Abstract

Twenty-six plant species from the native flora used in Bolivian folk medicine were selected for studies of bioactivity. They belonged to the following families namely: Asteraceae (11), Brassicaceae (1), Cactaceae (1), Caesalpinaceae (2), Chenopodiaceae (1), Frankeniaceae (1), Geraniaceae (1), Laureaceae (1), Oxalidaceae (1), Piperaceae (1), Plantaginaceae (1), Rosaceae (1), Solanaceae (1) and Verbenaceae (2). Their effects on the proliferation of colon cancer cells (Caco-2) were studied using the WST-1 reagent. The results indicated that four out of 26 ethanolic extracts had a significant antiproliferative activity in this assay from (Schkuhria pinnata, Piper longestylosum, Parastrephia lepidophylla andErodium cicutarium). The bioactivity of the extracts was correlated with the phytochemical characterization. Further studies of the mechanism of action of the bioactive extracts are needed.

Key words: Bolivian plants, cell proliferation, colon cancer.