Abstract

GUERRERO, Ricardo O  and  GUZMAN, Ángel L. Bioactivities of latexes from selected tropical plants. Rev Cubana Plant Med [online]. 2004, vol.9, n.1, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1028-4796.

Fifteen latexes from selected tropical plants were collected in Puerto Rico, Guadalupe and Ecuador and evaluated by 2 bioassays. The tests carried out were the brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT) and the DNA-methyl green (DNA-MG) interaction. An additional assay, antibacterial activity, was performed on the bark/latex extract of Mammea americana L. The results indicated that some of these latexes are bioactive. On the BSLT assay, the latexes of Euphorbia neriifolia L. and Sapium laurocerasus Desf. displayed LC50 values of 76,7 and 7,1 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the dichloromethane (DCM) fraction of the bark/latex of M. americana L., presented a LC50 1,1 mg/mL. In addition, in the DNA-MG interaction, this particular fraction exhibited an IC50 211,8 mg/mL, whereas the latex of Croton menthodorus Benth. proved active with a IC50 390,2 mg/mL. Furthermore, the antibacterial assay on the methanol (MeOH) and DCM fractions of the bark/latex extract of M. americana L. indicated activity against several pathogenic bacteria. The positive results on these bioactive latexes should encourage the further investigation of the active principles responsible for these activities.

Keywords : PLANTS, MEDICINAL; PLANT EXTRACTS; DNA; METHYLGREEN; PUERTO RICO; GUADALUPE; ECUADOR; BIOLOGICAL ASSAY.