In vitro immunomodulatory activity of plants used by the Tacana ethnic group in Bolivia.

One hundred and seventy-eight ethanolic plant extracts from the pharmacopoeia of the Tacana, an ethnic group from Bolivia, were screened for immunomodulatory activity using complement cascade inhibition and ADP-induced platelet aggregation inhibition assays. Six impaired both complement pathways (classical and alternative): stem bark from Astronium urundeuvea (Anacardiaceae), Cochlospermum vitifolium (Cochlospermaceae), Terminalia amazonica (Combretaceae), Triplaris americana (Polygonaceae), Uncaria tomentosa (Rubiaceae) and Euterpe precatoria (Arecaceae) roots. Inhibition of complement cascade was independent of essential ion complexation, and was not due to direct hemolytic activity on target red blood cells. For A. urundeuvea, C. vitifolium, and T. amazonica, anti-inflammatory activity relied on cyclo-oxygenase inhibition. Four of these species (A. urundeuva, T. americana, U. tomentosa and E. precatoria) are used traditionally to treat inflammatory processes.

Actividad citotoxica de plantas medicinales usadas por el grupo étnico boliviano Tacana / Cytotoxic activity of medicinal plants used by the Takana ethnic group in Bolivia

Pregunta de investigación ¿ Las plantas utilizadas en la Medicina Tradicional por los Tacanas manifiestan actividad citotóxica in vitro con el test de la sulforodamina? Objetivos. Determinar la actividad citotóxica in vitro de extractos de plantas utilizadas en la Medicina Tradicional por los Tacanas. Lugar. Población Tacana, IBBA. Métodos. Cultivo de lineas celulares humanas, KB (carcinoma nasofaringeo), HeLa (carcinoma cervical)Ensayo colorimétrico de sulforodamina B, in vitro. Resultados. 118 extractos etanólicos de especies vegetales estudiadas in vitro utilizadando dos lineas tumorales humanas. 14 especies vegetales mostraron actividad citotóxica in vitro. De la 14 especies citotóxicas, 12 especies vegetales presentaron Cl50<- a 10ug/ml. Conclusión. 13 porciento de las plantas estudiadas presentaron actividad citotóxica, pese a no ser seleccionadas por su uso tradicional como anticancerígenos, pues, la actividad anticancer de las plantas estudiadas no consta en la medicina tradicional de los Tacanas. La actividad antitumoral, antioxidante y antimutagénica dae las especies citotóxicas en este trabajo y otras especies diferentes, per, de los mismos géneros estudiados fue reportada por científicos de otras latitudes, lo que nos podría indicar que los principios activos serian comunes en estos géneros, permitiéndonos indentificar nuevas fuentes de medicamentos. Todas las especies activas merecen estudios complementarios.

Actividad antipaludica invitro e in vivo de plantas usadas por el grupo etnico boliviano Tacana / Antimalarial activity in vitro and in vivo of plants used by the ethnical group Tacana Bolivia

Pregunta de investigaciòn. ¿Las palntas utilizadas en la Medicina Tradicional porl os Tacanas especialmente como febrifugas y antimalariales, manifiestan acatividad antipàludica en las pruebas biòlogicas in viatro e in vivo recomendadas por la comunidad cientifica?. Objetivos: Determinar la actividad antipàludica in vitro e in vivo de extractos de plantas utilizadas en Medicina Tradicional por los Tacanas. Lugar: IINSAD, IBBA, Poblaciòn Tacana. Mètodos: Cultivo de estadios eritrocitarios de Plasmodium falciparum. Micromètodo radioisotòpico, in vitro. Test supresivo de 4 dìas in vivo. Resultados: 125 especies vegetales estudiadas in vitro e in vivo utilizando cepas cloroquina-sensibles y cloroquina-resistentes de plasmodium falciparum y ratones infectados con Plasmodium berghei NK65. De las 10 especies que se usan como plantas febrifugas, una mostrò actividad in vivo. 7 extractos etanòlicos de las especies vegetales: Bowdichia virgilioides, Caesalpinia pluviosa, Licaria canella, Nectandra aff. hihua, Protium glabrescens, Gymnosporia sp. y Quina Florida, fueron los màs activos in vitro e in vivo. Conlusión: De las 7 esoecies vegetales que mostraron actividad in vitro o in vivo, sòlo una especie Bawdichia virgilioides fue indicada especificamente para el tratameinto de malaria, su uso tradicional está ampliamente respaldado por las diferentes pruebas antipalúdicas realziadas en este trabajo, B. virgilioides es una fuente potencial de drogas antimalariales, es una prioridad futuras investigaciones clínicas a través de diferentes proyectos. Caesalpinia pluviosa, licaria canella, Nectandra aff, hihua, Protium glabrescens, Gymnosporia sp y Quina florida merecen estudios complementarios.

