Bioprospection in French Guiana for the discovery of potential agrochemical and cosmetic agents

The present work is part of the Agrocos EUFP7 project and aimed at identifying new promising plant species exhibiting agrochemical properties or cosmetic interest. French Guiana being one of the megadiverse area of the globe considering plant biodiversity, 300 plant parts from 64 families were collected for the project. Among the 600 extracts evaluated as antifungals against phytopathogens, insecticides against plant pests and herbicides, 10% revealed an interesting activity. 7 of these extracts, mostly from the Leguminosae family, are currently under investigation for isolation and evaluation of pure compounds. Concerning cosmetic activity, 8 extracts from 5 different families were selected for further study. These results may lead to the development of novel products headed to agrochemical and cosmetic industry.