The medicinal value of tropical rainforest plants from Paluma, North Queensland, Australia

Abstract

A pharmacological survey of flora of the Paluma rainforest including 90 species representing 19 families has been carried out. Crude plant extracts have been screened for cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activity, as well as brine shrimp lethality. Of these, 27 extracts exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activity, 23 showed antimicrobial activity, and 7 showed promising antiviral activity. Thus, 53 of the plant species examined showed marked bioactivity in one or more bioassays; a "hit rate" of 59%. These results underscore the phytomedicinal potential of Australian tropical rainforests.