The use of and search for drugs and dietary supplements derived from plants have accelerated in recent years. Ethnopharmacologists, botanists, microbiologists, and natural-products chemists are combing the Earth for phytochemicals and “leads” which could be developed for treatment of infectious diseases. While 25 to 50% of current pharmaceuticals are derived from plants, none are used as antimicrobials. Traditional healers have long used plants to prevent or cure infectious conditions; Western medicine is trying to duplicate their successes. Plants are rich in a wide variety of secondary metabolites, such as tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids, which have been found in vitro to have antimicrobial properties. This review attempts to summarize the current status of botanical screening efforts, as well as in vivo studies of their effectiveness and toxicity. The structure and antimicrobial properties of phytochemicals are also addressed. Since many of these compounds are currently available as unregulated botanical preparations and their use by the public is increasing rapidly, clinicians need to consider the consequences of patients self-medicating with these preparations.

Plant Products as Antimicrobial Agents

Carotenoids from microalgae: A review of recent developments.

S & BIBLIOGRAPHIES Bibliography of Agriculture Biological Abstracts Botany Subject Index (U. S. Dept. of Agriculture) Chemical Abstracts Craker, L. E., A. F. Chadwick, & J. E. Simon. 1986. An introduction to the scientific literature on herbs, spices, and medicinal plants. Recent Adv. Bot. Hort. Pharm. 1: 1-9. Excerpta Botanica Index Medicus Index to American Botanical Literature Simon, J. E., A. F. Chadwick, & L. E. Craker. 1984. Herbs: an indexed bibliography, 1971-1980: the scientific literature on selected herbs, and aromatic and medicinal plants of the temperate zone. Shoe String Press. 770 pp.

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Plants & Civilization; An Introduction to the Interrelationships of Plants and People

The effects of humic acids extracted from two commercially‐available products (CP‐A prepared from peat and CP‐B prepared from leonardite) on the growth and mineral nutrition of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) in hydroponics culture were tested at concentrations of 20 and 50 mg L‐1. Both the humic acids tested stimulated plants growth. The CP‐A stimulated only root growth, especially at 20 mg L‐1 [23% and 22% increase over the control, on fresh weight basis (f.w.b.), and dry weight basis (d.w.b.), respectively]. In contrast, CP‐B showed a positive effect on both shoots and roots, especially at 50 mg L‐1 (shoots: 8% and 9% increase over the control; roots: 18% and 16% increase over the control, on f.w.b. and d.w.b., respectively). Total ion uptake by the plants was affected by the two products. In particular, CP‐A showed an increase in the uptake of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu), whereas, CP‐B showed positive effects for N, P, and Fe uptake. The change in the F...

The effect of commercial humic acid on tomato plant growth and mineral nutrition

Abortifacient (Abortion) Aloe vera Ananas comosus Aristolochia daemoninoxius Azadirachta indica Caesalpinia pulcherrima Carica papaya Centropogon cornutus Citrus aurantiifolia Crescentia cujete Croton trinitatis Cyanthillium cinereum Dioscorea alata Eryngium foetidum Gossypium barbadense Gossypium herbaceum Guarea gomma Guarea guidonia Hibiscus esculentus Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Justicia secunda Microtea debilis Momordica charantia Musa x paradisiaca Persea americana Petiveria alliacea Pouteria sp. Renealmia guianensis Renealmia monosperma Rhizomorpha corynephora Ruellia tuberosa Scoparia dulcis Senna alata Siparuna guianensis Spondias mombin Sterculia cf. excelsa Zingiber officinale

Medicinal plants of the guianas (guyana, surinam, french guiana)

CAt, PAINE, the major alkaloid of Carica papaya, occurs in all of the green parts of the plant and in the seeds. It also occurs in other members of the family Caricaceae, Vasconcellosia haste, and certain Apocynaceae. Its chemistry and pharmacology have posed many interesting and perplexing problems since its first isolation by Greshoff (7) in 1890, when he attributed to it the physiological activity of papaya leaves. Since then, its chemistry has enticed chemists to elucidate its structure, but its pharmacology has received by no means the same amount of attention. After some 75 years, apparently we know the absolute chemical configuration of carpaine. Its formula is C2sHsoN20~ and consists of two identically substituted piperidine rings linked together by two ester groups. In other words, carpaine contains a rather unique 26-membered ring and is far from being a simple compound as previously thought and erroneously recorded in many text books. The quest for the absolute configuration of carpaine seems to be concluded by the recent work of Coke and Rice (3) at the University of North Carolina working under a grant from the National Heart Institute of the United States Public Health Service.

Carpaine: An alkaloid of Carica papaya—its chemistry and pharmacology

The humate content of soils must be maintained for optimum productivity. Skilled agriculturists are aware of this and accomplish it by indirect and costly methods. The same can be achieved through the use of humate concentrates, which are salts of the humic acids obtainable from natural sources, that can be added directly to soils along with regular commercial fertilizers.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/info/4252588

Commercial Humates for Agriculture and the Fertilizer Industry

Commercial methods are described for extracting carotenes and xanthophylls from alfalfa, carrots and palm oil. Utilization of these carotenoids as vitamin A precursors and coloring agents in margarines, dough products, Pharmaceuticals, stock and poultry feeds is discussed.

Everette M. Burdick

Papers

Carpaine: An alkaloid of Carica papaya—its chemistry and pharmacology

Commercial Humates for Agriculture and the Fertilizer Industry

Extraction and utilization of carotenes and xanthophylls