Colombian Flora Research Articles

Synopsis of the genus Mapania (Cyperaceae, Mapanioideae, Hypolytreae) in the Colombian Amazon

Mapania is a genus placed in the tribe Hypolytreae, subfamily Mapanioideae of the family Cyperaceae. It includes about 100 species worldwide, widely distributed throughout the tropics. In South America, this genus is represented by 14 species, five of them in Colombia. Its presence in the Colombian Amazon is uncertain due to lack of knowledge of the group and dubious records. The aim of this study is to present a taxonomic synopsis of Mapania for the Colombian Amazon. Specimens from COAH and COL herbaria as well as online databases were revised. Presence of five species is reported: Mapania effusa whose occurrence in Colombia is confirmed, M. pycnocephala and M. pycnostachya new records for the Amazon region, M. maguireana and M. theobromina new records for the Colombian flora. Morphological descriptions, information about the habitat, geographic distribution, notes, and photographs for these species are presented along with a key to identify the Colombian species of this genus.

Polycarpon tetraphyllum (Caryophyllaceae) a new record for the Colombian flora and a key to the genera of the Caryophyllaceae from Colombia

Polycarpon tetraphyllum subsp. tetraphyllum, a species mostly occuring naturally in the Mediterranean region, is recorded for the first time for the Colombian flora. This species is easily recognized by its scarious stipules, flowers with five keeled sepals with scarious margins, three white petaloid staminodes, and D-shaped papillated seeds. To the date, this species only has been recorded in Bogotá D.C., growing through the pavement. Additionally, we present the first key to genera of the Caryophyllaceae present in Colombia.

First record of the family Mazaceae (Lamiales) in Colombia and the clarification of the synonyms of Mazus pumilus

Mazaceae, a family native to Asia and Oceania, is reported for the first time for the Colombian flora, with Mazus pumilus (Burm.f.) Steenis. This species is easily recognized by its herbaceous habit, leaves rosulate, elliptic to obovate cauline leaves, terminal, racemose inflorescences, bilabiate flowers with one 2-lobed upper lip and one 3-lobed lower lip, and fruit completely enclosed in the calyx. To date, this species has been recorded in three departments of Colombia, growing between the pavement. Additionally, we clarify the synonyms of this taxon.

<p><strong>New records and amendments on Colombian Asteraceae</strong></p>

Due to herbaria studies and recent field work carried out in Colombia, we record six species of Asteraceae new to the Colombian flora: Artemisia verlotiorum, Othonna capensis, Paragynoxys steyermarkii, Pentacalia disciformis, Senecio tamoides, and Solidago chilensis. Morphological discussions, distribution information, and nomenclatural notes if required are provided for each species, as well as pictures of living plants when available.

Anthoceros tristanianus J.C.Villarreal, J.J.Engel & Váňa in Váňa & Engel (Anthocerotaceae, Anthocerotophyta) a New Record for South America from the Colombian Bryophyte Flora

Anthoceros tristanianus J.C.Villarreal, J.J.Engel & Vaňa is reported here for the first time in South America from the Colombian flora, increasing the number of Anthoceros Linnaeus species recognized in that country to five. We present a taxonomic description, diagnostic characters, information concerning the ecology and geographic distribution of the species, as well as brief comparisons with morphologically similar taxa.

Representatividad de plantas vasculares en los Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia: ¿cuántas especies alberga el sistema?

The floristic inventory of the 59 protected natural areas that make up the Natural National Park System (PNN for its initials in Spanish) of Colombia is not complete because the number of species and floristic composition are unknown. We compiled information available in herbarium collections and in the literature, to establish a preliminary list of vascular plant species found in the PNN. We compared this list with the Catalogue of Plants and Lichens of Colombia, and obtained percentage values for the number of species with respect to the national numbers. We estimate that the flora inventory of the PNN has advanced to 70 %. So far, the known species in PNN represent 39.1% of the vascular plant species known for the country, whereas 18.2% of Colombian endemics and 56% of those species categorized in some degree of threat are found in PNN. We propose the use of these results as indices of representativeness of the Colombian flora as a complement to other indices, such as the percentage of national territory that is protected. We emphasize that the national parks associated with the Andes are the most determinant in their contribution to the improvement of the proposed indicators.

