Table 1.
Plant species recorded in ethnopharmacological/ethnobotanical surveys in the Caribbean that were examined for their antimicrobial and antifungal activities
| Scientific name/(voucher specimen) | Country/Traditional usea | Local name | Plant parts used/Preparation form | Extracts yield (% w/w) | Concentration of extracts (mg/mL) |
Concentration of extracts/disc (μg/μL)b |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disc 1 | Disc 2 | Disc 3 | ||||||
| Cucurbitaceae Cucurbita moschata Duchesne (019344) |
Dominican Republic/skin burns |
auyama |
leaves/juice |
2.5 |
50.0 |
50.0 |
25.0 |
12.5 |
| Plantaginaceae Plantago major L. (019342) |
Nicaragua/kidney infections |
llantén |
leaves/decoction |
1.4 |
28.7 |
28.7 |
14.3 |
7.2 |
| Labiatae Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng. (019352) |
Dominican Republic/otitis |
orégano poleo |
leaves/juice |
1.1 |
21.3 |
21.3 |
10.7 |
5.3 |
| Scrophulariaceae Capraria biflora L. (019353) |
Guadalupe, Marie-Galante, Martinique, Tobago/conjunctivitis |
Té péyi, paye, titi, |
leaves/decoction |
5.6 |
112.6 |
112.6 |
56.3 |
28.1 |
| Malvaceae Abelmochus esculentus (L.) Moench (019662) |
Dominican Republic/eye infections |
molondrón |
fruit/juice |
0.6 |
12.6 |
12.6 |
6.3 |
3.2 |
| Malvaceae Gossypium barbadense L. (019366) |
Haiti/otitis media |
koton |
leaves/decoction unripe fruit/juice |
5.5 1.4 |
110.5 27.9 |
110.5 27.9 |
55.3 14.0 |
27.6 7.0 |
| Malvaceae Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (019535) |
Haiti/conjunctivitis |
choublak |
flower/juice |
0.9 |
17.9 |
17.9 |
9.0 |
4.5 |
| Pteridaceae Pityrogramma calomelanos (L.) Link (019372) |
Tobago/kidney stones or urolithiasis |
stamp fern, egyptian secret |
leaves/decoction |
7.5 |
150.0 |
150.0 |
75.0 |
37.5 |
| Aristolochiaceae Aristolochia trilobata L. (019609) |
fever |
bejuco estrella |
leaves/decoction |
8.8 |
176.5 |
176.5 |
88.3 |
44.0 |
| Commelinaceae Tradescantia spathacea Sw.c (019664) |
Puerto Rico/psoriasis |
sanguinaria |
leaves/decoction |
2.8 |
56.0 |
56.0 |
28.0 |
14.0 |
| Zingiberaceae Costus specious (J. König) Sm.c,d (019660) |
Puerto Rico/nephritis |
caña amarga, insulina |
leaves/decoction |
2.4 |
47.3 |
47.3 |
23.7 |
11.8 |
| Zingiberaceae Tapeinochilus ananassae K. Schum.d (019553) |
Puerto Rico |
insulina |
leaves/decoction |
3.1 |
61.5 |
61.5 |
30.5 |
15.3 |
| Myrtaceae Syzygium jambos (L.) Alstond (019663) | Puerto Rico | Pomarrosa del río | leaves/decoction | 2.1 | 41.8 | 41.8 | 20.9 | 10.5 |
a) Reported in 20% or more of the interviews for a given ailment.
b) Extracts concentration/disc: disc 1 - μg/μL in the re-dissolved lyophilized extract at the final concentration, discs 2 and 3 - μg/μL in 50% and 25% dilutions of the re-dissolved extract, respectively.
c) As reported in the ethnobotanical literature in Puerto Rico to exhibit antimicrobial properties.
d) As reported in ethnopharmacological survey in Puerto Rico as an adjuvant for diabetes.