Since plants may contain hundreds or even thousands metabolites, the vegetable kingdom can be a posible source of new compounds for introduction into therapeutical screenning programmes. A realistic approach to this fascinating challenge is the development of the ethnopharmacology. In contrast to medicinal chemistry, ethnopharmacology can start from an observed activity of a drug used in man or animals. Subsequent bioassay-direct fractionation can lead to the discovery of previosly unknown chemical structures for further structure-activity studies. With automated sample injection and fraction collection, HPLC systems can readily and rapidly be used to isolale tens of milligrams of pure compound, whose structure is usually resolved by use of NMR spectroscopy. Finally, we have two strong recommendations to phytochemists entering this field: (i) Never launch a major project unless a suffici...

Since plants may contain hundreds or even thousands metabolites, the vegetable kingdom can be a posible source of new compounds for introduction into therapeutical screenning programmes. A realistic approach to this fascinating challenge is the development of the ethnopharmacology. In contrast to medicinal chemistry, ethnopharmacology can start from an observed activity of a drug used in man or animals. Subsequent bioassay-direct fractionation can lead to the discovery of previosly unknown chemical structures for further structure-activity studies. With automated sample injection and fraction collection, HPLC systems can readily and rapidly be used to isolale tens of milligrams of pure compound, whose structure is usually resolved by use of NMR spectroscopy. Finally, we have two strong recommendations to phytochemists entering this field: (i) Never launch a major project unless a suffici...

Essential oil applications that act as antimicrobial agents are frequently studied for their ability to protect foods against pathogenic microorganisms. The antibacterial activity was determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the essential oils of Minthostachys mollis Griseb. “muña” and Piper carpunya Ruíz & Pav. “pinku”. The “muña” collected from the district of San José de Lourdes-Cajamarca; and the “pinku”, from the Camporredondo-Amazonas district. Essential oils were obtained by steam distillation from the leaves; being the density of M. mollis 0.886 and P. carpunya 1.023; Using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (CG-MS), 24 compounds were identified in “muña”, the highest percentage being pulegone (40.94%), menthone (32.72%) and limonene (1.92%); and in “pinku”, 22 compounds, with the highest percentage being methyleuge...

The ethanolic extract of the stalk of Abuta grandifolia(MART) Sandwith «abruta » contains two types of alkaloids, one is very soluble in ethilic ether one the other one is water soluble. They correspond to alkaloids of quaternary ammoniun type. They have citotaxic properties against formed system by eggs of sea urchin; and it confirmed against a VERO cell line.For determining the antitumoral effect, it was carried out an essay with cell line of the (HEP-2) human Laryngelal epydermoidal carcinoma resulting in a citotoxic response of 91% and 95% at a concentrations of 0.24 and 0.06 mg/dL.A alkaloid fraction named A, wich IR spectroscopical properties show absorption bands corresponding to alkaloids of quaternary ammonium type, it has antitumoral piopierties.

The ethanolic extract of the stalk of Abuta grandifolia(MART) Sandwith «abruta » contains two types of alkaloids, one is very soluble in ethilic ether one the other one is water soluble. They correspond to alkaloids of quaternary ammoniun type. They have citotaxic properties against formed system by eggs of sea urchin; and it confirmed against a VERO cell line.For determining the antitumoral effect, it was carried out an essay with cell line of the (HEP-2) human Laryngelal epydermoidal carcinoma resulting in a citotoxic response of 91% and 95% at a concentrations of 0.24 and 0.06 mg/dL.A alkaloid fraction named A, wich IR spectroscopical properties show absorption bands corresponding to alkaloids of quaternary ammonium type, it has antitumoral piopierties.