There is a wide diversity of plants and seasonal crops inPeru, due to the presence of many climatic zones. Numerous plants are used tocure or prevent diseases. These plants are promising candidates for functionalfoods products. The most frequent form in which they are used is an aqueousinfusion or decoction.

Gentianella alborosea (“Hercampure”) is a Peruvian species used in folk medicine for the treatment of a variety of health disorders. We tested the free radical scavenging (DPPH) and induction of apoptosis on a human uterus tumor cell line (HeLa) by its methanolic extract.

Demonstrating that these products possess weight loss effects is important since the product could be added as a new medication, in this case a plant-based medicine with the associated low toxicity, which would further allow us to add it to the Registry of new medicines.

Peru is what Peruvian anthropologist Lupe Camino calls the “health axis” of the old Central Andean culture area stretching from Ecuador to Bolivia. In particular in the North of the country the traditional use of medicinal dates back as far as the first millennium B.C.

The present study was aimed to investigate the activity of plants traditionally used in Northern Peru against acne. Various bacteria, especially Propioniobacterium acnes have been identified as triggering this condition. The normal control of acne in western medicine often causes side effects like skin irritations.

Thirty-nine extracts of 13 plants used traditionally as medicinal by the Ese'ejas were studied in order to determine their cytotoxic effect in the brine shrimp. Infusions showed no toxicity.

Demonstration of the innocuousness of this product is important in that the product could produce undesirable reactions in individuals who use it. Demonstrating that it does not produce toxic effects can lead to other tests that will allow it to be registered as a new medicine.