Plant Extracts from the Yucatan Peninsula in the In Vitro Control of Curvularia lunata and Antifungal Effect of Mosannona depressa and Piper neesianum Extracts on Postharvest Fruits of Habanero Pepper.

Plant extracts are a valuable alternative for the control of phytopathogenic fungi in horticultural crops. In the present work, the in vitro antifungal effect of ethanol and aqueous extracts from different vegetative parts of 40 native plants of the Yucatan Peninsula on Curvularia lunata ITC26, a pathogen of habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense), and effects of the most active extracts on postharvest fruits were investigated. Among these, the ethanol extracts of Mosannona depressa (bark from stems and roots) and Piper neesianum (leaves) inhibited 100% of the mycelial growth of C. lunata. The three extracts were partitioned between acetonitrile and n-hexane. The acetonitrile fraction from M. depressa stem bark showed the lowest mean inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 188 µg/mL against C. lunata. The application of this extract and its active principle α-asarone in the postharvest fruits of C. chinense (500 µg/mL) was shown to inhibit 100% of the severity of the infection caused by C. lunata after 11 days of contact. Both samples caused the distortion and collapse of the conidia of the phytopathogen when observed using electron microscopy at 96 h. The spectrum of M. depressa enriched antifungal action is a potential candidate to be a botanical fungicide in the control of C. lunata in cultivating habanero pepper.

Extracts from Six Native Plants of the Yucatán Peninsula Hinder Mycelial Growth of Fusarium equiseti and F. oxysporum, Pathogens of Capsicum chinense.

Fusarium equiseti strain FCHE and Fusarium oxysporum strain FCHJ were isolated from the roots of wilting habanero pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) seedlings with root rot. Toward developing a biorational control of these serious phytopathogenic strains, ethanolic (EE) and aqueous (AE) extracts of different vegetative parts of 40 tropical native plants of the Yucatán Peninsula were screened for antifungal activity. Extracts of six out of 40 assayed plants were effective, and the most inhibitory extracts were studied further. EEs from Mosannona depressa (bark from stems and roots), Parathesis cubana (roots), and Piper neesianum (leaves) inhibited mycelial growth of both strains. Each active EE was then partitioned between hexane and acetonitrile. The acetonitrile fraction from M. depressa stem bark (MDT-b) had the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration of 1000 µg/mL against both pathogens and moderate inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 462 against F. equiseti and 472 µg/mL against F. oxysporum. After 96 h treatment with EE from M. depressa stem bark, both strains had distorted hyphae and conidia and collapsed conidia in scanning electron micrographs. Liquid chromatography-ultraviolet-high resolution mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the major component of the fraction was α-asarone. Its antifungal effect was verified using a commercial standard, which had an IC50 of 236 µg/mL against F. equiseti and >500 µg/mL against F. oxysporum. Furthermore, the P. cubana hexane fraction and P. neesianum acetonitrile fraction had antifungal activity against both Fusarium pathogens. These compounds provide new options for biorational products to control phytopathogenic fungi.

Guatteria gaumeri, Malmea depressa o Yumel, una revisión sobre su historia, sus propiedades y su uso en la homeopatía / Guatteria gaumeri, Malmea depressa or yumel, a review of its history, its properties and its use in homeopathy

El elemuy, Guatteria gaumeri o Malmea depressa es un árbol que habita en México y Centroamérica, y que debido a las propiedades medicinales de su corteza y su raíz ha sido aprovechado desde la época prehispánica para atender afecciones renales, diabetes mellitus tipo II e hipercolesterolemia, entre otras enfermedades. A principios del siglo XX llamó la atención del médico homeópata mexicano Manuel A. Lizama, quien probó su uso durante una década y registró sus observaciones en el Prontuario de materia médica, publicado en 1913. Desde entonces se han realizado diversas investigaciones dentro y fuera del ámbito homeopático que han confirmado y precisado cuál es la acción medicamentosa de la alfa-asarona y otros componentes del elemuy, pero también han sugerido nuevos atributos que sería conveniente comprobar o descartar a través de estudios científicos. El presente texto hace un recorrido por algunos de los artículos representativos que se han generado sobre la Guatteria gaumeri o Malmea depressa, con la finali ad de que médicos, estudiantes e investigadores actualicen o mejoren sus conocimientos...

The Elemuy, Guatteria gaumeri or Malmea depressa is a tree that grows in Mexico and Central America, and because of the medicinal properties of his bark and roots, it has been used since pre-hispanic times to treat kidney disease, type II diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia, among other diseases. In the early twentieth century it drew the attention of Dr. Manuel A. López a Mexican homeopath, who proved it´s use for a decade and recorded his observations at the Prontuario de Materia Medica, published in 1913. Since then there have been performed several research works into, and out of the homeopathic field that have confirmed and specified the pharmacological action of the alpha-asarone among other components of the Elemuy, but also, new pharmacological properties have been suggested that it would be important to test through scientific works. This text takes us through some representative articles that have been generated on the Guatteria gaumeri or Malmea depressa, in order that doctors, students and researchers update or improve their knowledge about this theme...

Guatteria gaumeri, Malmea depressa o Yumel, una revisión sobre su historia, sus propiedades y su uso en la homeopatía / Guatteria gaumeri, Malmea depressa or yumel, a review of its history, its properties and its use in homeopathy

El elemuy, Guatteria gaumeri o Malmea depressa es un árbol que habita en México y Centroamérica, y que debido a las propiedades medicinales de su corteza y su raíz ha sido aprovechado desde la época prehispánica para atender afecciones renales, diabetes mellitus tipo II e hipercolesterolemia, entre otras enfermedades. A principios del siglo XX llamó la atención del médico homeópata mexicano Manuel A. Lizama, quien probó su uso durante una década y registró sus observaciones en el Prontuario de materia médica, publicado en 1913. Desde entonces se han realizado diversas investigaciones dentro y fuera del ámbito homeopático que han confirmado y precisado cuál es la acción medicamentosa de la alfa-asarona y otros componentes del elemuy, pero también han sugerido nuevos atributos que sería conveniente comprobar o descartar a través de estudios científicos. El presente texto hace un recorrido por algunos de los artículos representativos que se han generado sobre la Guatteria gaumeri o Malmea depressa, con la finali ad de que médicos, estudiantes e investigadores actualicen o mejoren sus conocimientos. (AU)

The Elemuy, Guatteria gaumeri or Malmea depressa is a tree that grows in Mexico and Central America, and because of the medicinal properties of his bark and roots, it has been used since pre-hispanic times to treat kidney disease, type II diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia, among other diseases. In the early twentieth century it drew the attention of Dr. Manuel A. López a Mexican homeopath, who proved it´s use for a decade and recorded his observations at the Prontuario de Materia Medica, published in 1913. Since then there have been performed several research works into, and out of the homeopathic field that have confirmed and specified the pharmacological action of the alpha-asarone among other components of the Elemuy, but also, new pharmacological properties have been suggested that it would be important to test through scientific works. This text takes us through some representative articles that have been generated on the Guatteria gaumeri or Malmea depressa, in order that doctors, students and researchers update or improve their knowledge about this theme. (AU)