Desiccation tolerance of four seedlots from Euterpe edulis Mart.

In order to identify the desiccation tolerance of E. edulis seeds, four fruitlots were collected from the Campinas Agronomic Institute Palmae collection, located at Ubatuba, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and taken in moisture-proof containers to the College of Agriculture in Botucatu, state of Sao Paulo. There, the fruits were shelled and the seeds were dried, either under silica gel conditions or in a drying chamber. The effects of dehydration were evaluated by measurements of the germination, embryo protrusion, germinative button, plumule, speed of emergence, seedling length, seed dry matter and water content. Differences among seedlots and between harvest season for most of the traits were observed. Euterpe edulis seedlots seem to tolerate water content reductions until 39% without significant reduction in germination and vigor. Below this value, most of the evaluated traits were negatively affected. Total loss of germination was observed whenever seed water content was reduced to values below 21%.

Características anatômicas de espinheira-santa (Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reissek e Maytenus aquifolia Mart.) e mata-olho (Sorocea bonplandii (Baill.) Burg. Lanj. & Boer.) para o controle de qualidade da matéria prima

Maytenus ilicifolia and Maytenus aquifolia (Celastraceae) both designated espinheira-santa have proven anti-ulcer activity. Morphologic similarities between leaves of espinheira-santa and mata-olho (Sorocea bonplandii), has motivated fakes in the market of phytotherapy. The present work consisted of the anatomical study, including stem and leaf, of the species M. ilicifolia, M. aquifolia and S. bomplandii. Samples of adult leaves and stem of plants located in the cities of Maringá and Marialva were collected. Both are located in the northwest region of Paraná State. The botanical material was prepared with using usual techniques of anatomy. The leaves of both Maytenus species presented great similarities, characterizing itself for the presence of epidermal cells with straight walls, biseriate palisade tissue, petiole vascular system represented by unique amphicribal bundle and sclereids, which were present in the stems of these two species. S. bomplandii leaves differed of Maytenus species for presenting epidermal cells with undulated walls, uniserite palisade tissue, petiole vascular system represented by many collateral bundles and gelatinous fibres. Non-glandular trichomes, glandular trichomes, and laticifer only occur in S. bomplandii.

Autocorrelação espacial em população natural de Terminalia argentea Mart et Succ. no cerrado de Selvíria, MS

The objective of this study was determine the spatial distribution of genotypes of Terminalia argentea Mart et Suce. (Capitão-do-campo) in a natural population, aiming to outline strategy to genetic conservation in situ and ex situ. The population (Terminalia argentea) is located in an area of cerrado on the Teaching and Research Farm of FEIS / UNESP. It was sampled seeds in 30 trees to determine the biochemistry and technological traits. The trees were also located per GPS apparatus, with objective of obtaining geographic coordinate and to analysis the genotype spatial structure from I Moran Index. The analysis of spatial autocorrelations, from I Moran index, indicated the tendency of a larger structure among trees near spatially. In another hand, trees distant spatially showed smaller similarity. The spatial structure was more visible in a ray of 353m.

Saponinas triterpênicas de Tocoyena brasiliensis Mart. (Rubiaceae)

The present communication reports the isolation and identification of four triterpenoid saponins from the chloroform extract of the leaves of Tocoyena brasiliensis: 3-O-β-D-quinovopyranosyl quinovic acid, 3-O-β-D- quinovopyranosyl cincholic acid, 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl quinovic acid and the 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester derivative of quinovic acid as binary mixtures, respectively. From the ethanol extract a flavonoid identified as ramnazin-3-O-rutinoside was obtained. The structures of these compounds were assigned by data analysis of ID and 2D NMR spectrometry and comparison with data recorded in the literature for these compounds.