The SOS Chromotest applied for screening plant antigenotoxic agents against ultraviolet radiation

In this work, we investigated the usefulness of the SOS Chromotest for screening plant antigenotoxic agents against ultraviolet radiation (UV). Fifty Colombian plant extracts obtained by supercritical fluid (CO2) extraction, twelve plant extract constituents (apigenin, carvacrol, β-caryophyllene, 1,8-cineole, citral, p-cymene, geraniol, naringenin, pinocembrin, quercetin, squalene, and thymol) and five standard antioxidant and/or photoprotective agents (curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, resveratrol, α-tocopherol, and Trolox®) were evaluated for their genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity against UV using the SOS Chromotest. None of the plant extracts, constituents or agents were genotoxic in the SOS Chromotest at tested concentrations. Based on the minimal extract concentration that significantly inhibited UV-genotoxicity (CIG), five plant extracts were antigenotoxic against UV as follows: Baccharis nítida (16 μg mL-1) = Solanum crotonifolium (16 μg mL-1) > Hyptis suaveolens (31 μg mL-1) = Persea caerulea (31 μg mL-1) > Lippia origanoides (62 μg mL-1). Based on CIG values, the flavonoid compounds showed the highest antigenotoxic potential as follows: apigenin (7 μM) > pinocembrin (15 μM) > quercetin (26 μM) > naringenin (38 μM) > epigallocatechin gallate (108 μM) > resveratrol (642 μM). UV-genotoxicity inhibition with epigallocatechin gallate, naringenin and resveratrol was related to its capability for inhibiting protein synthesis. A correlation analysis between compound antigenotoxicity estimates and antioxidant activity evaluated by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay showed that these activities were not related. The usefulness of the SOS Chromotest for bioprospecting of plant antigenotoxic agents against UV was discussed.

Antiviral activity of Colombian Labiatae and Verbenaceae family essential oils and monoterpenes on Human Herpes viruses

Colombian flora includes plant families such as Labiatae and Verbenaceae which are employed for treatment of several diseases. In this study, the chemical compositions of essential oils belonging to Labiatae and Verbenaceae families were determined by GC-MS and GC-FID, respectively. The antiviral activity of forty essential oils of these plants and some monoterpenes were evaluated on Human Herpes Viruses types 1 and 2 using end-point titration technique (EPTT). Furthermore, the essential oils and monoterpenes with higher activity reported in the screening were used to evaluate the inhibitory effect on pre-infective stages. The essential oils with the most anti-herpetic activity were those of Labiatae family with Rf values of 1 × 102 and 1 × 103 against one Tissue Culture Infectious Dose 50 (TCID50) of HHV-1 and HHV-2. Moreover Lepechinia salvifolia, Hyptis mutabilis, Lepechinia vulcanicola, Mintostachys mollis and Ocimum campechianum essential oils showed inhibitory activity in the early stages of infection.

Las especies del género Axonopus (Poaceae: Panicoideae: Paspaleae) de Colombia

Axonopus is an American genus with about 71 species, mainly distributed in northern South America, with some species apparently introduced to the Old World. A morphological and taxonomic treatment of the species in Colombia is provided, including synonyms, descriptions, illustrations, ecological and geographic distribution, common names, uses, comments on particular morphological features, and morphological relationships of the species. The morphological and phylogenetic relationships with Digitaria, Mesosetum, Paspalum, Spheneria, and Streptostachys are discussed. A new name for Axonopus sect. Cabrera is proposed. Two names are synonymized: Axonopus piccae (= Axonopus scoparius) and Axonopus poiophyllus (= Axonopus compressus). The identity of the vouchers J. Cuatrecasas 3882 (US-1797918) and J. Cuatrecasas 3882 (US-2780372) is discussed. Four species are excluded from the Colombian flora (Axonopus laxiflorus, Axonopus longispicus, Axonopus pubivaginatus, and Axonopus senescens). Thus, a total of 19 species of this genus are currently known in Colombia, of which three are endemic (Axonopus orinocensis, Axonopus morronei, and Axonopus zuloagae).

Distribution pattern, conservation status, and traditional therapeutic uses of orchids with particular reference to Solan district, Himachal Pradesh, India

vicinity (Valle del Cauca, Colombia). Field and herbarium work were carried out, and material from each species found was collected and documented with pictures and field notes; several specimens from VALLE and CUVC herbaria were also studied. As a main result, 121 species of 53 genera were reported, 10 of which are new species and 2 unrecorded species for the Colombian flora. New species and records are represented as following for these genera: Campylocentrum Benth. (1 new species) Epidendrum L. (5 new species), Lepanthes Sw. (3 new species and a new record), Stelis Sw. (1 new species), and Telipogon Kunth (1 new record). Many educational workshops were conducted with several community members in order to communicate to them the importance of orchid diversity and conservation of cloud forest. Cloud forests of Dapa vicinity are highly diverse and host an important number of Colombian endemic orchid species, although they were disturbed in the last 30 years by the surrounding community that selectively extracted timber trees and orchids. Primary conservation strategies concerning protection of wild orchid populations and their habitats should be formulated and executed in concert with local community and environmental authorities in order to stop the habitat loss of wild orchid populations.

