Within the framework of the collaborative project between the University of Kansas and CIFLORPAN of the University of Panama, bioprospecting was carried out in Panamanian flora, not yet explored, for the discovery of new bioactive molecules against tuberculosis, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and parasitic diseases.

Three 0.1 ha plots were established in three national parks: Chagras National Park (PNCH), Omar Torrijos Herrera General Division National Park (PNGDOTH) and Sarigua National Park (PNS). A total of 2537 records were identified, distributed in 1536 (PNC), 708 (PNGDOTH) and 293 (PNS). A total of 176 species were identified, 230 genera belonging to 95 families.

197 species were selected for the biological evaluation of plants for their pharmaceutical potential based on the search in the NAPRALERT Database. For this purpose, 302 detannified extracts and 400 ethanolic extracts were prepared. Two plants, Licania kallunkiae and Otoba novogranatensis, demonstrated antituberculosis activity against sensitive (37Rv) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with HF50 < 6.12 μg/mL. These same plants were also more active against Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania mexicana and Trypanosoma cruzi showing a percentage of growth inhibition (G% > 70.00 %).

In cytotoxicity assays against three human cancer cell lines (NCI-MCF-7, NCI-H-460, and NCI-SF-268), the plants Erythroxylum sp., Enterolobium schomburgkii, Otoba novogranatensis, Hymenea courbaril, Rollinia sp., Casearia carymbosa, Miconia argentea, Erytrina fusca, Rauwolfia littoralis, Vouarana guianensis, Virola sp., Garcinia madruno, Inga sapindoides, Casearia sp., and Castilla elastica were active.

The evaluation of the inhibitory activity against the enzyme acetylcholinesterase allowed us to identify 25 plants as selective inhibitors of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase: Garcinia madruno, Ziziphus mauritiana, Erythrina fusca, Blakea herrerae, Guapira costaricana, Hortia colombiana, Tetrochidium sp., Pithecellobium hymeneaifolium. Pteridophyta, Psychotria capitata, Matayba sp., Cordia bicolor, Casearia corymbosa, Hymenea courbaril, Attalea butyracea, Bellucia pentamera, Indigofera suffruticosa, Machaerium sp, Bursera tomentosa, Garcinia madruno, Alysicarpus vaginalis, Dioclea megacarpa and Talisia nervosa. While in the butyrylcholinesterase inhibition trial, 10 plants were found to be more active: Pachira acuatica, Licaria sp., Warszewiczia coccinea, Rauwolfia littoralis, Nectandra sp, Neptunia sp, Piper sancti-felicis, Chamaecrista sp, Dussia atropurpurea and Elaeagio nitidifolia.

Four plants were selected for biodirected isolation studies and their structural characterization: Morinda rojoc, Homalomena wendlandii, Licania kallunkie and Warszewiczia coccinea. A total of 17 compounds were isolated, 4 of them new reports to the literature and 13 known, but isolated for the first time from Panamanian plants.




https://revistas.up.ac.pa/index.php/saberes_apudep/article/view/887