Efeito alelopático de extratos de parte aérea de barbatimão [Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville] na germinação e desenvolvimento da plântula de pepino

Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville (barbatimão), belonging to Mimosaceae family; it is used as ornamental and the wood is used in civil buildings, edification in wet places, lathe and joinery jobs, being very used also in home-made medicine against hemorrhage, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, conjunctivitis, injury cleaning, uterus hemorrhage, ulcerous hurt and excessive oily skin. The objective of this research was to determine the allelopathic potential of an aqueous extract, boiled or not of S. adstringens (Mart.) Coville, in the Cucumis sativus germination and initial development. Thus, the aqueous vegetable extract was extracted from the shoot, which was triturated in 1L of distilled water to 100g of leaf, being the extract filtrated and separated in boiled and not boiled. The treatments used were distilled water (0%) and boiled and not boiled extracts, in the concentrations of 50 and 100%. The cucumber seeds were put to germinate in Gerbox, having filter paper as substrate, which was wet with 25mL from different treatments, in constant temperature of 25°C. The reading germination was accomplished in breaks of 24 hours, for a period of five consequently days after the beginning of the experiment, considering germinated the seeds that showed 2mm of root, approximately. To dry matter determination, the seedlings with five days after the germination were separated in shoot and root, dried during three days to a constant weight in a 60°C forced draft oven. Through results, it can be concluded that the extract of S. adstringens affected more the Cucumis sativus seedling development than the germination, and it didn't show difference if boiled or not.

Maturidade fisiológica das sementes do ipê amarelo, Tabebuia chrysotricha (Mart. Ex DC.) Standl

Ipê amarelo Tabebuia chrysotricha (Mart. Ex DC.) Standl. is a native forest species that presents heavy and durable wood: it is common to be used for urban arborization. The species is latte secondary and heliophyta. Occurs from Espirito Santo State until Santa Catarina in the Pluvial Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica). The seedling production is hard because their seeds have short longevity after dispersion, and so due to the difficulty to harvest winged seeds that are quickly dispersed by the wind. The present study was carried out to evaluate the physiological maturity of Ipê Amarelo seeds, to establish the best moment to harvest them. The study was to accompany the maturation of 100 fruits in just beginning development, from eleven different trees. Morphological characteristic measures were made weekly, with fruits still on trees, starting from the second week development when fruits presented the following averages: 6.3 cm length, 0.71 cm thickness, and 0.82 cm width. From the sixth week of fruit development we harvest them to proceed the germination test, water content rate, and electric conductivity test. The germination has begun by the seventh week development with 28% of germinated seedlings. The highest germination rate happened by the eighth week development, with 74.5% of germinated seedlings and on the ninth week the rate decrease to 65.5%, when the seeds were already in dispersion. Through the electric conductivity test the highest value obtained was 378.06 μS.g -1.cm -1 on the seventh week development and the lowest one was 183.28 μpS.g -1.cm -1 on eighth week. These results support those obtained in the germination test, because as higher is the electric conductivity of seeds, as higher is their deterioration level. Finally, the study allows concluding that the physiological maturation of ipê amarelo seeds has occurred before dispersion close to the eighth week development when fruits presented the following averages: 22.2 cm length, 1.37 cm width, and 1.05 cm thickness; water content rate was 61.8% and electric conductivity was 183.28 μS.g -1.cm -1. In that moment, the fruits presented greened brown coloration and started to show fissures.

Caracterização morfoanatômica de plântulas de Gomphrena elegans Mart. (Amaranthaceae)

Aiming to describe seedlings' morphology and cotyledons and eophylls anatomy of Gomphrena elegans Mart., 100 seeds were put into plastic bags, with sand and fertilized soil (1:3), kept in the greenhouse under room conditions, with 50% shady and watered daily. Cotyledonous petiole and limb and seedlings eophylls were sectioned in median and border. They were then analyzed in transversal and paradermic sections. Seedlings initial morphology is epigeal-foliar, the root is axial, and hypocotyls and epicotyl are reddish. Venation is of pinnate type, camptodrome and brochidrodome in cotyledons and eophylls. Petiole and leaf show uniseriated epidermis with cells of varied sizes and anomocytic stomata. Druses of calcium oxalate occurred in leaves and petiole. Dorsiventral mesophyll shows one palisade parenchyma layer and several lacunary ones.