Novelties in Orchidaceae for the Colombian flora

Novelties in Orchidaceae for the Colombian flora

Trypanocidal and cytotoxic activity of extracts of Colombian plants

The treatment of Chagas disease is based on only two drugs with limited efficacy and significant side effects. The rich biodiversity of the Colombian flora makes bio-prospecting a potential alternative in the search for new antiparasitic drugs. Potential trypanocidal activity and cytotoxicity was assessed in extracts from 23 Colombian plants. Extracts of leaves, stems, or of the whole plants were obtained in solvents of a range of polarities. The activity against Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes and the cytotoxicity were evaluated by the MTT enzymatic micro-method. Extracts active against epimastigotes and with low cytotoxicity were also tested on trypomastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. Among the extracts, biological activity was confirmed in 4 species. The extracts were active on epimastigotes and trypomastigotes; one was active also against amastigotes. The latter extract was isolated from the plant Hieronyma antioquensis and presented IC(50) of 3.1 mg/ml for epimastigotes, 11.5 mg/ml for trypomastigotes and 2.9 mg/ml for amastigotes. The selectivity indexes were 25, 7, and 27 respectively. The extract from H. antioquensis proved a promising candidate for Chagas disease treatment. Futhermore, the MTT enzymatic micromethod was a useful tool for screening biological activity on epimastigotes and other stages of the parasite for further extract trials.

Anti-quorum sensing activity of essential oils from Colombian plants

Essential oils from Colombian plants were characterised by GC–MS, and assayed for anti-quorum sensing activity in bacteria sensor strains. Two major chemotypes were found for Lippia alba, the limonene-carvone and the citral (geranial-neral). For other species, the main components included α-pinene (Ocotea sp.), β-pinene (Swinglea glutinosa), cineol (Elettaria cardamomun), α-zingiberene (Zingiber officinale) and pulegone (Minthostachys mollis). Several essential oils presented promising inhibitory properties for the short chain AHL quorum sensing (QS) system, in Escherichia coli containing the biosensor plasmid pJBA132, in particular Lippia alba. Moderate activity as anti-QS using the same plasmid, were also found for selected constituents of essential oils studied here, such as citral, carvone and α-pinene, although solely at the highest tested concentration (250 µg mL−1). Only citral presented some activity for the long chain AHL QS system, in Pseudomonas putida containing the plasmid pRK-C12. In short, essential oils from Colombian flora have promising properties as QS modulators.

Actividad tripanocida y citotóxica de extractos de plantas colombianas

Introduction. The treatment of Chagas disease is based on only two drugs with limited efficacy and significant side effects. The rich biodiversity of the Colombian flora makes bio-prospecting a potential alternative in the search for new antiparasitic drugs.Objective. Potential trypanocidal activity and cytotoxicity was assessed in extracts from 23 Colombian plants.Materials and methods. Extracts of leaves, stems, or of the whole plants were obtained in solvents of a range of polarities. The activity against Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes and the cytotoxicity were evaluated by the MTT enzymatic micro-method. Extracts active against epimastigotes and with low cytotoxicity were also tested on trypomastigotes and intracellular amastigotes.Results. Among the extracts, biological activity was confirmed in 4 species. The extracts were active on epimastigotes and trypomastigotes; one was active also against amastigotes. The latter extract was isolated from the plant Hieronyma antioquensis and presented IC50 of 3.1 mg/ml for epimastigotes, 11.5 mg/ml for trypomastigotes and 2.9 mg/ml for amastigotes. The selectivity indexes were 25, 7, and 27 respectively.Conclusions. The extract from H. antioquensis proved a promising candidate for Chagas disease treatment. Futhermore, the MTT enzymatic micromethod was a useful tool for screening biological activity on epimastigotes and other stages of the parasite for further extract trials.

ANTIQUORUM SENSING ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OILS ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT SPECIES OF THE GENUS <I>PIPER</I>

Quorum sensing is a bacterial communication mechanism that depends on population density, and occurs through molecules called autoinducers. These molecules activate receptors, enabling the transcription of genes that encode information needed to control several biochemical mechanisms associated with bacterial survival and pathogenicity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the inhibitory effect of essential oils of three species of Piper on the production of violacein, induced by N-hexanoyl homoserine lactone in Chromobacterium violaceum CV026. Results show that essential oils from Piper bredemeyeri, Piper brachypodom and Piper bogotence present 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for quorum sensing of 45.6 µg/mL, 93.1 µg/mL, and 513.8 µg/mL, respectively. However, in terms of cell growth, IC50 values for these oils are greater than 1000 µg/mL. These data suggest that essential oils isolated from Piper species found in Colombian flora are good candidates for the development of antiquorum sensing molecules, with possible applications in the control of bacterial diseases.

