Exotic Medicinal Plants Research Articles

Growing Native Medicinal Plants in Amajari – RR

The aim of this work was to set up a permanent production area for native and exotic medicinal plants, especially those at risk of extinction. The species grown were herbs, shrubs and medicinal trees of various species, both native and exotic. Nineteen species were cultivated by 20 students from the Ovídio Dias de Souza State School who took part in the practicals at the school. It was observed that the fact that the majority of the students reported a preference for using medicinal plants, perhaps due to the lack of any other way of maintaining or recovering their health, is, in a way, a positive aspect, because as well as strengthening traditional practices regarding the use and traditional knowledge of medicinal plants, it is an activity that values the preservation of the local flora.

In vitro study on efficacy of PHELA, an African traditional drug against SARS-CoV-2

In 2019, coronavirus has made the third apparition in the form of SARS-CoV-2, a novel strain of coronavirus that is extremely pathogenic and it uses the same receptor as SARS-CoV, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). However, more than 182 vaccine candidates have been announced; and 12 vaccines have been approved for use, although, even vaccinated individuals are still vulnerable to infection. In this study, we investigated PHELA, recognized as an herbal combination of four exotic African medicinal plants namely; Clerodendrum glabrum E. Mey. Lamiaceae, Gladiolus dalenii van Geel, Rotheca myricoides (Hochst.) Steane & Mabb, and Senna occidentalis (L.) Link; as a candidate therapy for COVID-19. In vitro testing found that PHELA inhibited > 90% of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV infection at concentration levels of 0.005 mg/ml to 0.03 mg/ml and close to 100% of MERS-CoV infection at 0.1 mg/ml to 0.6 mg/ml. The in vitro average IC50 of PHELA on SARS-COV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-COV were ~ 0.01 mg/ml. Secondly in silico docking studies of compounds identified in PHELA showed very strong binding energy interactions with the SARS-COV-2 proteins. Compound 5 showed the highest affinity for SARS-COV-2 protein compared to other compounds with the binding energy of − 6.8 kcal mol−1. Our data showed that PHELA has potential and could be developed as a COVID-19 therapeutic.

Exotic Medicinal Plants Used in Brazil with Diuretic Properties: A Review.

Several exotic plants (non-native) are used in Brazilian traditional medicine and are known worldwide for their possible diuretic actions. Among the wide variety of plants, standing out Achillea millefolium L., Camellia sinensis L. Kuntze, Crocus sativus L., Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn., Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) A.W. Hill, Taraxacum officinale (L.) Weber, and Urtica dioica L., whose effects have already been the subject of some scientific study. In addition, we also discussed other exotic species in Brazil used popularly, but that still lack scientific studies, like the species Arctium lappa L., Carica papaya L., Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don, Centella asiatica (L.) Urb, Citrus aurantium L., and Persea americana Mill. However, generally, clinical studies on these plants are scarce. In this context, different plant species can be designated for further comprehensive studies, therefore, promoting support for developing an effective medicine to induce diuresis.

Endophytic fungal association in roots of exotic medicinal plants cultivated in the Nilgiris, Western Ghats, Peninsular India

Algunos microbios beneficiosos para el suelo ayudan en el establecimiento y crecimiento de plantas medicinales exóticas. Por lo tanto, evaluamos la presencia y el estado de la asociación de endófitos de raíces [hongos micorrízicos arbusculares (AM) y hongos endofíticos septados oscuros (DSE)] en diez especies de plantas medicinales exóticas cultivadas en Nilgiris de los Ghats occidentales. El alcance de las variables endófitas de hongos y las características del pelo de la raíz difirieron significativamente entre las plantas medicinales. Se identificaron seis morfotipos de esporas de hongos AM en las muestras de suelo. Por lo tanto, este estudio indicó la asociación de plantas medicinales exóticas con hongos nativos AM y DSE que podrían explotarse para promover el crecimiento y aumentar la producción de metabolitos secundarios en estas especies de plantas. Some soil beneficial microbes help in the establishment and growth of exotic medicinal plants. Therefore, we evaluated the presence and status of root endophyte [arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi] association in ten exotic medicinal plant species cultivated in the Nilgiris of the Western Ghats. The AM fungi colonized all the examined plant species and eight plants had the co-occurrence of DSE fungi. The extent of fungal endophyte variables and root hair characteristics significantly differed among the medicinal plants. Six AM fungal spore morphotypes were identified in the soil samples. Thus, this study indicated the association of exotic medicinal plants with native AM and DSE fungi which could be exploited to promote growth and increase secondary metabolite production in these plant species.

