Peruvian Plants Research Articles

In Silico Analysis of Metabolites from Peruvian Native Plants as Potential Therapeutics against Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Despite research on the molecular bases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), effective therapies against its progression are still needed. Recent studies have shown direct links between AD progression and neurovascular dysfunction, highlighting it as a potential target for new therapeutics development. In this work, we screened and evaluated the inhibitory effect of natural compounds from native Peruvian plants against tau protein, amyloid beta, and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) pathologic AD markers. Methods: We applied in silico analysis, such as virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation (MD), and MM/GBSA estimation, to identify metabolites from Peruvian plants with inhibitory properties, and compared them to nicotinamide, telmisartan, and grapeseed extract drugs in clinical trials. Results: Our results demonstrated the increased bioactivity of three plants’ metabolites against tau protein, amyloid beta, and AT1R. The MD simulations indicated the stability of the AT1R:floribundic acid, amyloid beta:rutin, and tau:brassicasterol systems. A polypharmaceutical potential was observed for rutin due to its high affinity to AT1R, amyloid beta, and tau. The metabolite floribundic acid showed bioactivity against the AT1R and tau, and the metabolite brassicasterol showed bioactivity against the amyloid beta and tau. Conclusions: This study has identified molecules from native Peruvian plants that have the potential to bind three pathologic markers of AD.

Antiviral Activity of Metabolites from Peruvian Plants against SARS-CoV-2: An In Silico Approach.

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic lacks treatments; for this reason, the search for potential compounds against therapeutic targets is still necessary. Bioinformatics tools have allowed the rapid in silico screening of possible new metabolite candidates from natural resources or repurposing known ones. Thus, in this work, we aimed to select phytochemical candidates from Peruvian plants with antiviral potential against three therapeutical targets of SARS-CoV-2. (2) Methods: We applied in silico technics, such as virtual screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and MM/GBSA estimation. (3) Results: Rutin, a compound present in Peruvian native plants, showed affinity against three targets of SARS-CoV-2. The molecular dynamics simulation demonstrated the high stability of receptor–ligand systems during the time of the simulation. Our results showed that the Mpro-Rutin system exhibited higher binding free energy than PLpro-Rutin and N-Rutin systems through MM/GBSA analysis. (4) Conclusions: Our study provides insight on natural metabolites from Peruvian plants with therapeutical potential. We found Rutin as a potential candidate with multiple pharmacological properties against SARS-CoV-2.

Diversity of endophytic plant-growth microorganisms from Gentianella weberbaueri and Valeriana pycnantha, highland Peruvian medicinal plants

Microbial diversity in Peruvian mountain areas is poorly know, specially endophytic microorganisms of medicinal native plants from the Cordillera Blanca. So, nine bacterial and six fungal species were isolated from Gentianella weberbaueri and Valeriana pycnantha. According to 16S rDNA analysis, bacterial strains belong to genera Rahnella, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Rouxiella, and Bacillus; while ITS analysis showed that fungi belong to Pyrenochaeta, Scleroconidioma, Cryptococcus, and Plenodomus genera. Rahnella sp. GT24B and P. trivialis VT20B solubilized tricalcium phosphate and produced siderophores at 10 and 24 °C. Five bacteria strains produced indol-3-acetic acid (IAA) at 10 and 24 °C, where Rahnella sp. VT19B showed more production at 10 °C than 24 °C. Rahnella sp. GT24B, Serratia sp. VT28B, and Rahnella sp. GT25B inhibited Fusarium oxysporum growth up to 100, 78 and 74 %, respectively. R. inusitata VT25B and B. licheniformis GT10B showed high cellulolytic and proteolytic activities. On the other hand, only a few fungi moderately inhibited growth of F. oxysporum, and produced siderophores and cellulases. Most of bacteria inoculated on Medicago sativa “alfalfa” and Triticum aestivum “wheat” seeds got better root development, especially Rahnella sp. GT24B, Rouxiella sp.VT24B, Serratia sp. VT28B, and Rahnella sp. VT34B. Finally, this study is the first report of endophytic microorganisms associated to wild medicinal high-mountain Peruvian plants and it show a valuable microbial diversity and its possible role in promoting growth of crops and wild medicinal plants.

