Setzer, W.N., M.N. Flair, K.G. Byler, J. Huang, M.A. Thompson, A.F. Setzer, D.M. Moriarity, R.O. Lawton, and D.B. Windham-Carswell. 1992. Antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of crude extracts of Araliaceae from Monteverde, Costa Rica. Brenesia 38: 123-130.
Tropical plant materials from the ginseng family (Araliaceae) have been collected from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica, and the Monteverde community. These plants were extracted (chloroform extraction and ethanol extraction) and the crude extracts tested for fungidical, bacteriocidal, and cytotoxic activity. None of the crude extracts showed antibacterial activity. Chloroform extracts from various Oreopanax spp. did show antifungal activity, however. Crude ethanol extracts were screened for potential antitumor activity in vitro against a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (Hep G2). Six members of Araliaceae show remarkable in-vitro cytotoxic activity against human Hep G2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells but limited cytotoxic activity against normal adult rat hepatocytes.
