Phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon contents of macrophytes in lakes lateral to a tropical river (Paranapanema River, São Paulo, Brazil)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Antiviral activity of plants occurring in the state of minas gerais (Brazil): Part III

A total of 24 extracts from 14 plant species collected at the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and belonging to five botanical families (Annonaceae, Apocynaceae, Ochnaceae, Polygonaceae and Vitaceae) was screened for cytotoxicity in cultured Vero cells and for antiviral activity against human herpes virus type 1 (HSV-1), vaccinia virus (VACV) and murine encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV). The highest cytotoxicity (CC 50 < 10 μg/mL) was observed for the ethanol extracts from Annona coriacea fruits and seeds. Extracts from Hancornia speciosa, Ouratea castaneafolia and O. semisrrata were the only ones that have shown activity against all the three viruses assayed. Extracts from Polygonum spectabile, Hancornia speciosa, Himatanthus phagedaenica, Ouratea spectabilis and O. semiserrata were the most active against HSV-1 (EC 50 < 50 mg/mL), with favorable SI values (8.0 to 10.0). Hancornia speciosa and Anaxagorea dolichocarpa were the most active against EMCV (EC 50 50 - 100 μg/mL), with reasonable SI values (5.2 to 6.1), while moderate to low activity (EC 50 > 100 μg/mL) was observed for Ouratea spectabilis and O. semiserrata. A total of 7 plant species, Ouratea semiserrata, O. spectabilis, O. castanaeafolia, Rollinia laurifolia, Cissus erosa, Polygonum spectabile, and Hancornia speciosa, were active against VACV, disclosing EC50 < 50 μg/mL and SI values ranging from 6.6 to 67.3. In total, 10 out of the 14 species were selected from a literature survey on plants used to treat viral diseases in Brazil; these species were responsible for 70% of the positive results.

Anti-HIV Activities of the Compounds Isolated from Polygonum cuspidatum and Polygonum multiflorum

The 70% EtOH extract of Polygonum cuspidatum showed inhibitory action against HIV-1-induced syncytium formation at non-cytotoxic concentrations in vitro with a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 13.94 +/- 3.41 mu g/mL. Through bioactivity-guided fractionation, 20 phenolic compounds, including eight stilbenoids, were isolated from the roots of Polygonum cuspidatum, and their anti-HIV-1 activities were evaluated. Results showed that compounds 1, 13, 14, and 16 demonstrated fairly strong antiviral activity against HIV-1-induced cytopathic effects in C8166 lymphocytes at non-cytotoxic concentrations, with EC50 values of 4.37 +/- 1.96 mu g/mL, 19.97 +/- 5.09, 14.4 +/- 1.34 mu g/mL, and 11.29 +/- 6.26 mu g/mL and therapeutic index (TI) values of 8.12, > 10.02, > 13.89, and > 17.71, respectively. Other compounds showed either weak or no effects. Compound 6 also showed weak inhibition (153.42 +/- 19.25 mu g/mL); however, it possesses very good water solubility and showed almost no cytotoxicity (> 2000 mu g/mL), therefore achieving a fairly good TI (13.04). The activities of the two compounds (3 and 18) from Polygonum multiflorum were also assayed. The relationship between molecular structures and their bioactivities was also discussed.

Comparative Study on Antioxidant Systems of Polygonum Viviparum Grown at Two Different Altitudes

Study on the antioxidant systems of Polygonum viviparumgrown at two different altitudes indicated plants grown at Haibei Research Station at 3200 m altitude as compared with plants grown in Xining at 2300 m altitude had apparently higher contents of ultroviolet-absorbing compounds and ascorbic acid, and significantly higher activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and ascorbic peroxidase. Higher contents of superoxide radical anions and malonadehyde were also found in plants at Haibei Research Station as compared with the plants grown in Xining which have been transplanted from Haibei Research Station for at least four years. The differences in antioxidant system reflect a long term of time of adaptation to different environments.

