A COMPARATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF “BEJUCO DE BARRACO” (Chiococca Alba) AS A NATURAL APHRODISIAC AND TREATMENT FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
M. MACIAS, J. SALAZAR, E. RODRIGUEZ

A comparative phytochemical analysis of the various plant parts of the climbing vine “Bejuco de Barraco” (Chiococca alba) from the family Rubiacae was performed in Punta Cana, La Altgracia, Dominican Republic. Chiococca alba has traditionally been used in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and as a natural aphrodisiac for men, consumed as an extract made by soaking the roots in rum. In this experiment, the roots were allowed to soak in 95% ethanol to mimic the process of preparing the root extract in rum. Leaf extracts were also made in 95% ethanol. Disk diffusion bioassays were performed on the gram-positive bacteria Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis, and the gram-negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as three different strains of the fungus Candida albicans. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was used to analyze extracts for antioxidants, phenols, and alkaloids using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), vanillin, and Dragendorff’s reagents, respectively. Results show that the root contained alkaloids and antioxidants that were active against both bacteria and fungi. One of the compounds was photoactive, resulting in a larger inhibition radius of gram-positive bacteria when exposed to long-wave UV light. In the absence of UV light, the same compound proved more effective in inhibiting gram-negative bacteria. The leaves of the plant demonstrated mild inhibition under both UV light and in darkness. A cytotoxicity test using brine shrimp resulted in 90% death after six hours, suggesting that the root extract is toxic when concentrated and exposed to UV light. The leaves were not as toxic, killing only 30% after six hours.