Reprint of: Essential oils from 9 exotic and endemic medicinal plants from Mauritius shows in vitro antibacterial and antibiotic potentiating activities

Essential oils (EOs) extracted from botanical resources have greatly been appraised as antimicrobials against a broad spectrum of microorganisms. A panoply of experimental studies have pointed out the immense potency of EOs as natural antimicrobial agents at relatively low doses; largely attributed to the synergistic interaction of various bioactive components. In the present study, 10 EOs prepared from two endemic (Pittosporum senacia Putterl. subsp. Senacia and Syzygium coriaceum J. Bosser & J. Guého) and seven exotic (Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Nees & Eberm, Citrus aurantium L., Curcuma longa L, Morinda citrifolia L., Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss, Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Sprengel and Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. & L. M. Perry) aromatic medicinal plants from Mauritius, were screened for their growth inhibitory activities against eight bacteria (ATCC strains and clinical isolates) using broth microdilution techniques. The EOs were found to possess varying degree of antibacterial potency. The most active EOs were found to have minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.25-4 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 0.25-16 mg/mL. In particular, at its MIC values, P. amboinicus EO showed bactericidal effects against four strains. However, all tested bacteria were insensitive to P. senecia and C. aurantium fruit peel EOs. Bacillus spizizenii was found to be the most susceptible strain to the active EOs. Additionally, P. amboinicus and the two Syzygium spp. EOs showed antibiotic potentiating activities. Mostly synergistic and partial synergistic actions of the EOs, in combination with the conventional antibiotics (streptomycin, chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin) at a ratio of 1:1 were obtained against the tested bacteria. Thus, results from this study highlighted the antibacterial potential and the efficacy of the most active EOs as antibiotic potentiating agents that could potentially be used in combinational therapy along with conventional antibiotics for a synergistic approach in the treatment/management of clinically relevant bacterial infections.

Russian Empire in the System of Global Trade in Medicinal Herbs in the Late 18th – Early 19th Century and the Problem of Proportion Between “Scientific” and “Traditional” Pharmaceutics

This article examines Russian imports of medicinal plants in the late 18th – early 19th centuries and the attempts to reduce these procurements by using home-grown plants instead in the context of a general crisis in European trade during the Napoleonic wars. It attempts to estimate the volumes of imported medicinal materials, analyzes the range of medicinal plants, and compares the trades in exotic medicinal plants in Russia with the known data about their circulation in various European countries. The article demonstrates the dependency of Russian state-run apothecaries and hospitals on both the imported exotic plants and species native to the Russian Empire in the late 18th – early 19th centuries, and examines the available data concerning the apothecary gardens and wild medicinal plants harvesting for state-run apothecaries in Russia. It highlights the lack of infrastructure for a steady supply of native plants to state-run apothecaries and hospitals, the factor that accounted for the futility of attempts to reduce the dependency on imported medicaments in the early 19th century. At the same time, the paper emphasizes the continuing presence of local potion and herb shops trading in medicinal plants long before the transfer of European pharmaceutical institutions and practices to the Russian empire. These shops were not restricted to trading in indigenous plants only but could also sell the exotic ones. This fact undermines the simple binary model of European and “indigenous” or “folk” pharmaceutical traditions co-existing in Russia in the late 18th – early 19th centuries, arguing instead for their entangled histories.

Essential oils from 9 exotic and endemic medicinal plants from Mauritius shows in vitro antibacterial and antibiotic potentiating activities

