Anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential of hydrolyzed extract of Agave sisalana Perrine ex Engelm., Asparagaceae

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

Effect of doses of fungicides and plant resistance activators on the control of Rhizoctonia foliar blight of soybean, and on Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA in vitro development

Rhizoctonia foliar blight (RFB) of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] occurs in many tropical and subtropical regions, causing yield reductions of up to 70% and in Brazil, up to 60%. The disease is caused by Rhizoetonia solani AG1-IA and AG1-IB, and by AG2-3 in Japan. RFB occurs in the North, Northeast and Mid-west regions of Brazil. Chemical control remains the only effective method of controlling RFB, but its efficiency depends upon environmental conditions. In this study, 18 fungicides, salicylic acid (SA) and acibenzolar-s-methyl (ASM) were evaluated on R. solani AG1-IA in vitro, by mycelial growth rating and estimating effective concentration for 50% (EC 50) and 90% (EC 90) inhibition of mycelial growth, and in vivo by reduction of disease severity on soybean plants in greenhouse conditions. Mycelial growth was strongly inhibited by the fungicides pyraclostrobin + boscalid and fludioxonil. Preventive fungicide applications were the most effective. Strobilurins were more efficient both in preventive and curative applications. Best results with plant resistance activators were obtained with SA (2.5 mM) sprayed at 20 d before inoculation and with ASM (12.5 mg a.i. l(-1)) 10 d before inoculation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anticlastogenic activity of aqueous extract of Agaricus blazei in drug-metabolizing cells (HTCs) during cell cycle

The mushroom Agaricus blazei has been extensively investigated because of evidence of its antimutagenic, antitumor, and anticarcinogenic activities. This study investigated the clastogenic and/or anticlastogenic activity of aqueous extract of Agaricus blazei (10% w/v) in drug-metabolizing rat hepatoma tissue cells (HTCs), with continuous treatment and treatment during different phases of the cell cycle. DNA damage was induced utilizing two directacting agents-methyl methane sulfonate and ethyl methane sulfonate-and two indirect-acting agents-2-aminoanthracene and cyclophosphamide. The aqueous extract of A. blazei with either continuous treatment or treatment during different phases of the cell cycle showed clastogenic activity. The results with continuous treatment showed that A. blazei does not protect against DNA damage-inducing agents that are direct acting. Meanwhile, when combined with indirect-acting agents, a protective effect was demonstrated. A protective effect was also found during different phases of the cell cycle when cells were treated with indirect-acting agents. The protective effects against indirect-acting agents (continuous treatment and during the different phases of the cell cycle) suggest that A. blazei may provide some health benefits to the public when used as a functional food.

Determination of soybean seed respiration rate by the titulation method

This trial was carried out under laboratory conditions, with three lots of Iguacu soybean seeds, to determine the respiration rate by the titulation method. A randomized complete block design was used, with four repetitions, each one of them with 50 seeds and a control without seeds for each lot. The seeds were placed in gerbox with 40 mi of KOH 0.1N, on distilled water wet blotting paper for fixing the CO2 produced by seeds respiration. The material was placed in germinator at constant 25 degrees C for 16, 24 and 48 hours. After these periods, the titulation of the fixative solution was performed with HCl 0.1N to check the respiration rate. The most deteriorated seeds were those that presented the highest respiration rates, which were measured in mg of CO2/g of dry matter, when compared with the most vigorous lots. The titulation method was suitable for the evaluation of soybean seed respiration rate because the final results separated the lots in three different quality levels that were compatible with the results obtained from the accelerated aging and emergence.

Differences and similarities in the pore size distribution of soybean seed coats

In this work we apply the mercury porosimetry technique to determine the pore size distribution in soybean seed coats of different varieties. The analyses show that the porosity of soybean seed coats is different when seeds of different genotypes are compared. This result points the possibility of using pore size distribution to varietal discrimination.