Phytochemical screening, total phenolic content, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activity of five peruvian plants on human tumor cell lines

Background: Cancer is considered a serious public health problem in the world; searching alternative treatments of medicinal plants constitute a promissory field to find new anticancer drugs. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the phytochemical screening, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant, and cytotoxic activity of ethanol extracts of Waltheria ovata (WO), Piper aduncum (PA), Myrciaria dubia (MD), Physalis peruviana (PP), and Geranium dielsianum (GD) on human tumor cell lines. Materials and Methods: Phytochemical screening was assessed using chemical reactives. TPC was developed using Folin Ciocalteu reactive, and the antioxidant activity was determined against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radicals by spectrophotometry. The cytotoxic activity was determined on human tumor cell lines followed as: MCF-7, H-460, HT-29, M-14, K-562, and DU-145. Results: Phytochemical study confirmed flavonoids and phenolic compounds in all extracts. TPC was found to be the highest in WO extract (1250 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g of dried extract) rather than other extracts. The highest antioxidant activity was stablished in WO extract for DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging tests (inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 0.89 ± 0.01 μg/mL, IC50 =4.20 ± 1.50 μg/mL). Ethanolic extracts (μg/mL) showed low cytotoxicity on human tumor cell lines (CI50>20 μg/mL) for PA, PP, GD, MD. Meanwhile, WO presented cytotoxicity on H460, MCF-7, and K562 tumor cell lines. Conclusion: In our findings, WO and MD extracts revealed a high antioxidant and TPC. WO exhibited better cytotoxic effect compared with 5-FU. Hence, these medicinal plants could be effective to prevent cancer disease and oxidative stress. Abbreviations Used: IC50: Half inhibitory concentration. TPC: Total phenolic content. DPPH: ,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. ABTS: 2,2-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid). AA: Ascorbic acid.

Phytochemical study of four plants from the family Myrsinaceae

Four Peruvian plants (Cybianthus magnus, Myrsine latifolia, Myrsine congesta and Myrsine sessiliflora) belonging to the Myrsinaceae family have been studied in search of molecules with antileishmanial activity. From the hydromethanolic extract of three parts of each plant (leaves, stem and roots) 10 compounds were purified and identified. The purification was performed using chromatographic methods (HPLC; semi preparative chromatography) and the structure elucidation was accomplished by 1D, 2D NMR spectra (1H-1H, 13C, DEPT, COSY, HSQC, HMBC). One new compound was isolated and identified as 5-alkylresorcinolglucoside, named Cybianthoside A (1), from C. magnus. From the other plants, six flavonoids were isolated: (-) catechin, catechin-3-O-rhamnopyranoside (2), quercetin-3-O-rhamnopyranoside (3), isorhamnetin-3-O-rhamnopyranoside (4), quercetin-3-O-arabinopyranoside (5) and quercetin-3-O-arabinofuranoside (6); one lignan: lyoniresinol-9'-O-glucopyranoside (7); one resorcinol derivative: 12'Z-5-heptadec-12'-enylresorcinol (8) and two chromanes: myrsinoic acid B (9) and myrsinoic B methyl ester (10). Extracts and fractions were evaluated for their antileishmanial activity but no activity was detected. Acknowledgements: The authors are grateful to the FRB (Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversite, France) for the financial support through a grant to Dr. M. Haddad (Project DIPERSAP). The authors thank Rodolfo Vasquez, Rocio Rojas, Jose Mateo and Juan Perea from the Missouri Botanical Garden of Oxapampa, Peru and Carlos Amasifuen, for their help to collect the plants for this project. The authors thank MESR for a grant and the AFERP for financing participation in GA2014 Congress.