Essential oils (EOs) extracted from botanical resources have greatly been appraised as antimicrobials against a broad spectrum of microorganisms. A panoply of experimental studies have pointed out the immense potency of EOs as natural antimicrobial agents at relatively low doses; largely attributed to the synergistic interactions of various bioactive components. In the present study, 10 EOs prepared from two endemic (Pittosporum senacia Putterl. subsp. Senacia and Syzygium coriaceum J. Bosser & J. Guého) and seven exotic (Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Nees & Eberm, Citrus aurantium L., Curcuma longa L, Morinda citrifolia L., Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss, Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Sprengel and Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. & L. M. Perry) aromatic medicinal plants from Mauritius, were screened for their growth inhibitory activities against eight bacteria (ATCC strains and clinical isolates) using broth microdilution techniques. The EOs were found to possess varying degree of antibacterial potency. The most active EOs were found to have minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.25–4 mg/mL and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 0.25–16 mg/mL. In particular, at its MIC values, P. amboinicus EO showed bactericidal effects against four strains. However, all tested bacteria were insensitive to P. senecia and C. aurantium fruit peel EOs. Bacillus spizizenii was found to be the most susceptible strain to the active EOs. Additionally, P. amboinicus and the two Syzygium spp. EOs showed antibiotic potentiating activities. Mostly synergistic and partial synergistic actions of the EOs in combination with the conventional antibiotics (streptomycin, chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin) at a ratio of 1:1 were obtained against the tested bacteria. Thus, results from this study highlighted the antibacterial potential and the efficacy of the most active EOs as antibiotic potentiating agents that could potentially be used in combinational therapies along with conventional antibiotics for a synergistic approach in the treatment/management of clinically relevant bacterial infections.

God's healing leaves: The colonial quest for medicinal plants in the Torrid Zone

The colonial era witnessed a fevered quest for exotic medicinal plants by European physicians and scientists. This essay explores the geographical principles that oriented the search towards the lands and peoples of the humid tropics. Believing that God had planted botanical cures for diseases in their places of origin, medicinal plant collectors concentrated their efforts in the pestilential equatorial latitudes. Although many subscribed to the ancient Doctrine of Signatures, colonial bioprospectors discovered early that indigenous and diasporic peoples represented storehouses of plant knowledge. Assuming that native knowhow constituted more instinct than intelligence, Europeans employed coercion, bribes, torture, and promises of freedom to extract their ethnomedical secrets. In the case of especially lucrative healing plants, imperial and colonial entities conspired to pilfer and naturalize endemic species in their distant colonies. In response to this legacy of inappropriate exploitation of native peoples and tropical plants during the colonial era, most present day bioprospectors follow established codes of ethnobotanical ethics.

Antiglycation, comparative antioxidant potential, phenolic content and yield variation of essential oils from 19 exotic and endemic medicinal plants.

The antioxidant potential, antiglycation, and total phenolic content of essential oils (EOs) extracted from 19 medicinal plants were assessed. The variation in yield of the EOs with respect to altitude and season was also studied. The antioxidant potential of Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr., Psiadia terebinthina A.J. Scott, Laurus nobilis L., Piper betle L., and Citrus hystrix DC. showed IC50 values less/equivalent to the positive controls. Weak correlations were observed between the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and xanthine oxidase (XO) assays as well as between the DPPH and nitric oxide radical scavenging (NO) assay and between the XO and 2,2 azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6 sulphonic acid (ABTS) assay. Cupressus macrocarpa Hartw., L. nobilis, Cinnamomum zeylanicum Nees, and Psidium guajava L. successfully inhibited in vitro glycated end-products (IC50: 451.53 ± 3.00, 387.04 ± 1.53, 348.59 ± 3.34 and 401.48 ± 2.86 µg/mL respectively) compared to aminoguanidine (IC50: 546.69 ± 3.57 µg/mL). Some of the EOs had a high content of phenolic compounds. EOs such as P. dioica, P. terebinthina, L. nobilis, P. guajava, and C. hystrix were found to be rich in eugenol and other phenolic compounds. The EOs evaluated in the present study may have applications in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

What Factors Guide the Selection of Medicinal Plants in a Local Pharmacopoeia? A Case Study in a Rural Community from a Historically Transformed Atlantic Forest Landscape.

The criteria that local people use for selecting medicinal plants have been a recurrent topic in pharmacology and ethnobotany. Two of the current hypotheses regarding this phenomenon, ecological apparency and diversification, attempt to explain the inclusion of “apparent” and “non-apparent” and native and exotic taxa, respectively, in local pharmacopoeia. This study addresses the following questions: Do “apparent” and “non-apparent” medicinal plants have the same importance in local pharmacopoeia? Do “non-apparent” plants occupy more local categories of diseases than “apparent” plants? Do native and exotic medicinal plants have the same importance? Do exotic and native plants occupy different local categories of diseases? This study was conducted with householders of a community from Northeastern Brazil. Out of the 66 plant species cited, most were herbs (39 species), followed by trees and shrubs (27). Herbaceous species also occupied more local categories of diseases (51) than tree and shrub species (28). Furthermore, most of the species cited by the informants were exotic (42). Out of the 94 therapeutic applications cited in this research, 65 were treated with exotic species and 29 with native species, distributed among 13 body systems. These results support both the hypotheses of ecological apparency and diversification.

