Anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity and cytotoxicity of Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess (Clusiaceae)

We evaluated the in vitro anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity and the cytotoxicity of dichloromethane extract and pure compounds from the leaves of Calophyllum brasiliense. Purification of the dichloromethane extract yielded the pure compounds (-) mammea A/BB (1), (-) mammea B/BB (2) and amentoflavone (3). The compound structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and spectrometric data. The contents of bioactive compounds in the extracts were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to an ultraviolet detector. The anti-M. tuberculosis activity of the extracts and the pure compounds was evaluated using a resazurin microtitre assay plate. The cytotoxicity assay was performed in J774G.8 macrophages using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide colourimetric method. The quantification of the dichloromethane extract showed (1) and (2) at concentrations of 31.86 ± 2.6 and 8.24 ± 1.1 µg/mg of extract, respectively. The dichloromethane and aqueous extracts showed anti-M. tuberculosis H37Rv activity of 62.5 and 125 µg/mL, respectively. Coumarins (1) and (2) showed minimal inhibitory concentration ranges of 31.2 and 62.5 µg/mL against M. tuberculosis H37Rv and clinical isolates. Compound (3) showed no activity against M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The selectivity index ranged from 0.59-1.06. We report the activity of the extracts and coumarins from the leaves of C. brasiliense against M. tuberculosis.

Isolation and characterization of two plant growth-promoting bacteria from the rhizoplane of a legume (Lupinus albescens) in sandy soil

Two bacterial strains that amplified part of the nifH gene, RP1p and RP2p, belonging to the genus Enterobacter and Serratia, were isolated from the rhizoplane of Lupinus albescens. These bacteria are Gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile, facultative anaerobic, and fast-growing; the colonies reach diameters of 3-4 mm within 24 h of incubation at 28 ºC. The bacteria were also able to grow at temperatures as high as 40 ºC, in the presence of high (2-3 % w/v) NaCl concentrations and pH 4 -10. Strain RP1p was able to utilize 10 of 14 C sources, while RP2p utilized nine. The isolates produced siderophores and indolic compounds, but none of them was able to solubilize phosphate. Inoculation of L. albescens with RP1p and RP2p strains resulted in a significant increase in plant dry matter, indicating the plant-growth-promoting abilities of these bacteria.

Highlands of the upper Jequitinhonha valley, Brazil: II - mineralogy, micromorphology, and landscape evolution¹

Palm swanp formations, the so-called veredas, typically occur in the Brazilian biome known as "Cerrado" (savanna-like vegetation), especially on flattened areas or tablelands (chapadas). The aim of this study was to characterize the mineralogy and micromorphology of soil materials from a representative toposequence of the watershed of the vereda Lagoa do Leandro, located in Minas Novas, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, on plains in the region of the upper Jequitinhonha valley, emphasizing essential aspects of their genesis and landscape evolution. The toposequence is underlain by rocks of the Macaúbas group and covered with detrital and metamorphic rocks (schists of Proterozoic diamictites). The soil profiles were first pedologically described; samples of the disturbed and undisturbed soils were collected from all horizons for further micromorphological and mineralogical analyses. The mineralogical analysis was mainly based on powder X ray diffractometry (XRD) and micromorphological descriptions of thin sections under a petrographic microscope. The soils from the bottom to the top of this toposequence were classified as: Typic Albaquult (GXbd), Xanthic Haplustox, gray color, here called "Gray Haplustox" ("LAC"), Xanthic Haplustox (LA) and Typic Haplustox (LVA). The clay mineralogy of all soils was found to be dominated by kaolinite. In soil of LA and LVA, the occurrence of goethite, gibbsite, and anatase was evidenced; "LAC" also contained anatase and the GXbd, illite, anatase, and traces of vermiculite. The micromorphological analyses of the LVA, LA and "LAC" soils showed the prevalence of a microaggregate-like or granular microstructure, and aggregate porosity has a stacked/packed structure, which is typical of Oxisols. A massive structure was observed in GXbd material, with the presence of illuviation cutans of clay minerals and iron compounds. Paleogleissolos, which are strongly weathered, due to the action of the excavating fauna , and resulted in the present "LAC". The GXbd at the base of the vereda preserved the physical, mineralogical and micromorphological properties that are typical of a pedogenesis with a strong influence of long dry periods.

