Felix Coe

Two New Combinations in Peruvian Jaltomata (Solanaceae)

Novon, 1992

ABSTRACT The new combination Jaltomata weberbaueri (Dammer) Mione is based on Saracha weberbaueri... more ABSTRACT The new combination Jaltomata weberbaueri (Dammer) Mione is based on Saracha weberbaueri Dammer; this species resides in Peru, Dept. Ancash, between 3,300 and 3,700 m elevation. The new combination Jaltomata aspera (Ruíz &amp; Pavón) Mione is based on Atropa aspera Ruíz &amp; Pavón; Hebecladus asperus (Ruíz &amp; Pavón) Miers is a synonym. This species resides in Peru, Dept. Lima, from near sea-level to 1,800 m, and is rare, likely due to habitat destruction by humans.

Ethnomedicine Of The Rama Of Southeastern Nicaragua

Journal of Ethnobiology, 2008

... For example, a snakebite doctor would grow key species, such as alcotán (104 Cissampelos pare... more

Ethnobotany of the Garífuna of Eastern Nicaragua

Economic Botany, 1996

Page 1. ETHNOBOTANY OF THE GARfFUNA OF NICARAGUA 1 FELIX G. COE AND GREGORY J. ANDERSON EASTERN C... more

The Genus Piper (Piperaceae) in Honduras

by Allan Bornstein and Felix Coe

Novon, 2007

In preparation for a detailed account of the genus Piper L. in Honduras, a nomenclator is provide... more In preparation for a detailed account of the genus Piper L. in Honduras, a nomenclator is provided that includes the name, reference citation, and type information for species accepted. A total of 45 taxa are currently recognized, with over 100 names (species level and below) listed in synonymy, 58 of which are new. Lectotypification is provided for the following taxa for which types were not designated at the time of publication: Piper cobanense Trelease, P. cyclophyllum Trelease, P. gracillimum Trelease, P. perinaequilongum Trelease, P. telanum Trelease, P. triumphale Trelease, P. wilsonii Trelease, and P. yzabalanum C. DC. var. pubinerve Trelease.

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Ethnobotany of the gar�funa of Eastern Nicaragua

Econ Bot, 1996

Rama midwifery in eastern Nicaragua

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Apr 17, 2008

Rama midwives in eastern Nicaragua use a wide array of plants in providing health care to women a... more Rama midwives in eastern Nicaragua use a wide array of plants in providing health care to women and infants. In this study, I document the use of medicinal plants by Rama midwives on the island of Rama Cay in eastern Nicaragua. Field investigations included semi-structured interviews and field trips with eight midwives to collect voucher specimens. A total of 162 plant species, in 125 genera and 62 families were documented as useful in midwifery, over 5 years of fieldwork. Most (59%) medicinals are obtained from second-growth forest, and are used to treat more than 35 human ailments. Over 90% have some bioactive principle, most are trees (40%) or herbs (31%), and leaves are the most frequently used plant part. Most herbal remedies are prepared as decoctions and are administered orally. Most midwifery species are wild, but many important species are introduced domesticates native to the NW and OW tropics. This study is important because it is the first systematic study of midwifery in eastern Nicaragua and particularly of Rama midwifery. Eastern Nicaragua is a region undergoing tremendous changes, and the Rama are a people highly acculturated, but with very little documentation of their ethnobotanical heritage. Based on the results of this study I believe that for the near future, the Rama will continue to rely on midwifery as a primary source of health care.

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Screening of medicinal plants used by the Gar�funa of Eastern Nicaragua for bioactive compounds

J Ethnopharmacol, 1996

As part of a larger study of the plants used by the Garifuna of eastern Nicaragua, the 229 specie... more As part of a larger study of the plants used by the Garifuna 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 Garifuna 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.

