Influence of condensed tannins from Brazilian semi-arid legumes on ruminal degradability, microbial colonization and ruminal enzymatic activity in Saanen goats

The present study aimed at determining the influence of condensed tannins present in the Brazilian legume species Mimosa hostilis, Mimosa caesalpinifolia and Bauhinia cheilantha on ruminal degradability, microbial colonization and enzymatic activity. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used to reduce the astringency and concentration of soluble condensed tannins. Four ruminally-cannulated Saanen goats (60 +/- 8 kg BW) were fed, in two experimental periods, with a hay diet based on the studied legumes treated or non-treated with PEG. Voluntary intake, microbial colonization, DM, CP, NDF, and ruminal degradability of PEG treated and non-treated forage leaves, as well as pH, ammonia and 1,4 P-endoglucanase activity of the rumen content were evaluated. Astringency and soluble tannin concentration of the studied legumes were reduced by approximately 70% and 50%, respectively, with PEG treatment. Average DM intake was higher for the treated diet (16.76 g DM/kg BW/day against 13.06 g DM/kg BW/day). Percentile values for degradation parameters and for potential and effective degradabilities of DM, CP and NDF were also affected by the tannins, but at different intensities. Electron microscopic observations of ruminally-incubated legume leaves showed a more effective microbial colonization of PEG-treated leaves for all legume species. A decrease in pH and an increase in ammonia concentration and in endoglucanase activity in the ruminal content was also observed for PEG-treated diets at all sampling periods. Condensed tannins of the studied legume species have influenced the adhesion conditions, colonization and enzymatic activity of the microbial ecosystem, and consequently the ruminal degradation of the different dietary fractions. For this reason, the reduction in condensed tannin would be of great importance to improve the nutrition of ruminant feeding of these species. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Four new Neotetranychus Trägardh (Acari: Tetranychidae) from São Paulo State, Brazil

Neotetranychus peniculus Aranda n. sp. from Bauhinia holophylla (Fabaceae), N. rhaphidoseta Aranda n.sp from Tabebuia ochraceae (Bignoniaceae), N. granifer Feres and Flechtmann n. sp. from Bauhinia forficata and N. asper Feres and Flechtmann n. sp. from Alchornea glandulosa (Euphorbiaceae) from São Paulo State, Brazil, are described and figured.

Reciprocal interference between ants and stingless bees attending the honeydew-producing homopteran Aetalion reticulatum (Homoptera: Aetalionidae)

We evaluated the reciprocal effects between foragers of the ants Camponotus crassus and of the stingless bees Trigona hyalinata on aggregations of the honeydew-producing treehopper Aetalion reticulatum. The interactions were observed in Bauhinia variegata (Caesalpiniaceae) and Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae) trees. We recorded the presence/absence of each attendant species in homopteran aggregations to test if the observed co-occurrence is lower than that expected by chance. An exclusion experiment was performed in which each attendant species was excluded from aggregations in order to test if an attendant species is more likely to occupy aggregations where the other attendant is not present. We also recorded the number of individuals of each attendant species in homopteran aggregations to search for any correlation between homopteran and attendant abundances. Additionally, we performed experiments using termites (Termitidae, Isoptera) as models to verify if the attendant species have the potential to defend A. reticulatum against natural enemies. The co-occurrence of attendant species was lower than that expected by chance. Homopteran aggregations without stingless bees were more visited by ants than those in which T. hyalinata was present, and vice-versa. The abundance of stingless bees was proportional to homopteran abundance, while ants abundance was not correlated to homopteran abundance. Both attendant species attacked the natural enemies models when we glued the termites ca. 1 cm away from homopteran aggregations, but only ants removed termites glued 5-7 cm away from aggregations. We suggest that the effects of non-formicid attendants should be included as another factor influencing the costs and benefits of ant-homopteran interactions, since honeydew availability for ants also depends on the presence and behavior of interspecific attendants.

Enraizamento de plantas cultivadas in vitro

The adventitious rooting process of in vitro cultured plantlets is a technique that has been employed for the vegetative propagation of a significant number of native and exotic species. Many factors are associated with the rooting stage influencing positive and/or negatively the establishment of micropropagation protocols. The objective of this work was a literature review of the main inherent factors concerning in vitro rooting process including the correlation among others the endogenous and exogenous auxins levels, juvenility, genotype, mineral nutrition, culture medium conditions, addition of growth regulators and other substances as phenolic compounds and active coal besides growth environmental conditions of in vitro cultures. Although the complete elucidation of all processes involved with rooting of in vitro cultured plants has not been achieved so far, a comprehensive study of the main factors that interfere on rooting is fundamental for the establishment of new researches that might contribute for the rooting of economically important plants.