Abstract 3204: Screening of extracts from ethnopharmacologically selected peruvian plants in human hepatocarcinoma cell line Hep3B

Abstract Liver cancer, for which hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the most frequent primitive form, is ranked sixth and third in terms of incidence and death respectively in the world. Its survival rate at 5 years is low (less than 10 %). There is no effective treatment to date, surgical approaches excepted or sorafenib with a gain in survival of 3 months. In view of this limitation of therapeutic alternatives, the search and identification of new molecules of natural origin remain an important issue. In this study, the pharmacological properties of 63 extracts, prepared from Peruvian plants selected upon ethnopharmacological investigations conducted in Peru, were analyzed. The extracts were tested in an in vitro phenotypic screening approach on the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, Hep3B, following a 3-step cell analysis: 1- the first step consisted in the determination of a screening score which was defined according to 3 criteria : APE, MIT and OMM. APE refers to the Anti-Proliferative Effect of the extract, MIT to the ability of the extract to modify the MITotic events (by increasing or decreasing the number of cells in mitosis), and OMM refers to the ability of an extract to induce Original Morphological Modifications to the treated cells. The score values ranged from 1 to 27 and a score value of 12 was defined as the threshold. Twenty five extracts exhibited a score value > 12 and were selected for further analysis. 2- the second step consisted in the determination of the cytotoxic effect of the 25 extracts selected from step 1, measured after a 48 hrs incubation time. Of these extracts, 11 showed IC50 values > 50 µg/ml, 10 with IC50 between 15 and 50 µg/ml and 4 with IC50 < 15 µg/ml The 14 extracts which exhibited IC50 values lower than 50 µg/ml were selected for the final step. 3- the third step consisted in studying the extracts inducing original phenotypic changes. This led to the selection of 4 extracts : 2 extracts of different families (Iridaceae and Asteraceae) induced blocking Hep3B cells in prometaphase while 2 other extracts, from the same genus (Asteraceae) induced cytoskeletal reorganization. This latter effect was original since it occurred on cells in interphase and not on mitosis as it can be seen with the classical tubulin inhibitors such as colchicine, vinblastine or paclitaxel. Interestingly, the plants from which come the 4 extracts inducing original phenotypes have been little studied so far either chemically or pharmacologically, suggesting that they may be a source of new molecules of therapeutic interest and/or with original structures. Citation Format: Jean Edouard Gairin, Cedric Lavergne, Maelle Carraz, Valérie Jullian, Geneviève Bourdy, Michel Wright. Screening of extracts from ethnopharmacologically selected peruvian plants in human hepatocarcinoma cell line Hep3B. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3204. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3204

A mixture of extracts from Peruvian plants (black maca and yacon) improves sperm count and reduced glycemia in mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes

We investigated the effect of two extracts from Peruvian plants given alone or in a mixture on sperm count and glycemia in streptozotocin-diabetic mice. Normal or diabetic mice were divided in groups receiving vehicle, black maca (Lepidium meyenii), yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) or three mixtures of extracts black maca/yacon (90/10, 50/50 and 10/90%). Normal or diabetic mice were treated for 7 d with each extract, mixture or vehicle. Glycemia, daily sperm production (DSP), epididymal and vas deferens sperm counts in mice and polyphenol content, and antioxidant activity in each extract were assessed. Black maca (BM), yacon and the mixture of extracts reduced glucose levels in diabetic mice. Non-diabetic mice treated with BM and yacon showed higher DSP than those treated with vehicle (p < 0.05). Diabetic mice treated with BM, yacon and the mixture maca/yacon increased DSP, and sperm count in vas deferens and epididymis with respect to non-diabetic and diabetic mice treated with vehicle (p < 0.05). Yacon has 3.05 times higher polyphenol content than in maca, and this was associated with higher antioxidant activity. The combination of two extracts improved glycemic levels and male reproductive function in diabetic mice. Streptozotocin increased 1.43 times the liver weight that was reversed with the assessed plants extracts. In summary, streptozotocin-induced diabetes resulted in reduction in sperm counts and liver damage. These effects could be reduced with BM, yacon and the BM+yacon mixture.