2-HYDROXY-4-METHOXYBENZALDEHYDE, AN ASTOUNDING FOOD FLAVORING METABOLITE: A REVIEW

Objective: Rich endowment of traditional knowledge plays a critical role in health care, food security, culture, environment and development. Traditional knowledge is also widely used by the aromatic, flavoring, food and health industries. Plant-based traditional medicine has often been used to identify and fast-track the development of modern food and drugs. Plants synthesize such wide array of secondary metabolites that includes alkaloids, glucosinolates, terpenoids and phenylpropanoids. This study is aimed to review on indigenous and exotic medicinal plants containing an astounding food flavoring metabolite; 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (HMB).Material and Method: The review focuses on the isomer of vanillin, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde, also called MBALD, HMB, or 2H4MB, a flavor compound that is generally found in the roots and rhizomes of medicinal plants. This food flavoring phenylpropenoid is one of the least investigated isomers of vanillin. HMB is known to exhibit a wide array of medicinal properties. Though the molecular role of these metabolites remains largely unknown, they are known to play a key role in plant-environment interactions/stress response/defence signaling and application in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.Discussion and Conclusion: One of the key secondary metabolites is the group of phenylproponoids synthesized either through shikimic acid pathway or the malonate/acetate pathway. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) is the enzyme involved in phenylpropanoid pathway catalysing the deamination of phenylalanine to synthesize cinnamic acid that subsequently synthesizes variety of phenylpropanoid products. Inspite of its medicinal importance, the regulatory molecular mechanism underlying the biosynthetic pathway is largely unknown.

Momordica (Cucurbitaceae) types and accuracy of representation of the diagnostic characters: from Tacuinum sanitatis to American still lifes

Plant representation in arts may have different scopes, often according to the type of artwork and the different types of representation, i.e., decorative, symbolic, more or less realistic or even scientific. The scientific representation became more common from the onset of the seventeenth century when the scientific method was developed; nevertheless, some scientific representations of plants were realized before by some authors having a realistic approach to arts. The paper analyzes different types of representations through the centuries of two exotic medicinal and edible plants: Momordica balsamina and M. charantia. The examples presented and discussed derive from a search of images made by the authors directly from museums and libraries and from the net searching of artworks as still life and others where plants are more commonly represented. Illustrated herbaria, used for medicinal purposes, printed books having a botanical subject, devotional pictures, two Italian still lifes of the seventeenth century and two early nineteenth century American still lifes, where Momordica is depicted, are described and the modality of representation and botanical diagnostic details analyzed. Also the hypothesized years of the introduction in Europe of these exotic species should be dated back. It was astonishing to detect that the Italian devotional picture contains, with the exception of roots, almost all the diagnostic characters of Momordica balsamina, represented scientifically, comprising also the presence of flowers of both sexes and fruits with different stages of ripening: this was with the awareness of plant sexuality revealed by Camerarius only 100 years later.

Kinetic studies of tyrosinase inhibitory activity of 19 essential oils extracted from endemic and exotic medicinal plants

Essential oils (EOs) extracted from plants have attracted much interest as pharmacologically active compounds and have been recently probed as inhibitors of tyrosinase. The present study was designed to investigate into the tyrosinase inhibitory potential of 19 EOs extracted from exotic and endemic medicinal plants from Mauritius. The nature of inhibition was then evaluated by the double reciprocal Lineweaver–Burk plot in the presence and absence of the active EOs. EOs extracted from Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Citrus grandis and Citrus hystrix showed IC50 comparable to the positive control (kojic acid). Kinetic studies showed that only C. grandis (IC50 of 2.07±0.152μg/ml compared to kojic acid IC50 of 2.28±0.054μg/ml) exhibited a competitive type of inhibition. Results from the present study tend to show that EOs extracted from these medicinal plants can exhibit potent anti-tyrosinase activities and may be potential candidates for the cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries.