Chemical and physical composition of grain-type and food-type soybean for food processing

The objective of this work was to evaluate the chemical and physical characteristics of grains of soybean (Glycine max) cultivars for food processing. The soybean cultivars evaluated were: grain-type - BRS 133 and BRS 258; food-type - BRS 213 (null lipoxygenases), BRS 267 (vegetable-type) and BRS 216 (small grain size). BRS 267 and BRS 216 cultivars showed higher protein content, indicating that they could promote superior nutritional value. BRS 213 cultivar showed the lowest lipoxygenase activity, and BRS 267, the lowest hexanal content. These characteristics can improve soyfood flavor. After cooking, BRS 267 cultivar grains presented a higher content of aglycones (more biologically active form of isoflavones) and oleic acid, which makes it proper for functional foods and with better stability for processing, and also showed high content of fructose, glutamic acid and alanine, compounds related to the soybean mild flavor. Because of its large grain size, BRS 267 is suitable for tofu and edamame, while small-grain-sized BRS 216 is good for natto and for soybean sprouts production. BRS 216 and BRS 213 cultivars presented shorter cooking time, which may be effective for reducing processing costs.

Antioxidants used in oils, fats and fatty foods

Lipid oxidation is certainly one of the most important alterations that affect both oils or fats and foods that contain them. It is responsible for the development of unpleasant taste and smell in foods, making them unsuitable for consuming. The use of antioxidants permits a longer useful life of these products. This work presents a bibliographic review of research carried out in order to evaluate the antioxidant activity of natural or synthetic substances used in the conservation of food lipid. Among such substances, the following antioxidants are highlighted: butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), propyl gallate (PG), tocopherols, phenolic acids and isolated compounds from rosemary and oregano.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from Aeolanthus suaveolens Mart. ex Spreng

The essential oils from leaves (sample A) and flowers (sample B) of Aeolanthus suaveolens Mart. ex Spreng were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC, GC-MS, and chiral phase gas chromatography (CPGC). Six compounds have been identified from the essential oils, representing ca 94.3 and 93% of the oils corresponding to samples A and B, respectively. The major constituents of samples A and B essential oils were respectively, linalool (34.2%/34.9%), (-)-massoialactone (25.9%/17.0%) and (E)-beta-farnesene (25.4%/29.1%). The enantiomeric distribution of the monoterpene linalool was established by analysis on heptakis- (6-O-methyl-2,3-di-O-pentyl)-beta-cyclodextrin capillary column. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from leaves and isolated compounds was also evaluated.

Chemical constituents from Tabernaemontana catharinensis root bark: a brief NMR review of indole alkaloids and in vitro cytotoxicity

This work describes the isolation and structural determination of pharmacological compounds present in the bark of roots of Tabernaemontana catharinensis (Apocynaceae). Among the 27 substances detected 12 were identified as terpenoid-indole alkaloids, 2 steroids and 13 pentacyclic triterpenes. Structures were outlined based on HMQC, COSY, DEPT, 13C, and ¹H NMR data and MS. Spectral data of indole alkaloids were reviewed. An in vitro screening of the extracts and isolated compounds was carried out. Compounds ibogamine (5), 3-oxo-coronaridine (9) and 12-methoxy-4-methylvoachalotine (MMV) demonstrated effective cytotoxicity towards SKBR-3 breast adenocarcinoma and C-8161 human melanoma tumor cell lines.