Carbon and nitrogen isotopic survey of northern peruvian plants: baselines for paleodietary and paleoecological studies.

The development of isotopic baselines for comparison with paleodietary data is crucial, but often overlooked. We review the factors affecting the carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic compositions of plants, with a special focus on the carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of twelve different species of cultivated plants (n = 91) and 139 wild plant species collected in northern Peru. The cultivated plants were collected from nineteen local markets. The mean δ13C value for maize (grain) was −11.8±0.4 ‰ (n = 27). Leguminous cultigens (beans, Andean lupin) were characterized by significantly lower δ15N values and significantly higher %N than non-leguminous cultigens. Wild plants from thirteen sites were collected in the Moche River Valley area between sea level and ∼4,000 meters above sea level (masl). These sites were associated with mean annual precipitation ranging from 0 to 710 mm. Plants growing at low altitude sites receiving low amounts of precipitation were characterized by higher δ15N values than plants growing at higher altitudes and receiving higher amounts of precipitation, although this trend dissipated when altitude was >2,000 masl and MAP was >400 mm. For C3 plants, foliar δ13C was positively correlated with altitude and precipitation. This suggests that the influence of altitude may overshadow the influence of water availability on foliar δ13C values at this scale.

Antioxidant Properties of Medicinal Plants from Peru

There is a wide diversity of plants and seasonal crops in Peru, due to the presence of many climatic zones. Numerous plants are used to cure or prevent diseases. These plants are promising candidates for functional foods products. The most frequent form in which they are used is an aqueous infusion or decoction. In this study, we compared the antioxidant properties of ten Peruvian plants infusions and investigated their relation to the phenolic content. The studied plants were: Uncaria tomentosa (cat’s claw), Lepidium meyenii (maca), Berberis vulgaris L. (barberry, agracejo), Phyllantus niruri (chanca piedra), Annona muricata L. (graviola, soursop), Gentianella alborosea (hercampure), Geranium dielsianum (pasuchaca), Tabebuia ochracea (tahuari), Notholaena nivea (“cuti cuti”) and Tiquilia paronychioides (“flor de arena”). Infusions of all studied plants have shown antioxidant activity, though there was a large diversity between the results. The antioxidant properties, determined with DPPH and ABTS scavenging assays as well as FRAP test, were strongly correlated with total phenolic content, while there was no correlation with the carotenoid content.

Screening of 170 Peruvian plant species for allelopathic activity by using the Sandwich Method

Peru is one of the 20 botanically extremely diverse countries in the world, with &gt;17 000 flowering plants, of which 30% are endemic. So far, no systematic research has been conducted on the screening of the allelopathic plants. In this study, the allelopathic activity of 170 species from 61 families of Peruvian plants that were collected from the three main regions of Peru – the Costa (Pacific coastline), the Sierra (Andean mountains), and the Selva (Amazonian rainforest) – was evaluated. The allelopathic activity was determined by the Sandwich Method, which can evaluate the activity of leaf leachates. The species that were found to be highly inhibitory in this screening, under the criterion of &gt;90% inhibition of the radicle of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seedlings, were Aristeguietia ballii and Diplostephium foliosissimum (Asteraceae) and Spondias mombin (Anacardiaceae). All of these species are native plants from Peru. This study gives a strong clue regarding the potential of isolating potent allelochemicals from these plants in the future.

Evaluation of in vitro antioxidant activity of selected Peruvian medicinal plants