Antimicrobial, antibiotic potentiating activity and phytochemical profile of essential oils from exotic and endemic medicinal plants of Mauritius

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of essential oils (EOs) isolated from 7 exotic and 2 endemic medicinal plants of Mauritius. Eighteen microorganisms (bacterial and fungal isolates) have been used to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of the EOs as well as their ability to potentiate conventional antibiotics. Significant antibacterial activities were recorded with low minimal inhibitory concentration for 8 of the EOs using the microbroth dilution assay except for Salvia officinalis, where the activity recorded was comparable to that of the antibiotics. The synergistic effect of the EOs of Pimenta dioica, Psiadia arguta and Piper betle were observed against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis when combined with gentamicin. The fungicidal and fungistatic effect of the EOs were observed among all the fungi irrespective of the family except for Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Forty three major compounds were identified using the gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method and predominantly composed of oxygenated monoterpenes at a dose ranging from 0.45% to 69.76%, while, in the case of P. dioica, the EO was predominantly composed of aromatic compounds at a dose of 89.22%. This study has provided key information on the antimicrobial property and phytochemical composition of some tropical medicinal plants from Mauritius.

Centennial Knowledge of Medicinal Plants Held in Communities of Espírito Santo, Brazil

The naturalist Auguste Saint-Hilaire, during a visit to Espirito Santo in 1826, recorded the popular use of some native plants, cited by the vernacular names fedegoso-do-mato, milhomens, erva-do-brejo, taririquim, batata-de-junca, and jarro. The aim of this study was to collect and systematize information about popular medicinal plants used in Afonso Claudio, including the ones mentioned by Saint-Hilaire. The method used was a semi-structured snowball type research. Most of the 34 participants reported to know some of the plants cited by Saint-Hilaire, except the one known as jarro. The use of 156 ethnospecies was recorded, 60 of them were collected. These plants belong to 30 families, predominantly Lamiaceae and Asteraceae. Most of them were indicated to treat cough and stomach problems. The results indicate that in the area there is knowledge of native and exotic medicinal plants, and the species mentioned by Saint-Hilaire are still remembered.

What is the role of exotic medicinal plants in local medical systems? A study from the perspective of utilitarian redundancy

Medicinal plants are an important aspect of local medical systems. The composition of a medicinal plant collection is influenced by cultural and environmental factors. Additionally, the functionality of a local medical system can be threatened by the replacement of native species with exotic ones, as well as by cultural factors such as the erosion of knowledge. The objectives of this study are: 1) examine the composition of the medicinal plant collec- tion of two rural communities settled in the caatinga (savanna-like vegetation) of the state of Pernambuco (Brazil); 2) observe the role of exotic plants in the local medical systems; and 3) identify the profile of the species utilized according to the Utilitarian Redundancy Model. Similarities were observed between the medicinal floras of the communities studied, emphasizing the importance of the surrounding biome within the possibilities of species selection, although exotic species appear to contribute by increasing the diversity of species considered in the communities to be medicinal. The native species act broadly among the body systems recognized in the two communities, whereas exotic species act in specific body systems, for which there are few associated native species.

Relationships between Land-Use Types and Plant Species Used by Traditional Ethno-Medical System

Aims: The agricultural frontier advances progressively on forested regions in Central Argentina, changing the landscape structure by extremely reducing the extension of native forests. In rural communities that are related to the forests, it is possible that severe changes in the landscapes can have an impact on the knowledge and uses of medicinal plants. The aim of this paper was to evidence some general patterns between the ethnobotanical information recorded in the Chaco region and some characteristics of the landscape. Specifically, we hypothesized that the knowledge on medicinal plants and their type (native or exotic) are related to different types of land use (i.e. different proportions of native forests). Place and Duration of Study: The study was performed 15 rural localities within the Chaco phytogeographic regionin Cordoba, Argentina, conducted between 2004 and 2012. Methodology: A total of 279 interviews were conducted. Plant species were identified according to their status (native or exotic), and a standardized proportion of exotic Original Research Article European Journal of Medicinal Plants, 4(9): 998-1021, 2014 999 species was calculated for each site. The different types of land use and their proportions were estimated in 15 rural localities using satellite images. A Principal Component Analysis and a bivariate Spearman correlation were performed to analyze the associations among land-use types, the proportion of native forests and the knowledge of medicinal plants. Results: In general, people had known many native and exotic medicinal plants. Nevertheless, in those localities where landscapes have experienced higher deforestation rates, exotic medicinal plants are more available than native ones (cultivated in gardens and orchards). The tradition of maintaining exotic species in gardens may contribute to maintain the ethno-medical systems in regions of severe forest fragmentation. Conclusion: The disappearance of the forest showed a positive association with losses in the knowledge and use of native medicinal plants.

