Biologically active compounds from plants with reputed medicinal and sweetening properties.

Examples are presented of plants with folkloric reputations that have recently afforded constituents with great potential for use as drugs or pharmaceutical excipients. Described are the results of laboratory investigations at this institution on the biologically active compounds of four plants with reputed medicinal properties and of six sweet plants used by local populations in various regions of the world. It is concluded that folklore information should be considered seriously in programs designed to yield prototype, biologically active molecules from plant sources.