant effect on metabolite production.