Diversity and origin of medicinal exotic flora in Cape Verde Islands

some considerations for the geographic origin of these species. Methods - This study is mostly based on the collection of ethnobotanical data obtained in specimens housed in LISC Herbarium and in available botanical and historical bibliographic data. Key results - A checklist of the exotic medicinal plants of Cape Verde is presented. The use of local flora in folk medicine is common, and 101 exotic naturalized taxa were reported as medicinal in this archipelago. Most of these plants arise from Afrotropical, Neotropical, Palaearctic, or Pantropical regions. Furthermore nineteen non-naturalized exotic taxa, mainly from Neotropical and Oriental regions, were reported as medicinal. Conclusions - This study shows the relevance of historical factors in the determining the composition of the medicinal flora in Cape Verde, namely the importance that the slave trade routes from Africa to the Americas played during the period of the 16th-! 9th centuries. It also allows the recognition and positive valuation of the cultural and biological Cape Verde's patrimony and its sustainable use.

Antimicrobial properties of protein extracts from wild mushroom fungi and native plant species against hospital pathogens

Protein extracts of either native or exotic rare mushroom fungi and plants that are normally known for novel therapeutics including immune modulation were investigated for their potential antimicrobial effects. Data obtained using the Kirby-Bauer’s disc-diffusion assay methods showed that a number of locally sourced wild mushroom fungi (e.g. Ganoderma resinaceum, Russula fragilis and Inocybe grammata) had proteins with inherent antimicrobial properties against a number of typical hospital pathogens. The wild type fungus Mycena pura exhibited strong antagonism against Escherichia coli, an organism often commonly associated with nosocomial infections both locally and worldwide. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of protein extracts revealed unique protein banding patterns for the exotic fungal species and possessed significant inhibitory effects against a range of nosocomial pathogens including MRSA, Salmonella, Candida and Aspergillusspecies. This small-scale study revealed the occurrence of wild fungal peptides of potential therapeutic significance and antimicrobial potential for exploitation in complementary therapies in clinical and veterinary medicine. Key words: Exotic fungi and medicinal plants, antibacterial activity.

Screening for Alternative Antibiotics: An Investigation into the Antimicrobial Activities of Medicinal Food Plants of Mauritius

The present study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of 2 endemic medicinal plants; Faujasiopsis flexuosa (Asteraceae) (FF) and Pittosporum senacia (Pittosporaceae) (PS) and 2 exotic medicinal plants, Momordica charantia (Cucurbitaceae) (MC) and Ocimum tenuiflorum (Lamiaceae) (OT) that forms part of local pharmacopoeia of Mauritius and correlate any observed activity with its phytochemical profile. Aqueous and organic fractions of the leaves, fruits, and seeds of these plants were subjected to antimicrobial testing by the disc diffusion method against 8 clinical isolates of bacteria and 2 strains of fungus. It was found that MC, OT, and FF possessed antimicrobial properties against the test organisms. The MIC for MC ranged from 0.5 to 9 mg/mL and that of FF from 2 to 10 mg/mL and the lowest MIC value (0.5 mg/mL) was recorded for the unripe fruits of MC against E. coli. On the other hand, higher concentration of the unripe MC fruit extract of 9 mg/mL was needed to be effective against a resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The antimicrobial effect against MRSA was lost upon ripening of the fruits. The methanolic extract of both MC and FF showed highest MIC values compared to the corresponding aqueous extract, which indicates the low efficacy and the need of higher doses of the plant extract. Phytochemical screening of the plants showed the presence of at least tannins, phenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids, which are known antimicrobial phyto-compounds. In conclusion, the observed antimicrobial properties would tend to further validate the medicinal properties of these commonly used endemic medicinal and food plants of Mauritius.