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Etnobotánica de los indígenas Ulwas del Suroriente de Nicaragua y Comparaciones con el Conocimiento Botánico de los Miskitos

Wani, 2014

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Alkaloid presence and brine shrimp ( Artemia salina ) bioassay of medicinal species of eastern Nicaragua

Pharmaceutical Biology, 2010

We used an alkaloid test and a brine shrimp bioassay to assess the bioactivity of the medicinal p... more We used an alkaloid test and a brine shrimp bioassay to assess the bioactivity of the medicinal plants used by eastern Nicaraguan healers in traditional medicine. Ethnomedicinal uses were obtained from interviews of traditional healers. Aqueous extracts derived from 30 species of angiosperms were assayed for the presence of alkaloids and toxicity. Species tested are distributed in 30 genera and 21 families. Of the 30 species tested for alkaloids with Dragendorff&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s reagent, 29 contained alkaloids. Toxicological analysis was conducted using the brine shrimp lethal assay (BSLA). Biological activity using BSLA was recorded as the median lethal concentration (LC50) that kills 50% of the larvae within 24 h of contact with the aqueous plant extracts. The LC50 of the shrimp was less than 2500 microg/mL for 3 (10%) species, 2500-5000 microg/mL for 9 (30%), 5001-7500 microg/mL for 7 (23%), 7501-10000 microg/mL for 3 (10%), and greater than 10000 microg/mL for 8 (27%) of the species. The members of the orders Santales and Rubiales in general contained species with greater toxicity than any other group. Struthanthus cassythoides (Struthanthus cassythoides Millsp.(Loranthaceae)). (LC50 1574 microg/mL) and Alibertia edulis (Rich.) A. Rich. (Rubiaceae) (LC50 1741 microg/mL) were the most toxic.

The good and the bad: Alkaloid screening and brineshrimp bioassays of aqueous extracts of 31 medicinal plants of eastern Nicaragua

Pharmaceutical Biology, 2012

Presence/absence tests for alkaloids of 31 medicinal vascular plant species from 31 genera and 26... more Presence/absence tests for alkaloids of 31 medicinal vascular plant species from 31 genera and 26 families of eastern Nicaragua provided a baseline for bioactivity tests. To determine the bioactivity and cytoxicity of aqueous extracts of widely used medicinal species in eastern Nicaragua. Ethnomedicinal applications were obtained from interviews of traditional healers. We used Dragendorff&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s reagent to test alkaloids and brine shrimp for cytotoxicity of aqueous extracts. Twenty-nine of the 31 species tested positive for alkaloids. The median lethal concentration that kills 50% of the larvae within 24 h of contact with the extract (LC(50) was less than 1000 µg/mL for 4 (13%) species (the usual cytotoxic category), 1001-5000 µg/mL for 23 (74%) species, and between 5001-7500 µg/mL for the remaining 4 (13%) species. Twenty-five of the ethnomedicines contain alkaloids but are not cytotoxic. In contrast to first suppositions, we suggest that this is a good and desirable, and perhaps expected, outcome. Medicinal plants that are cytotoxic may obviously control or kill bacteria or other pathogens, but may also negatively affect the patient; some high alkaloid levels have been associated with carcinogens. Thus, perhaps the majority of effective medicinals should be expected to be noncytotoxic. We suggest that this is a new paradigm for consideration of the overall value and effectiveness of medicinals. Of course, medicinals also can be effective in numerous ways (e.g., organ stimulation or other physiological functions) other than simply as antimicrobials or antipathogens.

The Genus Piper (Piperaceae) in Honduras

by Allan Bornstein and Felix Coe

Novon: A Journal for Botanical Nomenclature, 2007

In preparation for a detailed account of the genus Piper L. in Honduras, a nomenclator is provide... more In preparation for a detailed account of the genus Piper L. in Honduras, a nomenclator is provided that includes the name, reference citation, and type information for species accepted. A total of 45 taxa are currently recognized, with over 100 names (species level and below) listed in synonymy, 58 of which are new. Lectotypification is provided for the following taxa for which types were not designated at the time of publication: Piper cobanense Trelease, P. cyclophyllum Trelease, P. gracillimum Trelease, P. perinaequilongum Trelease, P. telanum Trelease, P. triumphale Trelease, P. wilsonii Trelease, and P. yzabalanum C. DC. var. pubinerve Trelease.