Antioxidant properties of brazilian tropical fruits by correlation between different assays

Four different assays (the Folin-Ciocalteu, DPPH, enzymatic method, and inhibitory activity on lipid peroxidation) based on radically different physicochemical principles and normally used to determine the antioxidant activity of food have been confronted and utilized to investigate the antioxidant activity of fruits originated from Brazil, with particular attention to more exotic and less-studied species (jurubeba, Solanum paniculatum; pequi, Caryocar brasiliense; pitaya, Hylocereus undatus; siriguela, Spondias purpurea; umbu, Spondias tuberosa) in order to (i) verify the correlations between results obtained by the different assays, with the final purpose to obtain more reliable results avoiding possible measuring-method linked mistakes and (ii) individuate the more active fruit species. As expected, the different methods give different responses, depending on the specific assay reaction. Anyhow all results indicate high antioxidant properties for siriguela and jurubeba and poor values for pitaya, umbu, and pequi. Considering that no marked difference of ascorbic acid content has been detected among the different fruits, experimental data suggest that antioxidant activities of the investigated Brazilian fruits are poorly correlated with this molecule, principally depending on their total polyphenolic content. © 2013 Elena Gregoris et al.

Anatomia e aspectos ultra-estruturais de pulvinos de leguminosas de cerrado

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Botânica) - IBB

Diversidade de ácaros em cultivo orgânico de citros e na vegetação natural circundante, e perspectivas para a criação massal de Iphiseiodes zuluagai (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Green chromatographic fingerprinting: An environmentally friendly approach for the development of separation methods for fingerprinting complex matrices

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

Plantas medicinais do SUS: espécies comuns da região de Bauru-SP

This work deals with present and discuss mainly the chemical composition and pharmacological activities of each species of the National List of Medicinal plants of interest to SUS (RENISUS) contained in scientific articles that are found in the Bauru-SP region. Such information compiled in this study may help in the advancement of scientific research, promoting the speed in bibliographic queries these species. In the present work was carried out consultation papers and described in the form of literature review, published information of the species listed in Renisus specific to the Bauru-SP region are: Aloe spp* (A. vera or A. barbadensis), Schinus terebinthifolius = mastic Schinus, trimera Baccharis, Mikania spp* (M. glomerata and M. laevigata), Vernonia condensata, Tabebuia avellanedeae, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Momordica charantia, Phyllanthus spp* (P. amarus, P. niruri, P. tenellus and P. urinaria), Stryphnodendron adstringens = Stryphnodendron barbatimam, pulegium Mentha, Mentha spp* (M. crispa, M. piperita or M. villosa), Plectranthus barbatus = Coleus barbatus, Persea spp* (gratissima or P. americana P.), Bauhinia spp* (B. affinis, B. forficata or B. variegata), Copaifera spp*, Morus sp*, Eugenia uniflora or brasiliana Myrtus*, Psidium guajava, Syzygium spp* (S. jambolanum or S. cumini), Passiflora spp* (P. alata, P. edulis or P. incarnata), Punica granatum and Casearia sylvestris. Studies have shown that the use of plants as alternatives treatment and sustainable use of Brazilian biodiversity has a breakthrough in research regarding the chemical composition of each species of RENISUS relationship. Many phytochemical studies are reported compiled with possible pharmacological indications of each species. Thus enabling the use and production of herbal medicines in SUS

Uso e conservação de plantas medicinais nativas por comunidades quilombolas no município de Alcântara, Maranhão

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Horticultura) - FCA

Controle de qualidade e obtenção de extratos de espécies vegetais do cerrado brasileiro com potencial etnofarmacológico

ANVISA (National Health Surveillance Agency) has published in recent years, laws that regulate the stages of the control of plants derivatives, including tests of macro and microscopic botanical identification, phytochemical determination, tests of authenticity and purity, microbiological testing, among other parameters. All the analytical procedures of plant drugs control required by law must be based on the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, other Pharmacopoeias recognized by ANVISA or quality control guides of plant species published by the World Health Organization (WHO). This study aimed to evaluate some pharmacognostic, phytochemical screening and microbiological control of plant species of the Brazilian cerrado, which have indicated ethnopharmacological: Byrsonima intermedia (Bi), Bauhinia holophylla (Bh) and Myrcia bella (Mb). In addition, certain parameters were determined for obtaining extracts from plants sprayed and dried. These data are important to obtain new scientific information from Brazilian plants with therapeutic potential.