Response of Polygonum viviparum species and community level to long-term livestock grazing in alpine shrub meadow in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Grazing by domestic herbivores is generally recognized as a major ecological factor and an important evolutionary force in grasslands. Grazing has both extensive and profound effects on individual plants and communities. We investigated the response patterns of Polygonum viviparum species and the species diversity of an alpine shrub meadow in response to long-term livestock grazing by a field manipulative experiment controlling livestock numbers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. Here, we hypothesize that within a range of grazing pressure, grazing can alter relative allocation to different plant parts without changing total biomass for some plant species if there is life history trade-offs between plant traits. The same type of communities exposed to different grazing pressures may only alter relative species' abundances or species composition and not vary species diversity because plant species differ in resistant capability to herbivory. The results show that plant height and biomass of different organs differed among grazing treatments but total biomass remained constant. Biomass allocation and absolute investments to both reproduction and growth decreased and to belowground storage increased with increased grazing pressure, indicating the increasing in storage function was attained at a cost of reducing reproduction of bulbils and represented an optimal allocation and an adaptive response of the species to long-term aboveground damage. Moreover, our results showed multiform response types for either species groups or single species along the gradient of grazing intensity. Heavy grazing caused a 13.2% increase in species richness. There was difference in species composition of about 18%-20% among grazing treatment. Shannon-Wiener (H') diversity index and species evenness (E) index did not differ among grazing treatments. These results support our hypothesis.

Alterações anatômicas do limbo foliar de plantas de Polygonum lapathifolium submetidas à aplicação de herbicidas

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a eficiência do controle dos herbicidas 2,4-D, diquat e glyphosate e as alterações anatômicas do limbo foliar provocadas por eles em plantas de Polygonum lapathifolium. As plantas foram cultivadas em caixas-d'água sob condições de campo e, quando atingiram seu pleno desenvolvimento (antes do florescimento), pulverizadas com os herbicidas. Avaliaram-se quantitativamente as seguintes características anatômicas da nervura central e internervural das folhas: porcentagem da epiderme adaxial e abaxial, porcentagem da bainha do feixe, porcentagem do feixe vascular, porcentagem de esclerênquima e colênquima, porcentagem de parênquima paliçádico e lacunoso, bem como a espessura foliar (μm). Os tratamentos químicos foram: diquat (400 g i.a. ha-1 do produto comercial Reward), 2,4-D (1.340 g e.a. ha -1 do produto comercial DMA 806 BR) e glyphosate (4.320 g e.a. ha-1 do produto comercial Rodeo) com a adição do surfatante Silwet L-77 a 0,01% v v-1. Os principais caracteres anatômicos quantitativos da região da nervura central do limbo foliar que sofreram alterações após a aplicação dos herbicidas foram a porcentagem da epiderme adaxial, a porcentagem de feixe vascular, a porcentagem de colênquima, a porcentagem de parênquima paliçádico e lacunoso e a espessura foliar. Para a região internervural do limbo foliar, os principais caracteres anatômicos quantitativos que sofreram alterações após a aplicação dos herbicidas foram a porcentagem da epiderme adaxial, a porcentagem da bainha do feixe e a espessura foliar. Os herbicidas diquat e 2,4-D foram ineficientes no controle das plantas de P. lapathifolium; o glyphosate apresentou controle superior a 90% das plantas aos 100 dias após a aplicação. Entretanto, todos os herbicidas permitiram rebrota das plantas.

Avaliação do potencial tripanocida dos óleos essenciais de Melampodium divaricatum e Hedychium coronarium e dos extratos de Polygonum ferrugineum em cepas de Trypanosoma brucei

Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia - IQ

Estudo fitoquímico e atividades biológicas preliminares de extratos de Polygonum Acre (Polygonaceae) H.B.K. e Synadenium Carinatum (Euphorbiaceae) Boiss

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)