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Rama midwifery in eastern Nicaragua

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2008

Rama midwives in eastern Nicaragua use a wide array of plants in providing health care to women a... more Rama midwives in eastern Nicaragua use a wide array of plants in providing health care to women and infants. In this study, I document the use of medicinal plants by Rama midwives on the island of Rama Cay in eastern Nicaragua. Field investigations included semi-structured interviews and field trips with eight midwives to collect voucher specimens. A total of 162 plant species, in 125 genera and 62 families were documented as useful in midwifery, over 5 years of fieldwork. Most (59%) medicinals are obtained from second-growth forest, and are used to treat more than 35 human ailments. Over 90% have some bioactive principle, most are trees (40%) or herbs (31%), and leaves are the most frequently used plant part. Most herbal remedies are prepared as decoctions and are administered orally. Most midwifery species are wild, but many important species are introduced domesticates native to the NW and OW tropics. This study is important because it is the first systematic study of midwifery in eastern Nicaragua and particularly of Rama midwifery. Eastern Nicaragua is a region undergoing tremendous changes, and the Rama are a people highly acculturated, but with very little documentation of their ethnobotanical heritage. Based on the results of this study I believe that for the near future, the Rama will continue to rely on midwifery as a primary source of health care.

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

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 1996

As part of a larger study of the plants used by the Garifuna of eastern Nicaragua, the 229 specie... more As part of a larger study of the plants used by the Garifuna 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 Garifuna 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.

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Ethnobotany of the garífuna of Eastern Nicaragua

Economic Botany, 1996

Page 1. ETHNOBOTANY OF THE GARfFUNA OF NICARAGUA 1 FELIX G. COE AND GREGORY J. ANDERSON EASTERN C... more

Ethnobotany of Woody Species in Second-Growth, Old-Growth, and Selectively Logged Forests of Northeastern Costa Rica

Conservation Biology, 1999

We assessed quantitatively the woody species used for timber, medicine, and other products in 10 ... more We assessed quantitatively the woody species used for timber, medicine, and other products in 10 tropical wet-forest stands with different land-use histories in the Atlantic lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica. Species were classified into 20 use categories based on regional ethnobotanical studies. Three size classes of woody vegetation were sampled in nested, contiguous plots along transects: trees ( Ն 5 cm diameter at breast height [dbh]), saplings ( Ͼ 1 m high, Ͻ 5 cm dbh), and seedlings ( Ͼ 20 cm high, Ͻ 1 m high). Our study included five second-growth stands, three old-growth stands, and two selectively logged stands. Of the 459 woody species surveyed, 70% of the species and 86% of the total number of individuals had at least one use. Overall, species richness was highest for medicinal species (167 species). Absolute and relative abundance of medicinal and timber trees was significantly higher in second-growth stands than in old-growth and selectively logged stands. For 8 of the 15 use categories examined statistically, stem density showed no significant differences across forest types for any stem size class. Young, tropical, second-growth forests and selectively logged forests have high utilitarian as well as conservation value and will likely become important sources of forest products. The success of secondary forest regeneration, however, depends critically upon conservation of genetically diverse source populations in forest fragments and protected old-growth stands.

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Abundance and diversity of useful woody species in second growth, old growth and selectively-logged forests of NE Costa Rica

Ecology and management of tropical secondary forest: science, people and policy. CATIE. Costa Rica, 1998

Tropical secondary forests are rich sources of useful species for native and traditional people. ... more Tropical secondary forests are rich sources of useful species for native and traditional people. Our objective was to conduct a quantitative assessment of useful species in a series of forest stands with different land-use histories. Based on a detailed vegetation inventory of 10 tropical wet forest stands in Sarapiquí, Costa Rica, species were classified into 20 use categories. Classification was based on personal knowledge of uses of these species in SE Nicaragua and NE Costa Rica and from published ethnobotanical sources. ...

Status Origin Domesticate Purchased Semi-domesticate Wild Total

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A New Species of Piper (Piperaceae) from Cordillera Nombre de Dios, Honduras

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Sumu Ethnobotany Coe and Anderson 4

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Screening of Garifuna Med Plants Coe and Anderson 2

As part of a larger study of the plants used by the Garifuna of eastern Nicaragua, the 229 specie... more As part of a larger study of the plants used by the Garifuna 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 Garifuna 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.

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