Ambiental volatile organic compounds in the megacity of São Paulo

In order to characterize the composition of the main urban air organic compounds in the megacity of Sao Paulo, analysis of samples collected during the winter of 2003 downtown was carried out. The samplings were performed on the roof of a building in the commercial center of São Paulo. Hydrocarbons and carbonyls compounds were collected on August 4, 5 and 6. Comparing to previous data, the concentration of hydrocarbons presented no decrease in the concentration, except for the aldehydes, which decreased when compared to previous data. Among the HCs species analyzed, the highest concentrations observed were those of toluene (7.5 ± 3.4 ppbv), n-decane (3.2 ± 2.0 ppbv), benzene (2.7 ± 1.4 ppbv) and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (2.2 ± 1.5 ppbv).

Combined application of continuous wavelet transform-zero crossing technique in the simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of perindopril and indapamid in tablets

Signal processing methods based on the combined use of the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and zero-crossing technique were applied to the simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of perindopril (PER) and indapamide (IND) in tablets. These signal processing methods do not require any priory separation step. Initially, various wavelet families were tested to identify the optimum signal processing giving the best recovery results. From this procedure, the Haar and Biorthogonal1.5 continuous wavelet transform (HAAR-CWT and BIOR1.5-CWT, respectively) were found suitable for the analysis of the related compounds. After transformation of the absorbance vectors by using HAAR-CWT and BIOR1.5-CWT, the CWT-coefficients were drawn as a graph versus wavelength and then the HAAR-CWT and BIOR1.5-CWT spectra were obtained. Calibration graphs for PER and IND were obtained by measuring the CWT amplitudes at 231.1 and 291.0 nm in the HAAR-CWT spectra and at 228.5 and 246.8 nm in BIOR1.5-CWT spectra, respectively. In order to compare the performance of HAAR-CWT and BIOR1.5-CWT approaches, derivative spectrophotometric (DS) method and HPLC as comparison methods, were applied to the PER-IND samples. In this DS method, first derivative absorbance values at 221.6 for PER and 282.7 nm for IND were used to obtain the calibration graphs. The validation of the CWT and DS signal processing methods was carried out by using the recovery study and standard addition technique. In the following step, these methods were successfully applied to the commercial tablets containing PER and IND compounds and good accuracy and precision were reported for the experimental results obtained by all proposed signal processing methods.

Austin, dehydroaustin and other metabolites from Penicillium brasilianum

A culture of P. brasilianum, isolated from soil collected at the Serra do Cipó National Park, in Minas Gerais State (Brazil), was grown for 25 days on a dextrose-peptone-salts medium. The corresponding ethylacetate extract was column chromatographed and four compounds were isolated: austin, dehydroaustin, D-mannitol and penicillic acid. This is, in the best of our knowledge, the first time that the meroterpenes austin and dehydroaustin have been isolated from this species. Activity of the extract and isolated compounds was tested against six bacteria and for acetylcholinesterase inhibition. Penicillic acid showed high activity in both tests.

Chemical modifications of a natural xanthone and antimicrobial activity against multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus and cytotoxicity against human tumor cell lines

A series of 15 ω-aminoalkoxylxanthones containing methyl, ethyl, propyl, tert-butylamino and piperidinyl moieties were synthesized from a natural xanthone isolated from a lichen species. These compounds were tested for their in vitro antibacterial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and cytotoxicity against a number of human tumor cell lines was too evaluated. The newly synthesized derivatives revealed selective activity against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive), and the most promising results are for a multidrug resistant strain, for which six of these compounds showed good activity (MICs 4 µg/mL). Many derivatives inhibited tumor cells growth and most compounds were active on multiple lines.

Occurrence, biological activities and 13C NMR data of amides from Piper (Piperaceae)

This manuscript describes an update review with up to 285 references concerning the occurrence of amides from a variety of species of the genus Piper (Piperaceae). Besides addressing occurrence, this review also describes the biological activities attributed to extracts and pure compounds, a compiled 13C NMR data set, the main correlations between structural and NMR spectroscopic data of these compounds, and employment of hyphened techniques such as LC-MS, GC-MS and NMR for analysis of amides from biological samples and crude Piper extracts.

