Recent Progress in Biotechnology of Mexican Medicinal Plants

Activity of Medicinal Plants, Used by Native Populations from Sonora, Mexico, Against Enteropathogenic Bacteria

“…Despite this great tradition and the potential use that these plants could have, little research has been made on this matter (Johnson et al, 1996). With exception of the native groups of the northwest of Mexico, in the last years, studies DOI: 10.1080/13880200802215800 C 2008 Informa UK Ltd. on ethnomedicine in Mexico have received greater attention (Heinrich, 2000;Villarreal et al, 1999;Andrade-Cetto & Heinrich, 2005). In the present study, we report the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of methanol and hexane extracts of 30 plants used to cure gastrointestinal diseases by the Mayo, Yaqui, Guarijio, Seri, Pima, and Papago ethnic groups native to the northwest of Mexico.…”

Oleanane Saponins in “Kancolla”, a Sweet Variety of Chenopodium quinoa

“…COSY experiments allowed the sequential assignments of all of the proton resonances to the individual monosaccharides, as reported in Table 2. The chemical shifts, the multiplicity of the signals, the absolute values of the coupling constants, and their magnitude in the 1 H NMR spectrum as well as 13 C NMR data (Table 2) indicated the β-configuration at the anomeric position for the glucopyranoses (J ) 8.1 and 7.3 Hz) and the R-configuration at the anomeric position for the arabinopyranosyl unit (J ) 8.4 Hz). HMQC experiments, which correlated all the proton resonances with those of each corresponding carbon, allowed the assignments of the interglycosidic linkages of 1 by comparison of the observed carbon chemical shifts with those of the corresponding free sugars.…”

“…The known saponins were identified as phytolaccagenic acid 3-O-[R-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1′′f3′)-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-28-O-β-D-glucopyra-noside, 23,24 27 but are hemolytically inactive. 28 Acid hydrolysis of 1 afforded deoxyphytolaccagenic acid, which was identified by comparing its 1 H and 13 C NMR data with reported values. 29 In compound 1, C-28 appeared at 178.7 ppm in the 13 C NMR spectrum and H-18 appeared at 2.81 ppm (dd, J ) 12.0 and 4.0 Hz) in the 1 H NMR spectrum, indicating the carboxyl group was glycosylated.…”

“…28 Acid hydrolysis of 1 afforded deoxyphytolaccagenic acid, which was identified by comparing its 1 H and 13 C NMR data with reported values. 29 In compound 1, C-28 appeared at 178.7 ppm in the 13 C NMR spectrum and H-18 appeared at 2.81 ppm (dd, J ) 12.0 and 4.0 Hz) in the 1 H NMR spectrum, indicating the carboxyl group was glycosylated. 26 The attachment of another glycosidic chain at C-3 was suggested by the significant downfield shift observed for this carbon to the corresponding signal in other serjanic acid derivatives and was subsequently confirmed by 2D NMR experiments.…”

“…HMQC experiments, which correlated all the proton resonances with those of each corresponding carbon, allowed the assignments of the interglycosidic linkages of 1 by comparison of the observed carbon chemical shifts with those of the corresponding free sugars. The absence of any 13 C NMR glycosidation shift for one β-D-glucopyranosyl and one R-Larabinopyranosyl moiety suggested that these sugars were terminal units. A glycosidation shift was observed for C-3 ara (83.6 ppm).…”