Bioprospecção de atividade antioxidante e antimicrobiana da casca de Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville (Leguminosae-Mimosoidae)

The aim of this work was to evaluate the class of secondary metabolites responsible for the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of bark extracts of Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville (Leguminosae-Mimosoidae), a plant widely used in folk medicine in Brazil. Extracts of the bark were prepared with 50% ethanol, 70% ethanol, acetone:water (7:3, v/v) and chloroform. Antioxidant activity was prospected by spraying thin-layer chromatographs of the extracts with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) and measuring the DPPH radical scavenging capacity by spectrophotometry. Antibacterial activity was revealed by the agar diffusion method and bioautography. TLC spots assigned to tannins in the polar extracts showed antioxidant activity by DPPH radical scavenging and the chloroform extract showed the least scavenging activity. Antimicrobial activity was indicated by the bacterial growth inhibition haloes around polar extracts and bioautography showed activity in the TLC spots assigned to tannins. It was concluded that polar extracts of the bark of S. adstringens possessed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities which were due to secondary metabolite derived from the tannin class, which are the main constituent of these bark extracts, according to the literature.

Características fenotípicas de 44 progênies de espinheira-santa (Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reiss) cultivadas no município de Ponta Grossa, PR

Due to the confirmation of its medicinal properties, the demand and the area planted with 'espinheira-santa' have been increasing. However, there are no sources of propagation material with known characteristics. Progenies of Maytenus ilicifolia Martius ex Reiss (espinheira-santa), originating from Southern Brazil have been analyzed, and currently comprise a germplasm inventory for the species. Studies included the assessment of in natura growth features (height and production of biomass canopy) and plant chemistry (lignin, phenols and mineral element contents), and targeted the creation of a data base, characterizing populations/progenies to be used in future selection and breeding programs of the species. Among the features assessed, were considered desirable the ones related to productivity (high foliar mass to branch mass ratio) and also the absence of thorns on the leaves. High total phenol and tannin content were observed in all the progenies assessed and these features is desirable as long the absence of toxic effects and preservation of the therapeutic quality of the plant medicinal elements produced can be proved.

Efeitos da luminosidade no crescimento de mudas de Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. ex Tul. (Leguminosae, Caesalpinoideae)

Caesalpinia ferrea is a species used a lot as a medicinal plant, for urban arborization and landscape design in the state of Amapa. Yet there is not much ecophysiological information available on it. Light is an important environment factor that controls processes associates with the accumulation of dry matter, contributing thus for plant growth. The object of this research was to study the effect of different luminosity levels on the growth of seedlings of this species. The seedlings were transplanted to plastics bags containing a mixture of soil and sand (2:1), which were maintained in the full sun, under artificial shade with reduction of 50% and 70% of the luminosity and under natural shade of a closed canopy of forest. The experimental design was completely randomized with five replicates. Seedlings submitted to natural shade showed strong growth inhibition. In the full sun, the seedlings presented higher net assimilatory rate (NAR), lower shoot/root ratio (SRR) and lower leaf area ratio (LAR). The results showed little difference in the growth and biomass allocation between seedlings kept in 50 and 70% shade; the seedlings submitted to this treatment presented higher values of SRR and LAR. This indicates plasticity which influences a possible increase in light capture and is important, therefore, to keep the seedling growth and survival under low light levels. The results as a whole showed morphological and physiological adjustment to different light levels in Caesalpinia ferrea.

