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Medicinal Plants of Jamaica and Their Uses – Part 1

Salvia (Sage)

The information provided in this article are excerpts from the research of medicinal plants carried out at the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science, The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica, between 1948 and 2001. The data is organised as listed in the following tables but will be presented in two (2) separate parts.

Table 1: Organisms used for testing bioactivity of plant extracts and natural products.
Table 2: Summary of plants that exhibited the most medicinal bioactivity.
Table 3: Summary of plants that exhibited the most agricultural bioactivity.
Table 4: Natural products isolated from plants tested at UWI between 1948 and 2001.
Table 5: ‘Medicinal’ plants of Jamaica studied at the University of the West Indies, Mona – family, botanical name, common name, growth range, growth.
Table 6: ‘Medicinal’ plants of Jamaica studied at the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona – Research conducted between 1948 and 2001, and literature reference.

Below you will find tables 1 to 4.

Medicinal Plants of Jamaica and Their Uses – Part 1

Bioactivity potentialTest organismReason for choiceMethod used and literature source
Antihelminthic potential Anti-bacterialStrongyloides stercoralis Streptococcus group A Staphylococcus aureus Proteus mirabilis Pseudomonas aeruginosa E. coli E. coliHuman intestinal nematode Pathogens of widespread occurrence in infections treated at UHWI, JamaicaBioassay using infective larvae Disk diffusion method (45)
Streptococcus group A Streptococcus group B Streptococcus group D Staphylococcus epidermis Staphylococcus aureus Salmonella spp 1,2Human pathogensDisk diffusion method (46)
Mycobacterium tuberculosisTuberculosis pathogenTested by Tuberculosis Antimicrobial Acquisition and Coordinating Facility, Southern Research Institute, Alabama. (47)
AntifungalCandida albicans Candida krusei Microsporum gypeseum Trichophyton mentagraphytisHuman pathogensDisk diffusion method (48)
Insecticidal potentialTrilobium confusum AdultsSpray 10% concentrate under a Potter’s tower (49)
Cylas formicariusSweet potato weevil(50, 51)
Exophthalamus vittatusCitrus root weevilLab conditions (16)
Hypothenemus hampeiCoffee berry borerSpray under Potter’s Tower (16)
Plutella xylostellaDiamondback moth of of cabbageApplied topically to third instar larvae (16)
Oomyzus sokolowakiiAdult parasite of cabbage mothExposed to film of extracts (16)
Aedes aegyptiiMosquito larvaeTest sample applied topically at 100 ppm conc (52)
Acaricidal potentialBoophilis microplus Engorged ticksTicks affecting cattle industryTested mortality, inhibition of oviposition, inhibition of embryogenesis, acaricidal index (AI) (14, 50)
Nematocidal activityMeloidogyne incognito Rotylenchulus reniformisPlant pathogenic nematodesOrganic admendments to soil - count eggmasses and galls on roots (53)
UHWI = University Hospital of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
Antihelminthic potential = potential to kill parasitic worms of humans including flukes, tapeworms and nematodes; Anti-bacterial = potential to kill bacteria; Insecticidal potential = potential to kill insects including mosquitoes; Acaricidal potential = potential to kill mites and ticks; Nematocidal activity = potential to kill nematodes; Antifungal = potential to kill fungi, numbers in parentheses are the reference numbers.


Table 2: Summary of plants that exhibited the most medicinal bioactivity

Bioactivity
Plant
Pharmacological
Justicia pectoralis (2.fresh cut), Achyranthes indica (3.
devil’s horse whip), Bromelia pinguin (30. ping wing),
Cinnamodendron corticosum (45. mountain cinna-
mon), Cannibis sativa (46. ganja), Carica papaya (49.
papaya), Momordica charantia (83. cerassee), Sechium
edule (84. cho-cho), Euphorbia hirta (95.), Hyptis verti-
cillata (106. John Charles), Abutilon trisulcatum (123.),
Azadirachta indica (130. neem), Artocarpus altilis
(135. breadfruit), Trophis racemosa (139. ramoon),
Petiveria alliacea (159. guinea hen weed), Peperomia
clusifolia (161.), Piper amalgo var nigrinodum (165.
pepper elder), Eryngium foetidum (212. spirit weed),
Jatropha gossypiifolia (226. belly-ache bush)
Antihelminthic
(76.), (112.), Mimosa pudica (134. shame-mi-lady),
(135.), (212.)
Diabetes
Anacardium occidentalis (5.cashew), Spondias dulcis
(7. June plum), Catharanthus roseus (12. periwinkle),
Bixa orellana (21. annatto), Symphytum officinale (26.
Comfrey), Cassia alata (35. king of the forest), (46.),
Mikania micrantha (64. guaco), (83.), Cocus nucifera
(146 coconut), Capsicum baccatum (204. bird pepper),
Capsicum frutescens (205. pepper)
Fungicidal
(45.), (130.), (161.), (165.), Piper betle (167.), Piper
murrayanum (170.)

