Screening of medicinal plants used by the Garífuna of eastern Nicaragua for bioactive compounds.

As part of a larger study of the plants used by the Garífuna of eastern Nicaragua, the 229 species representing 177 genera and 72 families used for medicinal purposes were assayed for the presence of bioactive compounds. A review of the literature for alkaloids and glycosides showed that 113 species contained at least one of these bioactive compounds. The remaining 116 species not previously cited were tested for alkaloids with Dragendorff's reagent; 51 contained alkaloids. The combined results show that 72% of the species the Garífuna use medicinally have at least one alkaloid or glycoside. Tests to explore pharmacological activity of compounds from selected species represent the next step to determining efficacy and application of these medicinals.