Efeito de níveis de fósforo no crescimento inicial, biomassa e atividade in vivo da fosfatase ácida em Lychnophora ericoides Mart

The effect of phosphorus levels on seedling growth, dry and fresh matter production, and in vivo acid phosphatase activity was studied in Lychnophora ericoides cultivated during 130 days after transplanting in a greenhouse. Experimental design was completely randomized, with four P 2O 5 levels (0; 40; 80; 160 mg dm -3 as triple superphosphate) and five replicates of four plants each. The used soil was dystrophic acid dark red latosol. Lychnophora ericoides is responsive to phosphate fertilization with modification in daily relative growth rate, dry matter production and distribution among the plant parts. Acid phosphatase activity had significant and negative correlation with total, leaf and stem dry matter production, as well as with P levels accumulated in the leaf tissue. On the other hand, acid phosphatase activity had significant and positive correlation with root/shoot ratio.

Biometria e qualidade fisiológica de sementes de diferentes matrizes de Tabebuia chrysotricha (Mart. Ex A. DC.) Stand I.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Erythroxylaceae, erythroxylum subsessile (Mart.) O.E. schulz in Espírito Santo: Distribution extension

Erythroxylaceae have tropical and subtropical distribution with four genera and about 250 species. Erythroxylum is the biggest genus of the family with approximately 100 species cited for Brazil. Erythroxylum subsessile (Mart.) O.E. Schulz is a species cited just for Rio de Janeiro state and now first recorded for the state of Espírito Santo, increasing its area of distribution. © 2012 Check List and Authors.

Bioactive substance contents and antioxidant capacity of the lipid fraction of Annona crassiflora Mart. seeds

Annona crassiflora Mart. is a typical fruit of the Brazilian cerrado, considered to be a species of economic interest, mainly for its use in cooking, which is widespread among the inhabitants of that region, and can be found in many typical local dishes, especially sweets, jellies, liqueurs, soft drinks, ice creams and juices. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the bioactive substance contents and the antioxidant capacity of the lipid fraction of A. crassiflora Mart. seeds in the interest of better identifying the quality of this raw material from the Brazilian cerrado. After the receipt of the fruits, the seeds were removed manually and, then, the lipid fraction was obtained by cold extraction with chloroform:methanol:water (2:1:0.8, v/v/v) and analyzed for the composition of phytosterols, tocopherols, fatty acids, total carotenoids, antioxidant activity and oxidative stability index. The lipid fraction showed significant quantity of bioactive substances, especially phytosterols, tocopherols and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as significant antioxidant capacity and oxidative stability, influenced by the content of phytosterols and the composition of fatty acids present in the analyzed fraction. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Micorrização e crescimento de progênies de hymenaea stignocarpa mart. ex. Hayne em subsolo de área degradada degraded area

In tropical ecosystems, little is known about the relationship between arbuscular mycorhizal fungi (AMF) and the host genetic variability, especially among tree species. This study aimed to examine the response of 19 progenies of jatobá-do-cerrado (Hymenaea stignocarpa Mart. Ex. Hayne) inoculated with AMF, the root colonization and seedlings early growth were evaluated, growing in cultivated in subsoil from the loading area, under greenhouse conditions. The seedlings, germinated in the laboratory, were transferred to plastic bags containing subsoil and sand mixture (4:1). For the inoculation, each replicate received 100 g of soil (with about 48 spores of AMF) from a preserved Cerrado area, to reintroduce microorganisms. After 120 days, the mycorrhiza colonization (COL), the number of spores of AMF, the plant height (PH), the weight of shoot dry matter (SDM) and the root fresh matter (RFM) were assessed. The highest values of COL, SDM and RFM were observed in the progenies JC7, JC18, JC29, JC27 and JC14; the JC7 andJC18 also increased number of spores. There were significant and positive correlations between COL and the others variables (AP, NE, RFM and SDM, and between RFM and other variables (NE, AP and SDM). The conclusion is that, there is variability among the genotypes of Hymenaea stignocarpa growth (AP MFSR and DMAP) and mycorrhization (COL and NE), with emphasis on two progenies (JC7 and JC18), that showed the highest values, which can be resulted of a greater affinity to strains of AMF- soil inoculum.