Pulp fruit added to culture medium for in vitro orchid development

As an additive in in vitro culture media, fruits have a great potential for facilitating economical orchid production because of lower technology requirements and the ease of obtaining raw materials to formulate culture media. We studied the in vitro growth of Cattleya bicolor Lindl. grown in a simplified culture medium supplemented with different kinds of fruit pulp. The experimental design was completely randomised, with eight seedlings per replication and ten replications per treatment, for a total of 80 seedlings per treatment. The culture medium was made using 150 g L -1 of pulp (without peel or seed) from the following fruits: ripe Santa Cruz tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), dwarf bananas (Musa cavendishii L.) of intermediate ripeness, light green chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw), ripe papaya (Carica papaya L.) or green coconut (Cocos nucifera L.).The treatment control was MS 50 %. The treatments and the control were kept in a growth chamber for seven months before evaluating seedling survival percentage, shoot height, number of leaves, rooting percentage, root number, root length and dry masses of shoot and roots. The highest percentages of seedling survival were obtained using MS 50 %, banana and coconut medium. The seedling survival and rooting percentages illustrate that it is possible to emphasise the culture medium MS 50% and the culture medium supplemented with coconut on the most traditional culture medium with banana or tomato pulp. For the in vitro development of Cattleya bicolor Lindl., a simplified culture medium supplemented with coconut pulp is the most suitable for use as an alternative to MS 50%. A simplified culture medium supplemented with papaya pulp is not recommended for the in vitro development of Cattleya bicolor Lindl.

Major components of energy drinks (caffeine, taurine, and guarana) exert cytotoxic effects on human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells by decreasing reactive oxygen species production

Scope. To elucidate the morphological and biochemical in vitro effects exerted by caffeine, taurine, and guarana, alone or in combination, since they are major components in energy drinks (EDs). Methods and Results. On human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells, caffeine (0.125-2 mg/mL), taurine (1-16 mg/mL), and guarana (3.125-50 mg/mL) showed concentration-dependent nonenzymatic antioxidant potential, decreased the basal levels of free radical generation, and reduced both superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, especially when combined together. However, guarana-treated cells developed signs of neurite degeneration in the form of swellings at various segments in a beaded or pearl chain-like appearance and fragmentation of such neurites at concentrations ranging from 12.5 to 50 mg/mL. Swellings, but not neuritic fragmentation, were detected when cells were treated with 0.5 mg/mL (or higher doses) of caffeine, concentrations that are present in EDs. Cells treated with guarana also showed qualitative signs of apoptosis, including membrane blebbing, cell shrinkage, and cleaved caspase-3 positivity. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed that cells treated with 12.5-50 mg/mL of guarana and its combinations with caffeine and/or taurine underwent apoptosis. Conclusion. Excessive removal of intracellular reactive oxygen species, to nonphysiological levels (or antioxidative stress), could be a cause of in vitro toxicity induced by these drugs. © 2013 Fares Zeidán-Chuliá et al.

Supplementation of soft drinks with metallic ions reduces dissolution of bovine enamel

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

Allelopathic effect of the peel of coffee fruit

In coffee (Coffea arabica)-producing areas, particularly in the southeastern region of Brazil, it is part of the agricultural practice to incorporate coffee fruit peels in organic substrates for the production of vegetables, fruit trees, and even in the coffee cultures, for use not only as an organic amendment but also as a way to control weeds. This study aimed to evaluate the allelopathic potential of dry and fresh coffee fruit peel extracts. Therefore, lettuce, Malaysian cabbage and beggar's tick seeds and seedlings were used as test subjects for the pre-emergence, post-emergence, and mitotic index of meristematic root cell tests. Additionally, the extracts' contents of phenols, flavonoids and caffeine, in addition to their antioxidant activity, were determined. The development of all the tested seedlings was inferred by the extracts from their roots and hypocotyls. The mitotic index was reduced in comparison to the negative control. A considerable quantity of phenols, flavonoids and caffeine was found in both of the extracts. A progressively growing antioxidant activity of the extracts was observed as their concentrations increased. Through the results obtained in this study, it is possible to conclude that C. arabica has allelopathic compounds. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Fusarium solani f. sp. passiflorae: A new forma specialis causing collar rot in yellow passion fruit

