Studies on the pharmacological activity of Amazonian Euphorbiaceae

Plant material from 34 Amazonian species of the family Euphorbiaceae were collected and extracts prepared. Sixteen of these species have a documented use as a medicinal agent. The extracts were tested for their ability to inhibit the growth of the bacteria, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus; the yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans; the dermatophytic fungi, Microsporum canis, Microsporum fulvum, Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton gallinae; the viruses, Sindbis virus and murine cytomegalovirus; and tumours induced on potato discs by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. They were also examined for their toxicity to brine shrimp, Artemia salina. The results are discussed with respect to ethnobotanical information available for some of the species.