Study of the embryotoxic effects of an extract of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L)

Extracts of rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis L., have been used in folk medicine as a diuretic, an emenagogue, an antispasmodic and its aqueous extract does not present toxicity to man, presenting, however, abortive effects. In order to evaluate if this plant induces abortion and/or interferes with the normal development of the concepts, doses of 26 mg of a 30% (w/v) R. officinalis aqueous extract (13 mg solids/ml) made with leaves, flowers and stem were administered daily by gavage during two different periods of Wistar rat pregnancy. One group of animals (N = 12) received the extract from days 1 to 6 of pregnancy (preimplantation period) and another group (N = 14) received the same extract from days 6 to 15 of pregnancy (organogenic period). Control groups (N = 12) received saline in the same volume and during the same periods as their respective experimental groups. The animals were sacrificed at term. The treatment of the darns during either the preimplantation or the organogenic period did not cause significant changes in the postimplantation loss or in the number of anomalies or malformations of the term fetuses, which also showed a similar degree of development when compared with the respective controls. The percent of preimplantation loss in the group treated before embryo implantation increased, although the difference was not significant compared to the control. This result suggests that rosemary extract may present an anti-implantation effect without interfering with the normal development of the concept after implantation.

Electrical conductivity of soybean seed and correlation with seed coat lignin content

The effects of soybean genotype and seed coat lignin content on bulk electrical conductivity were investigated. Seeds of nine soybean cultivars were hand harvested at R8 maturation stage in Londrina, PR., Brazil in 1995/96. Seeds were electrical conductivity tested using four replicates of 50 seeds per cultivar soaked in 75 mi of deionized water at 25 degrees C for 24 hours. Seed coat lignin content was determined using the potassium permanganate method. There was a significant relationship (R-2 = 0.84**) between electrical conductivity and seed coat lignin content, the latter being a characteristic that varies among soybean genotypes; the higher the amount of lignin in the seed coat, the lower the levels of seed exudates to the soaking solution and consequently the lower the electrical conductivity. It was concluded that seed soaking electrical conductivity is influenced by the seed coat lignin content, which is a characteristic that varies among soybean genotypes. Additionally, the EC test can be used as a valuable tool in the screening process for this characteristic, which is desirable for genetically improving soybean seed quality.

Electrical conductivity of soybean soaked seeds. I. Effect of genotype

During the period from October/92 to September/94 experiments were carried out at the Seed Laboratory, FCAV/UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, using soybean seeds of different genotypes in order to evaluate the effect of genotype on the electrical conductivity (bulk conductivity) of soaked seeds. Seed moisture content (105 ± 3°C, 24 h), standard germination (four 50-seed samples, paper towel, 30°C), and vigor-accelerated aging (42°C, 48 h) were first determined. Undamaged soybean seeds were soaked in deionized water (four 50-seed samples, 75 ml, 25°C, 24 h) and electrical conductivity (μmhos.cm+1.g+1) was measured. Significant differences in conductivity were observed among genotypes having the same pattern of germination and vigor. The results have showed that electrical conductivity can be significantly influenced by genotype.

Electrophoretic patterns of lipopolysaccharides and antigenic analysis of soybean bradyrhizobia

Several serological methods have been used for the characterization and identification of soybean bradyrhizobia. However, some problem were non-reactivity of certain strains and cross-reactivity among others. Since lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can often be used in strain identification, the objective was to investigate the antigenic properties and polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic pattern of 12 Brazilian strains of Bradyrhizobium japonicum that nodulate soybean and to compare them to standard strains. The close correlation between the LPS patterns obtained by SDS-PAGE and the serological analysis permitted us to assign the strains to nine groups different or the same as the standard strains.

Correlation of electrical conductivity and other vigor tests with field emergence of soybean seedlings

Seeds from six soybean cultivars (Cristalina, IAC 31-Foscarin, IAC-15, UFV-10, IAC-14 and IAS-5) and from five soybean cultivars (IAC 31-Foscarin, IAC-15, IAC-14, IAS-5 and Iguacu) were evaluated in 1993 and 1994, respectively, in terms of physiological seed quality by the mechanical damage (MD), standard germination (SG), accelerated aging (AA), electrical conductivity (EC), and seedling field emergence (FE) tests. Significant correlations were detected between SG, AA and EC and FE. However, in terms of the cultivar or the year, the degree of association among these parameters can change based on the environmental conditions of each year.

Application of on-line C30 RP-HPLC-NMR for the analysis of flavonoids from leaf extract of Maytenus aquifolium

The application of on-line C30-reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is described for the analysis of tetraglycosylated flavonoids in aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of the leaves of Maytenus aquifolium (Celastraceae). Triacontyl stationary phases showed adequate separation for on-line 1H-NMR measurements at 600 MHz and allowed the characterisation of these flavonoids by detection of both aromatic and anomeric proton signals. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.