Magnetic, thermal and spectral behaviour of 3-chloro-2-nitrobenzoates of Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II)

Physico-chemical properties of 3-chloro-2-nitrobenzoates of Co(II), Ni(II) and Cu(II) were synthesized and studied. The complexes were obtained as mono- and dihydrates with a metal ion to ligand ratio of 1 : 2. All analysed 3-chloro-2-nitrobenzoates are polycrystalline compounds with colours depending on the central ions: pink for Co(II), green for Ni(II) and blue for Cu(II) complexes. Their thermal decomposition was studied in the range of 293 ­ 523 K, because it was found that on heating in air above 523 K 3-chloro-2-nitrobenzoates decompose explosively. Hydrated complexes lose crystallization water molecules in one step and anhydrous compounds are formed. The final products of their decomposition are the oxides of the respective transition metals. From the results it appears that during dehydration process no transformation of nitro group to nitrite takes place. The solubilities of analysed complexes in water at 293 K are of the order of 10-4 ­ 10-2 mol / dm³. The magnetic moment values of Co2+, Ni2+ and Cu2+ ions in 3-chloro-2-nitrobenzoates experimentally determined at 76 ­ 303 K change from 3.67µB to 4.61µB for Co(II) complex, from 2.15µB to 2.87µB for Ni(II) 3-chloro-2-nitrobenzoate and from 0.26µB to 1.39µB for Cu(II) complex. 3-Chloro-2-nitrobenzoates of Co(II) and Ni(II) follow the Curie-Weiss law. Complex of Cu(II) forms dimer.

Foliar anatomy and histochemistry in seven species of Eucalyptus

This work aimed to describe the foliar anatomy of seven species of Eucalyptus, emphasizing the characterization of secretory structures and the chemical nature of the compounds secreted and /or present in the leaves. Anatomical characterization and histochemical evaluation to determine the nature and localization of the secondary compounds were carried out in fully expanded leaves, according to standard methodology. Anatomical differences were verified among the species studied, especially in E. pyrocarpa. Sub-epidermal cavities were the only secretory structures found in the seven species studied, with higher density in E. pellita and lower in E. pilularis. The following compounds were histochemically detected: lipophilic compounds, specifically lipids of the essential or resin-oil type and sesquiterpene lactones found in the lumen of the cavities of the seven species; and hydrophilic compounds, of the phenolic compound type found in the mesophyll of all the species studied and on the epidermis of some of them. The results confirmed the complexity of the product secreted by the cavities, stressing the homogeneous histochemistry nature of these compounds among the species. However, the phenolic compounds results may be an indication of important variations in adaptations and ecological relations, since they show differences among the species.

Chemical composition, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory and antifungal activities of Pera glabrata (Schott) Baill. (Euphorbiaceae)

Pera glabrata (Schott) Baill. was selected for this study after showing a preliminary positive result in a screening of Atlantic Forest plant species in the search for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and antifungal compounds. The bioassays were conducted with crude ethanol extract of the leaves using direct bioautography method for acetylcholinesterase and antifungal activities. This extract was partitioned with hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate solvents. The active chloroform fraction was submitted to silica gel chromatography column affording 12 groups. Caffeine, an alkaloid, which showed detection limits of 0.1 and 1.0 µg for anticholinesterasic and antifungal activities, respectively, was isolated from group nine. After microplate analyses, only groups four, nine, 10, 11 and 12 showed acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of 40% or higher. The group 12 was purified by preparative layer chromatography affording four sub-fractions. Two sub-fractions from this group were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. The first sub-fraction showed anticholinesterasic activity and contained two major compounds: 9-hydroxy-4-megastigmen-3-one (84%) and caffeine (6%). The second sub-fraction presented five major compounds identified as 9-hydroxy-4-megastigmen-3-one, isololiolide, (-) loliolide, palmitic acid and lupeol and did not show activity.