Vardeman Ella, Abuali Jood, Elvin-Lewis Memory, Lewis Walter H, Vandebroek Ina, Kennelly Edward J
Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W., Bronx, NY 10468, USA; The Center for Plants, People and Culture, New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd., The Bronx, NY 10458, USA; PhD Program in Biology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Ave., NY 10016, USA.
Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, City University of New York, 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W., Bronx, NY 10468, USA.
Fitoterapia. 2025 Apr;182:106403. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2025.106403. Epub 2025 Feb 3.
Gouania lupuloides (L.) Urb. (Rhamnaceae), a medicinal plant commonly used in the Caribbean for dental health, is known as chew stick (chewstick) or bejuco de Indio. Few studies have assessed its chemistry and biological activity. The overall aim of this research is to understand the phytochemistry and antibacterial activity of Gouania lupuloides, as well as its continued cultural use. Authenticated Gouania lupuloides samples collected in Jamaica were extracted, subjected to solvent-solvent partitioning, and evaluated for inhibitory activity against pathogenic oral bacteria. Commercial Caribbean samples of bejuco de Indio available in the United States were compared chemically to known Gouania lupuloides samples through targeted and untargeted UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis. Ethnobotanical fieldwork in rural and urban Jamaica demonstrated the ongoing cultural use of Gouania lupuloides as a natural toothbrush, and in the preservation of traditional fermented beverages. Antibacterial assays demonstrated that triterpenes from Gouania lupuloides, including ceanothic acid, had activity against several of the tested oral pathogens, such as Actinomyces viscosus, Prevotella intermedia, and Peptostreptococcus micros. Principal component analysis indicates that at least one of the chew stick samples sold as bejuco de Indio was chemically distinct from Gouania lupuloides type specimens. Presence of ceanothic acid was used to characterize a chemical fingerprint typical of Gouania lupuloides to aid in the chemotaxonomic identification of unknown chew sticks. Additionally, antibacterial ceanothic acid was present in similar relative abundance in all samples identified as Gouania lupuloides, further supporting its traditional use for oral health and hygiene.
北美蛇藤（Gouania lupuloides (L.) Urb.，鼠李科）是一种在加勒比地区常用于口腔健康的药用植物，被称为咀嚼棒（chewstick）或印度藤（bejuco de Indio）。很少有研究评估其化学性质和生物活性。本研究的总体目标是了解北美蛇藤的植物化学和抗菌活性，以及它在文化方面的持续应用。对在牙买加采集的经鉴定的北美蛇藤样本进行提取、溶剂-溶剂分配，并评估其对口腔致病细菌的抑制活性。通过靶向和非靶向超高效液相色谱-四极杆飞行时间质谱（UPLC-QTOF-MS）分析，将美国市场上可获得的印度藤商业加勒比样本与已知的北美蛇藤样本进行化学比较。在牙买加农村和城市进行的民族植物学实地调查表明，北美蛇藤在文化上持续被用作天然牙刷，并用于保存传统发酵饮料。抗菌试验表明，北美蛇藤中的三萜类化合物，包括ceanothic acid，对几种测试的口腔病原体具有活性，如粘性放线菌、中间普雷沃菌和微小消化链球菌。主成分分析表明，至少一种作为印度藤出售的咀嚼棒样本在化学上与北美蛇藤模式标本不同。ceanothic acid的存在被用来表征北美蛇藤典型的化学指纹，以帮助对未知咀嚼棒进行化学分类鉴定。此外，在所有被鉴定为北美蛇藤的样本中，抗菌性ceanothic acid的相对丰度相似，这进一步支持了其在口腔健康和卫生方面的传统用途。