A search for natural bioactive compounds in Bolivia through a multidisciplinary approach. Part V. Evaluation of the antimalarial activity of plants used by the Tacana Indians.

One hundred and twenty-five extracts of 122 different plant species traditionally used by the Tacana, a native community living in lowland forest at the base of the last foothills of the Cordillera Oriental of the Bolivian Andes, were screened for antimalarial activity in vitro on Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistant (D2) and sensitive strains (F32), and were evaluated in vivo on rodent malaria Plasmodium berghei. Five ethanolic stembark extracts showed marked activity either in vitro or in vivo, and only one of them, Bowdichia virgilioides being traditionally used against malaria, was active in vitro (IC50=1 microg/ml on both strains) and in vivo (51% at 100 mg/kg). Other active extracts were from Caesalpinia pluviosa bark displaying activity in vitro against chloroquine resistant strain (IC50 8.3 microg/ml), traditionally used against dysentery; two Lauraceae bark extracts, Nectandra aff. hihua and Licaria canella respectively used for construction purposes and against stomach ache, both displaying activity in vitro against P. falciparum sensible and resistant strains (IC50 around 4 microg/ml); finally, the bark of a strongly aromatic Burseraceae, Protium glabrescens exuding an anti-inflammatory and analgesic resin, was active in vivo only (61% at 100 mg/kg). Results are discussed in relation with Tacana traditional medicine.

A search for natural bioactive compounds in Bolivia through a multidisciplinary approach. Part IV. Is a new haem polymerisation inhibition test pertinent for the detection of antimalarial natural products?

The search for new antimalarial agents in plant crude extracts using traditional screening tests is time-consuming and expensive. New in vitro alternative techniques, based on specific metabolic or enzymatic process, have recently been developed to circumvent testing of antimalarial activity in parasite culture. The haem polymerisation inhibition test (HPIA) was proposed as a possible routine in vitro assay for the detection of antimalarial activity in natural products. A total of 178 plant extracts from the Pharmacopeia of the Bolivian ethnia Tacana, were screened for their ability to inhibit the polymerisation of haematin. Five extracts from Aloysia virgata (Ruíz & Pavón) A.L. Jussieu (Verbenaceae), Bixa orellana L. (Bixaceae), Caesalpinia pluviosa D.C. (Caesalpiniaceae), Mascagnia stannea (Griseb) Nied. (Malpighiaceae) and Trichilia pleenea (Adr. Jussieu) (Meliaceae) demonstrated more than 70% inhibition of haematin polymerisation at 2.5 mg/ml. The extracts were also tested for antimalarial activity in culture against F32 strain (chloroquine-sensitive) and D2 strain (chloroquine-resistant) of Plasmodium falciparum and in vivo against P. berghei. The extract from Caesalpinia pluviosa was the only one that showed activity in HPIA and in the classical test in culture. The accuracy and pertinence of HPIA, applied to natural products is discussed.

Medicinal plants uses of the Tacana, an Amazonian Bolivian ethnic group.

We present the results of an ethnopharmacological investigation of a Bolivian lowland ethnic group, the Tacana. The Tacana have a long tradition of exchange with highland communities. Though facing rapid acculturation, highlighted by the loss of the Tacana language among the younger generations, the knowledge and uses of medicinal plants are still alive. Of the approximately 450 different plant species collected during this survey, 33% had medicinal uses. We present an overview of the traditional Tacana ethnomedicine and pharmacopoeia.