The increasing evidence that oxidative stress is involved in several serious inflammatory and degenerative human diseases has escalated interest in the research of antioxidant activity of naturally occurring molecules in food and biological systems [1]. It has been proved that a great number of aromatic, spicy and medicinal plants contain chemical compounds exhibiting antioxidant activity [2]. In this study we investigated the antioxidant properties of 18 Peruvian medicinal plants selected by their traditional medicinal uses in Coronel Portillo Province of Ucayali Department, Peru. The in vitro antioxidant capacity of medicinal plants was evaluated by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity assays. Total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids were also determined for all plant species studied, in order to evaluate their contribution to antioxidant activity. Considering results of ORAC and DPPH tests, Calycophyllum spruceanum (8438µmol TE/g extract, EC50 5.34µg/ml), Caesalpinia spinosa (7362µmol TE/g extract, EC50 3.50µg/ml) and Naucleopsis glabra (8310µmol TE/g extract, EC50 5.45µg/ml) performed the strongest antioxidant properties from all species tested. The total phenolic content has a significant correlation with the antioxidant activity of investigated plant extracts; nevertheless flavonoids seem not to be the main group of metabolites responsible for the effect. The results of our study indicate that Calycophyllum spruceanum, Caesalpinia spinosa and Naucleopsis glabra are the most perspective species for further phytochemical research focused on determination of compounds responsible for their antioxidative properties. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CIGA 20085001) and MSM 6046070901.

Isolation of Cytotoxic Metabolites from Targeted Peruvian Amazonian Medicinal Plants

The antiproliferative bioassay-guided fractionation of five Peruvian plants, Doliocarpus dentatus, Picramnia sellowii, Strychnos mitscherlichii, Iryanthera juruensis, and Croton alnifolius, led to the isolation and identification of their different major cytotoxic constituents, betulinic acid (1), nataloe-emodin (2), bisnordihydrotoxyferine (4), 2',4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxy-3,4-methylenedioxydihydrochalcone (5), and 2',4'-dihydroxy-4,6'-dimethoxydihydrochalcone (6) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (7), respectively. Eight human tumor cell lines and two nontumorigenic cell lines were used in this investigation. Their in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis is also reported.

Antioxidant activity of selected Peruvian medicinal plants used in Calleria District

Antioxidant activity of selected Peruvian medicinal plants used in Calleria District

Effect of Diets Formulated with Native Peruvian Plants on Growth and Feeding Efficiency of Red Pacu (Piaractus brachypomus) Juveniles

Abstract We evaluated the effects of casein‐based semipurified diets, alone or supplemented with native Peruvian plants, on growth, feed efficiency, and histology of the digestive tract of red pacu, Piaractus brachypomus, juveniles over an 8‐wk feeding trial. Three tanks were randomly assigned to one of four casein–gelatin (40:8) diets containing a supplement of 15% wheat meal (control) or an identical level of substitution of three South American native plant as follows: camu‐camu fruit (Myrciaria dubia), aguaje fruit (Mauritia flexuosa), or maca tuber meal (Lepidium meyenii). The fish (initial weight, 2.04 ± 0.06 g) were fed experimental diets at decreasing feeding rates from 4 to 2.6% of body weight. After 8 weeks of feeding, fish fed a diet supplemented with maca meal showed significantly higher (P &lt; 0.05) weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio (PER), apparent net protein utilization (NPU), and instantaneous feed intake than fish fed other diets. Feed conversion ratio (FCR), PER, and NPU in fish fed the casein–gelatin diet supplemented with maca meal were among the best ever reported in the scientific literature, 0.64 ± 0.03, 3.13 ± 0.15 and 23.8 ± 2.0, respectively. The camu‐camu meal had a negative impact on diet palatability and utilization, which resulted in slower growth. The stomach, intestine, pancreas, and pyloric caeca at the start and end of the experiment showed normal differentiation and appearance of cells and tissues. The liver parenchyma showed lipid infiltration and pigment accumulation in all samples at the initiation of the experiment and may be attributed to the period of decreased feed intake prior to the study. At the end of the study, similar histopathologies were recorded in all samples from the control and camu‐camu groups. Normal liver histology (polyhedral hepatocytes with centrally located nuclei) was observed in two of three samples from the maca group and all the samples from the group that was fed the aguaje‐supplemented diet.