Mosquitocidal
(45.), Peperomia proctorii (163.), (165.)
Antibacterial
Cordia brownei (22. black sage), Cassia jamaicensis
(36. Jamaican broom), Haematoxylum campechianum
(39.logwood), (64.), Veronia pluvalis (72.), (83.),
Rytidophyllum tomentosum (99. search me heart),
Ocimum basilicum (109. sweet parsley), (110.), (130.),
Coccoloba krugii (174.), Lantana camara (217. white
sage), Lippia alba (221. colic mint)


Numbers in bold are plant reference numbers (PRN) as listed in Tables 5 and 6; Plant names in bold are endemic plants.


Table 3: Summary of plants that exhibited the most agricultural bioactivity

Bioactivity
Plant
Insecticidal
Ervatamia divaricata (13. coffee rose), Cleome viscosa (48. wild caia), Eupatorium odoratum (62. Jack-in-the-bush), Cuscuta americana (76. dodder), Dioscorea polygonoides (85. wild yam), Croton linearis (91. rosemary), (106.), (130.), (135.), Bontia daphnoides (140. kidney bush), Piper aduncum (164.), Piper fadyenii (168.), Piper hispidum (169.), Piper verrucosum (171.), Cycloptis semicordata (175. fern), Capraria biflora (196. goat weed), Capsicum annum (203. pepper), Nicotiana tabacum (207. tobacco) Eucalyptus spp. (227.)
Acaricidal
(13.), (26.), Ricinus communis (98. castor oil), Ocimum micranthum (110. wild parsley), Salvia serotina (112. chicken weed), Spigelia anthelmia (118. worm grass), Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (125.), (130.), (175.), Blighia sapida (192. ackee), Simarouba glauca (200. bitter damson), Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (224. vervine)
Nematocidal
Hibiscus sabdariffa (124. sorrel), Pimento dioica (142. pimento)

Numbers in bold are plant reference numbers as listed in Tables 5 and 6; plant names in bold are endemic plants.


Table 4: Natural products isolated from plants tested at UWI between 1948 and 2001

PRN
Isolated Natural Product
Bioactivity
2
Coumarine
Increased wound healing but not coagulation
21
Trans-bixin
Hyperglycaemic, activity at receptor sites
34
Caesalpine F
Bioactivity not determined
45
Sesquiterpenoids and sesquiterpene
Anti-microbial, anticancer and mosquitocidal activity
46
Cannabtriol
Canosol effects eye (glaucoma)
48
Diterpene cleomolide
Insecticidal activity
54
Flavanoids, heliangolide
Bioactivity not determined
73
Tricin
Bioactivity not determined
82
6 novel cucurbitacin
Bioactivity not determined
86
Steroidal sapogenin
Bioactivity not determined
90
Peptides
Bioactivity not determined
91
Terpene
Lethal to Cylas formicus
93
Morphinandienones and proporphines
Bioactivity not determined
103
Plukentione A, B-G and xerophenone A
Bioactivity not determined
106
Cadina-4,10(15)-dien-3-one Flavonol
Lethal to Cylas formicus Antitumour and antimicrobial activity
119
Triterpene
Bioactivity not determined
123
Choline
Improved short-term memory in rats
131
Photogedunin
Bioactivity not determined
132
Triterpenoids
Bioactivity not determined
135
Pentacyclic triterpene

Gamma-aminobutyric acid
Lethal to Cylas formicus

Hypertensive agent
140
Epingaione
Active against C. formicus, B. microplus, Candida albicans and inhibited elongation of radish roots
142
Essential oils, oleoresins
Bioactivity not determined
159
Polysulphide
Had insecticidal and acaricidal activity
161
Clusifoliol, 3 NP
Bioactivity not determined, Anticancer properties
Nigrinodine
Antifungal activity
163
5 NP
2 NP had mosquitocidal activity
164
6 amides, 3 amides synthesised from NP
No bioactivity, insecticidal activity
165
Nigrodine, pipercide, guineesine
Antifeedant, anticancer, antifungal
6 amides
3 amides lethal to Aedes aegyptii
Gamma-butyric acid
Hypertensive agent
168
6 amides, 3 amides synthesised from NP
No bioactivity, insecticidal activity
169
6 amides, 3 amides synthesised from NP
No bioactivity, insecticidal activity
170
Prenylated hydroxybenzoic derivates, 6 NP
Antimicrobial activity
171
2 NP
One had contact insecticidal activity
178
Triterpenoid saponins
Bioactivity not determined
179
Tripterpenoids
Insecticidal activity
183
2,5-diaryl oxazole, chromene
Bioactivity not determined
190
Glabresol
Bioactivity not determined
191
Chromenes, 2-quinolone
Bioactivity not determined
192
Oil - 3 fatty acids
Potent insecticide - C. formicus, B. microplus, Leucoptera, Hypothenemus hampei, Plutella xylostella
196
Sesquiterpenoids and 4 caprariolides
2 NP combined had insecticidal activity against
C. formicarius equitoxic to eugenol
197
4 alvaradoins
Bioactivity not determined
Chrysophanol, physcion
No activity against M. tuberculosis
209
Freidelane terpenes
Bioactivity not determined
212
Unsaturated fatty aldehyde
Antihelminthic activity - S. stercoralis
220
Terpenes
Bioactivity not determined
224
Phytosterol, spinasterol
Bioactivity not determined
Dopamine
Pressor activity
226
Jatrophone
Anti-leukaemic agent

PRN = Plant Reference Number as given in Tables 5 and 6.

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