Sexual and vegetative propagation of the medicinal Mexican species Phyllonoma laticuspis (Phyllonomaceae).

Phyllonoma laticuspis leaves are used in Carrizal de Bravo, Guerrero, Mexico, to heal skin lesions such as injuries and smallpox sequelae and to treat diabetes mellitus type 2, and organic extracts of these leaves have been reported to exert antibacterial effects. High demand of P. laticuspis as a medicinal plant has decreased its natural populations, and propagation of the species has not yet been reported.

Histochemistry and immunolocalisation of glucokinin in antidiabetic plants used in traditional Mexican medicine.

Mexico is a megadiverse country that has 3,600 to 4,000 species of medicinal plants, of which approximately 800 are used to treat conditions related to diabetes mellitus (DM). DM is a chronic degenerative disease of energy metabolism that exists as two types: type 1 (DM1) and type 2 (DM2). DM is considered a public health problem that affects 7% of the Mexican population older than 20 years.

A Histochemical Technique for the Detection of Annonaceous Acetogenins.

Annonaceous acetogenins (ACGs) are molecules with carbon numbers C35-C37, usually with tetrahydrofuran and tetrahydropyran rings and one terminal γ-lactone (usually α,β-unsaturated), in a large aliphatic chain that is varyingly hydroxylated, acetoxylated or ketonized. ACGs have ecological functions as insecticides and are pharmacologically promising due to their cytotoxic and antitumoral properties. They are found in the seeds, leaves, roots, flowers and fruits of annonaceous plants and can be detected during isolation via thin-layer chromatography using Kedde's reagent, which reacts with the unsaturated lactone.

Chemical composition, potential toxicity, and quality control procedures of the crude drug of Cyrtopodium macrobulbon.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Cyrtopodium macrobulbon ("cañaveral") has been long used in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of painful urinary ailments ("mal de orin") in men. This study was conducted (i) to establish the potential acute toxicity and the antinociceptive activity of some preparations of Cyrtopodium macrobulbon, in order to demonstrate its preclinical efficacy for treating symptoms of "mal de orin"; and (ii) to determine the chemical composition and quality control parameters of this medicinal orchid.

Materials And Methods: The antinociceptive effect was assessed using the acetic acid-induced writhing and the hot-plate tests.