Abstract Hamelia patens, is a plant traditionally used to treat a variety of conditions among the Huastec people of Mexico. The objective of this study is to characterize the phenolic content and critically examine the antimicrobial activity of leaf extracts H. patens, obtained by maceration, Soxhlet and percolation, using ethanol as 70% solvent. Phenolic compounds are characterized by liquid chromatography, coupled to a High Resolution Mass Spectrometry, and the antimicrobial activity was studied from the inhibitory effect of each extract for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi and S. paratyphi, and by the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration, the percentage of activity and the Index of Bacterial Susceptibility of each extract. The phenolic compound identified in different concentrations in the three extracts was epicatechin. The extracts obtained by the three methods had antimicrobial activity, however, there was no significant difference (p < 0.05) between the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration of the extracts obtained by maceration, percolation and Soxhlet. The results of this study contribute to the body of knowledge on the use of extracts in controlling microorganisms with natural antimicrobials.

The consumption of dietary supplements and herbal mixtures to promote weight loss is a common practice in the West. This study was undertaken in Mexico City, surveying stores selling "natural products" at subway stations. The aims of this paper were as follows: to compile a record of plant products marketed as slimming aids and of retailer perceptions of these products; to review the pharmacological and ethnobotanical literature on the species declared; and to create an optical micrograph of a subset of products to verify the accuracy of the list of component plant species shown on the labels. We applied the techniques of observation, semi-structured interviews and free-listing at the retail stores. Results are presented for the 75 species recorded in the 41 weight-loss products surveyed, showing which plant parts are used, the geographical distribution of the species, pharmacological effects, dosage, route of administration and method of preparation, as well as ethnobotanical information derived from fieldwork. We discuss the values assigned to the species used. Microscopic analyses revealed that many of the plant ingredients declared were absent, highlighting the need for greater quality control and safety of these herbal remedies.

ABSTRACT The medicinal plants of Copandaro de Galeana in the state of Michoacan, Mexico, were studied, and uses were recorded for 103 taxa. The dominant plant families were Compositae (19 spp.), Labiatae (10 spp.), Solanaceae (6 spp.) and Leguminosae (5 spp.), and the most represented genera were Salvia (Labiatae) y Tagetes (Compositae). Twenty-two species of medicinal flora werere gistered for the state for the first time. To evaluate their relative use, the Friedman quantitative methodology was used to determine the rank of priority (ROP) and the fidelity value (FL) of these plants. The relative popularity (RPL) was determined by designating the plants as «popular» or «not popular» and adjusting the FL values. The most frequently used species (ROP = 100) were: Tecoma stans (L.) Juss., Oenothera rosea L´Her. ex Ait., O. purpusii Munz, Bougainvillea glabra Choisy, Lippia triphylla (L´Her.) Kuntze and Lobelia laxiflora HBK. This information was used to construct a database and prepare an illustrated manual, in which the uses and common names of these species are given. A local herbarium for general use was established with our collections.

RESUMEN Se estudió la flora medicinal del municipio de Copándaro de Galeana en el estado de Michoacán, México. Se obtuvo un listado florístico de 103 taxa. Las familias más importantes, de acuerdo al número de especies, son: Compositae (19 spp.), Labiatae (10 spp.), Solanaceae (6 spp.) y Leguminosae (5 spp.). Los géneros mejor representados son Salvia (Labiatae) y Tagetes (Compositae). Se registran por primera vez 22 especies para la flora medicinal del estado de Michoacán. Usando la metodología cuantitativa de Friedman se determinó el uso de las plantas, mediante el rango de prioridad (ROP), definiendo el valor de fidelidad de las especies (FL). La popularidad relativa (RPL) se determinó designando a las plantas como ‘‘populares’’ o ‘’no populares’’ ajustando el valor de la fidelidad (FL). Las especies más usadas (ROP=100) fueron Tecoma stans (L.) Juss., Oenothera rosea L´Her. ex Ait., O. purpusii Munz, Bougainvillea glabra Choisy, Lippia triphylla (L´Her.) Kuntze y Lobelia laxiflora HBK. Con la información obtenida se elaboró una base de datos y un manual ilustrado donde se describen los usos, forma y la nomenclatura popular de cada especie. Se estableció un herbario local con los ejemplares colectados para la información de los usuarios.