Antioxidant and antitopoisomerase activities in plant extracts of some Colombian flora from La Marcada Natural Regional Park

Many plants have been used to treat some diseases and infections since time immemorial, and this potential has been exploited by the pharmaceutical industry in the search of new analgesic, anticarcinogenic and antimicrobial agents, among other active agents. In order to contribute with bioprospection studies on the Colombian flora, 35 extracts from 13 plant species belonging to seven families (Apocynaceae, Cactaceae, Costaceae, Eremolepidaceae, Passifloraceae, Solanaceae and Urticaceae) were collected from La Marcada Natural Regional Park (LMNRP), Colombia. Dichloromethane, n-hexane and aqueous-methanol crude extracts were prepared and evaluated for their activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae RS322N, R52Y and RS321 strains in the yeast mutant assay and their antioxidant capacity through the DPPH test. The dichloromethane extract from Myriocarpa stipitata (Urticaceae) showed moderate inhibitory activity against the three S. cerevisiae strains tested. The capacity of the dichloromethane extract from M. stipitata to inhibit the enzyme topoisomerase I and to cause DNA damage was inferred from these results. In the DPPH assay, the n-hexane crude extract from Costus sp. (Costaceae) showed good antioxidant activity (48%); in addition, the crude dichloromethane and aqueous-methanol extracts from Rhipsalis micrantha (Cactaceae) showed moderate antioxidant activity with percentage of 29 and 21%, respectively.

Una Nueva Combinación en Hofmeisterella (Orchidaceae) para la Flora de Colombia

In this work, we propose the new combination Hofmeisterella falcata (Linden & Reichenbach f.) Nauray & A. Galán for use in the Colombian flora. This species differs from H. eumicroscopica Reichenbach f. by its flowers with wider sepals and petals and by its column and labellum with conspicuous bristles. Consequently, the genus Hofmeisterella Reichenbach f. consists of two species and is no longer a monospecific genus. Moreover, the lectotype of Telipogon falcatus Linden & Reichenbach f. is formally designated.

Antioxidant activity of plant extracts from Colombian flora

In this study the antioxidant activity of forty-six methanol plant extracts, from the botanical families Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Melastomataceae, Rubiaceae and Solanaceae, collected at the Regional Natural Park Ucumarí (RNPU, Risaralda, Colombia), were established by using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay. The plant extracts that showed the greatest antioxidant activity were Phyllanthus sp. (54.0%, Euphorbiaceae), followed by the two species belonging to the Melastomataceae family Tibouchina grossa (47.0%) and Miconia lehmannii Cogn. (45.3%) and continuing with Lycianthes radiata (Sendt.) Bitter. (41.5%, Solanaceae). This is the first report on the antioxidant activity of these Colombian species.

Antioxidant activity of twenty five plants from Colombian biodiversity

The antioxidant activity of the crude n-hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol extracts from 25 species belonging to the Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Rubiaceae, and Solanaceae families collected at natural reserves from the Eje Cafetero Ecorregión Colombia, were evaluated by using the spectrophotometric 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical-scavenging method. The strongest antioxidant activities were showed by the methanol and dichloromethane extracts from the Euphorbiaceae, Alchornea coelophylla (IC50 41.14 mg/l) and Acalypha platyphilla (IC50 111.99 mg/l), respectively. These two species had stronger DPPH radical scavenging activities than hydroquinone (IC50 151.19 mg/l), the positive control. The potential use of Colombian flora for their antioxidant activities is discussed.

Diosgenin quantification by HPLC in a Dioscorea polygonoides tuber collection from colombian flora

The diosgenin concentrations in a Dioscorea polygonoides tuber collection from the Eje Cafetero (EC, Colombia) were determined by HPLC and their percentages ranged from 0.02 to 2.64%. The highest diosgenin concentration (2.64%) was obtained in a tuber collected near Salento (Quindio). The average of diosgenin recovery was 97%. Diosgenin was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and by coelution with authentic diosgenin standard in both HPLC and GC-MS techniques. The results of this study are important since comparatively they are higher than most of those reported on other medicinal Dioscorea species, making Dioscorea polygonoides a potential new source of diosgenin.