Identification and evaluation of Peruvian plants used to treat malaria and leishmaniasis

Households in eleven geographically and ethnically distinct areas in Loreto, Peru, were interviewed about their knowledge and use of plants, for the treatment of malaria and leishmaniasis. The survey resulted in 988 use records representing 118 plant-taxa for malaria and 289 use-records representing 85 plant-taxa for leishmaniasis. In both cases the 10 most frequently reported taxa accounted for about half of all the use-records. Plant material was collected and extracts were screened for in vitro inhibition of Plasmodium and Leishmania parasites. In the case of Plasmodium, extracts of 11 of the 13 most frequently reported plants showed significant growth inhibitory activity, while only a few plant extracts inhibited the growth of Leishmania parasites.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Microseris (Asteraceae), Including a Newly Discovered Andean Population from Peru

Abstract In high elevation habitats of the Peruvian Andes a new population of Microseris (Asteraceae, Lactuceae) related to the single South American species, M. pygmaea, recently was discovered. Microseris pygmaea occurs at lower elevations in Chile and has originated after long-distance dispersal from a Californian progenitor. Differences in flowering traits and habitat preferences of the new population raised the question of its precise phylogenetic affiliation. The analysis of the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of all Microseris species revealed the Peruvian plants as part of the Chilean M. pygmaea clade. Molecular, ecological, and physiological data resulted in an interpretation of the Peruvian population as derived from Chilean progenitors instead of being remnants of stepping-stone dispersal from North America through the Andes to Chile. Differences in ITS sequences found in this study compared to earlier ones were explained by the occurrence of two different rDNA clusters in...

Antimycobacterial evaluation of Peruvian plants.

We present the results of an antimycobacterial screening of 270 Peruvian plant samples representing 216 species from 171 genera in 63 families. Dichloromethane extracts were tested at a concentration of 50 microg/ml for inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in radiometric culture. Slightly more than half of the samples tested showed inhibition of M. tuberculosis at this concentration.

Development and introduction of a new copper/lead separation method in the raura plant (Peru)

A complex copper/lead—zinc ore from the Raura plant (Peru) that contains secondary copper minerals was studied with respect to improving copper/lead separation from the copper/lead bulk concentrate. As with most Peruvian plants that treat copper/lead—zinc ores, the Raura plant uses a dichromate separation method, which is ineffective due to the presence of secondary copper minerals. The use of alternative copper/lead separation techniques, such as SO 2—starch or heat methods, are restricted due to the high altitude of the plant, which is at over 4300 m elevation. During this study, a new copper/lead separation method was developed and introduced into the plant with significant improvement to the metallurgical results. The new depressant is based on dichromate complexed with carboxy methylcellulose (CMC) and sodium phosphate (Na 2HPO 4). Apart from an improvement in the plant metallurgy, the level of chromium-6 (Cr +6) in the effluent was reduced ten-fold. This paper summarizes the development testwork in the laboratory and presents the results obtained in the plant using the new depressant.

Studies on the inhibitory effects of caffeoylquinic acids on monocyte migration and superoxide ion production.

Three caffeoylquinic acids, isolated from the Peruvian plants Tessaria integrifolia and Mikania cordifolia that are used medicinally as anti-inflammatory agents, were tested for their activities on monocyte migration and superoxide anion production. 3,5-Di-O-caffeoylquinic and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acids exhibited an appreciable anti-inflammatory activity in vitro, while the tricaffeoyl derivative was inactive.

Four New Species of Meliosma (Sabiaceae) from Peru

Four new species of Meliosma are de- scribed from the Peruvian Andes as M. pumila, M. simiarum, M. sirensis, and M. youngii. Meliosma is emblematic of Peruvian cloud forest plants in its tendency to local endemism and in the incompleteness of taxonomic knowledge about it. Not a single species of Sabiaceae was known from Peru when Macbride (1956) treated related families in the Flora of Peru, but at least 17 Meliosma species (and three of lowland Ophiocaryon) are now known from the country (Gentry, 1986, in press). Four of the most distinctive of these are described here, all from the Peruvian Andes. These four spe- cies are all shrubs or small trees or treelets and are the smallest in stature of any neotropical Meliosma. Three of them are also among the smallest-leaved species of the genus; the fourth is a large-leaved pachycaul treelet.