The aim of this study was to characterize a Fusarium population obtained from yellow passion fruit (YPF) with collar rot using pathogenicity, morphocultural characteristics and molecular tests. Pathogenicity and disease severity were assessed in six plant species: YPF, zucchini, tomato, bean, soya bean and cucumber. Potato dextrose agar medium (PDA) was used to determine mycelial growth at five temperatures (15-35°C). The colour produced by isolates was also determined on PDA at 25°C. Synthetic nutrient agar medium was used to evaluate: (i) type of mycelium and phialides; (ii) size, shape and number of septa from conidia; and (iii) production of chlamydospores and perithecia. Molecular tests consisted of sequencing the ITS-5·8S rDNA region and elongation factor 1α (EF-1α) gene. The isolates caused large lesions on YPF, zucchini and tomato, with YPF having the highest mean disease severity and being the only one that showed wilt symptoms and death of the plant. Thus the isolates showed host specificity. Maximum mycelial growth occurred at 25°C and the predominant colour was bluish-white. The isolates produced long phialides, dense aerial mycelium, oval microconidia with a mean size of 9·5 × 2·6 μm, macroconidia of 32·7 × 3·4 μm with 3·3 septa, and chlamydospores; only one isolate lacked perithecia. Phylogenetic trees of the ITS region and EF-1α gene showed that isolates from YPF formed a distinct group within the F. solani group and the formae speciales of F. solani. It is proposed to name all isolates from YPF as F. solani f. sp. passiflorae. © 2013 British Society for Plant Pathology.

Fruit color and contrast in seasonal habitats - a case study from a cerrado savanna

Communication contributes to mediate the interactions between plants and the animals that disperse their genes. As yet, seasonal patterns in plant-animal communication are unknown, even though many habitats display pronounced seasonality e.g. when leaves senescence. We thus hypothesized that the contrast between fruit displays and their background vary throughout the year in a seasonal habitat. If this variation is adaptive, we predicted higher contrasts between fruits and foliage during the fruiting season in a cerrado-savanna vegetation, southeastern Brazil. Based on a six-year data base of fruit ripening and a one-year data set of fruit biomass, we used reflectance measurements and contrast analysis to show that fruits with distinct colors differed in the beginning of ripening and the peak of fruit biomass. Black, and particularly red fruits, that have a high contrast against the leaf background, were highly seasonal, peaking in the wet season. Multicolored and yellow fruits were less seasonal, not limited to one season, with a bimodal pattern for yellow ones, represented by two peaks, one in each season. We further supported the hypothesis that seasonal changes in fruit contrasts can be adaptive because fruits contrasted more strongly against their own foliage in the wet season, when most fruits are ripe. Hence, the seasonal variation in fruit colors observed in the cerrado-savanna may be, at least partly, explicable as an adaptation to ensure high conspicuousness to seed dispersers. © 2013 The Authors.

Reproductive phenology and fruit production on a land bridge island in the brazilian atlantic forest

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Aplicação da razão isotópica do carbono (13C/12C) para detecção de adulteração em bebidas a base de maracujá – Passiflora edulis Sims. f. flavicarpa Deg

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Análise de investimentos para implantação de unidade industrial de pequeno porte de refrigerantes de acerola

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Refrigerantes de acerola produzidos a partir de suco desidratado e extrato seco da fruta: análise química, sensorial e econômica

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

Produção de refrigerante a partir de suco integral congelado e suco desidratado de maracujá (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa): avaliação físico-química, sensorial e econômica

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Energia na Agricultura) - FCA

Caracterização dos ácidos graxos das sementes e compostos voláteis dos frutos de espécies do gênero Passiflora

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Horticultura) - FCA

Estilo de vida e efeito da ingestão de bebida de laranja e acerola contendo Echinacea na saúde de um grupo de idosos

Pós-graduação em Alimentos e Nutrição - FCFAR

Substratos alternativos para a produção de poli-hidroxibutirato e alginato por Azotobacter vinelandii

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Isolamento de fungo produtor de enzimas xilanolíticas: produção e caracterização de xilanase

Pós-graduação em Alimentos e Nutrição - FCFAR