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This work analyzes the safe consumption of wild mushrooms in Mexico, addresses the mushroom poisoning phenomenon, and discusses the role of communication and environmental education to prevent them. We documented that most mushroom poisonings happen in mestizo and transculturized indigenous communities. We constructed the online 'Digital repository of edible and toxic mushrooms of Mexico.' The repository contains: updated full listings of edible and toxic mushrooms, infographics of the most important species, a photograph catalogue, and information and treatment protocols for physicians. The website is a dynamic space consisting of educational information for health care specialists, mycologists, and society in general.

The tropical tree Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess. (Clusiaceae) grows in rain forests from Brazil to Mexico. Its leaves, as well as those of other Calophyllum species, are rich sources of chromanone acids, such as apetalic acid, isoapetalic acid, and their derivatives. Apetalic acid has shown significant antimycobacterial activity. The biological activity of apetalic acid has been related to the configuration of three asymmetric centers and the stereochemistry of the molecule; however, the C-19 configuration in the acidic side chain has not been fully resolved. For this reason, the unequivocal determination of the absolute configuration by means of X-ray crystallography in a sample of unique homogeneous apetalic acid stereoisomer was the most important point to start this study. Chiral amides were prepared using the carboxyl group. We determined the C-19 stereochemistry of apetalic acid and its specific chiral derivatives using NMR, X-ray diffraction, and molecular mechanics. Finally, we observed that steric hindrance in the side chain of apetalic acid leads to restriction of rotation around the pivotal linkage C-10-C-19, establishing chiral centers at C2(R), C3(S), and C19(R). We were able to separate the derivatives of these two high-rotatory-barrier conformers of apetalic acid by forming diastereoisomeric amides with phenylglycine methyl ester having a chiral center at C-2'. Our results confirmed the existence of atropisomerism in the apetalic acid molecule. Key words: NMR of apetalic acid chiral amides, absolute configuration and conformation, X-ray studies versus NMR, stable conformers of apetalic acid, high-rotatory-barrier conformers of apetalic acid. L'espece Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess. (Clusiaceae) est un arbre qui pousse dans les forets tropicales du Bresil jusqu'au Mexique. Ses feuilles, comme celles d'autres especes de Calophyllum, sont une source riche en acides de chromanone, tels que l'acide apetalique, l'acide isoapetalique et leurs derives. L'acide apetalique a montre une activite antimycobacterienne substantielle. Un lien a ete observe entre l'activite biologique de l'acide apetalique et la configuration de trois centres asymetriques ainsi que la stereochimie de la molecule. Cependant, la configuration du carbone C19 de la chaine laterale acide n'a pas ete completement resolue. Pour cette raison, la determination sans equivoque de la configuration absolue par radiocristallographie sur un echantillon d'un seul stereoisomere homogene d'acide apetalique a ete le motif le plus important pour entreprendre cette etude. Nous avons prepare des amides chiraux en utilisant le groupe carboxyle. Nous avons determine la stereochimie du carbone C19 de l'acide apetalique et de certains de ses derives chiraux au moyen de la RMN, de la diffraction des rayons X et de la mecanique moleculaire. Enfin, nous avons observe que l'encombrement sterique dans la chaine laterale de l'acide apetalique entraine une restriction de rotation autour de la liaison C10-C19, qui determine la stereochimie des centres chiraux aux positions C2(R), C3(S) et C19(R). Nous sommes parvenus a separer les derives de ces deux conformeres a barriere de rotation elevee de l'acide apetalique en formant des amides diastereoisomeriques avec l'ester methylique de la phenylglycine qui possedent un centre chiral a la position C2'. Nos resultats confirment l'existence d'atropisomerisme dans la molecule d'acide apetalique. Mots-cles : RMN d'amides chiraux de l'acide apetalique, configuration absolue et conformation, etudes par rayons X versus RMN, conformeres stables de l'acide apetalique, conformeres a barriere de rotation elevee de l'acide apetalique., Introduction The Calophyllum genus (Clusiaceae) is composed of approximately 200 tree species with a pantropical distribution. (1,2) Most of them thrive within the Indo-Pacific zone, particularly from the Malay Peninsula [...]

The genus Litsea (Lauraceae) comprises eight species in the American Continent collectively known as 'laurel'. Here, we review their botany, ethnobotany, ecology, chemistry and pharmacology to promote their international recognition, and to outline their use as condiments and as potential sources of novel phytomedicines. 'Laurel' leaves are widely used as a spice and in traditional medicine throughout Mexico and Central America. The leaves of these species are harvested mainly from wild populations in temperate forests. The most used and studied species is L. glaucescens, which is listed as endangered in Mexico. Its leaves are traded throughout the country and even exported. However, in an international context, they are considered substitutes for the Mediterranean 'bay leaf' (Laurus nobilis). Several folk medicinal applications of L. glaucescens and other species of Litsea have been experimentally validated in vitro. Although most active principles are yet to be discovered, some species may be suitable to develop new phytomedicines, especially as antidepressants and anti-inflammatory. However, research on the systematics, phytochemistry, ecology and genetics of the American species of Litsea is scarce. Further research will allow the development of such phytomedicines through the rational exploitation of natural populations or the establishment of plantations, thus avoiding 'laurel' to follow the fate of numerous Mesoamerican floristic resources which have been depleted, while their economic and medicinal potential remained largely untapped. Keywords Bay leaf * Ethnopharmacology * Non-timber forest products * Phytochemistry * Sustainable harvest, Introduction The spice known as 'bay leaf' is well known worldwide and is obtained from Laurus nobilis L. (Lauraceae), a tree native to the Mediterranean region in Europe. Besides its [...]

The need for new drugs to treat human infections is a global health concern. Diseases like tuberculosis, trypanosomiasis, amoebiasis, and AIDS remain significant problems, especially in developing countries like Mexico. Despite existing treatments, issues such as resistance and adverse effects drive the search for new alternatives. Herein, we introduce the NUATEI research consortium, made up of experts from the Institute of Biomedical Research at UNAM, who identify and obtain natural and synthetic compounds and test their effects against human pathogens using in vitro and in vivo models. The consortium has evaluated hundreds of natural extracts and compounds against the pathogens causing tuberculosis, trypanosomiasis, amoebiasis, and AIDS, rendering promising results, including a patent with potential for preclinical studies. This paper presents the rationale behind the formation of this consortium, as well as its objectives and strategies, emphasizing the importance of natural and synthetic products as sources of antimicrobial compounds and the relevance of the diseases studied. Finally, we briefly describe the methods of the evaluation of the compounds in each biological model and the main achievements. The potential of the consortium to screen numerous compounds and identify new therapeutic agents is highlighted, demonstrating its significant contribution to addressing these infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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