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A microbiological evaluation of medicinal plants used by the Maya people of Southern Mexico
Author(s) -
Meckes Mariana,
Villarreal Ma. Luisa,
Tortoriello Jaime,
Berlin Brent,
Berlin Eloise Ann
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.2650090403
Subject(s) - antimicrobial , candida albicans , traditional medicine , staphylococcus aureus , biology , antibiotics , escherichia coli , maya , medicinal plants , plant species , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , botany , geography , biochemistry , genetics , gene , archaeology
A microbiological evaluation was conducted on those medicinal plants most frequently used to treat gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases by Tzeltal and Tzotzil communities in the highlands of Chiapas. The results obtained showed that many of the species induced antimicrobial activity in vitro. The present study allowed selection of three groups of plants with potent effect against gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus , gram‐negative Escherichia coli bacteria and Candida albicans. It was also demonstrated that 63% of the botanical species that showed antimicrobial properties, enhanced (46%) or induced (17%) the effect under exposure of the plant extracts to UV‐A light. In the search for new molecules with therapeutic value, the present screening offers a preliminary selection of groups of botanical species; within each, there are several representatives that merit further evaluation as potential antibiotics and photosensitizers.