Antifungal and antimycotoxigenic activity of essential oils from Eucalyptus globulus, Thymus capitatus and Schinus molle

Abstract Essential oils (EO) of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus L.), thymus (Thymus capitatus L.) pirul (Schinus molle L.) were evaluated for their efficacy to control Aspergillus parasiticus and Fusarium moniliforme growth and their ability to produce mycotoxins. Data from kinetics radial growth was used to obtain the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). The IC50 was used to evaluate spore germination kinetic and mycotoxin production. Also, spore viability was evaluated by the MTT assay. All EO had an effect on the radial growth of both species. After 96 h of incubation, thymus EO at concentrations of 1000 and 2500 µL L–1 totally inhibited the growth of F. moniliforme and A. parasiticus, respectively. Eucalyptus and thymus EO significantly reduced spore germination of A. parasiticus. Inhibition of spore germination of F. moniliforme was 84.6, 34.0, and 30.6% when exposed to eucalyptus, pirul, and thymus EO, respectively. Thymus and eucalyptus EO reduced aflatoxin (4%) and fumonisin (31%) production, respectively. Spore viability was affected when oils concentration increased, being the thymus EO the one that reduced proliferation of both fungi. Our findings suggest that EO affect F. moniliforme and A. parasiticus development and mycotoxin production.

Ascidians (Urochordata: Ascidiacea) from Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Simple and colonial ascidians were collected at different depths at Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, between 2000 and 2003. The collection here presented includes representatives of the families Clavelinidae (Clavelina oblonga), Polycitoridae (Cystodytes dellechiajei), Polyclinidae (Polyclinum constellatum and Polyclinum molle sp. nov.), Holozoidae (Distaplia bermudensis), Ascidiidae (Ascidia sydneiensis and Phallusia nigra), Styelidae (Botrylloides giganteum, Botrylloides nigrum, Symplegma brakenhielmi, Symplegma rubra, Polyandrocarpa anguinea, Eusynstyela floridana, Eusynstyela tincta and Styela plicata), Pyuridae (Herdmania pallida and Microcosmus exasperatus). Didemnids were also collected in the area but were not considered here. Of the 17 species found, one (Polyclinum molle sp. nov.) is a new species in the family Polyclinidae and the others are all species with tropical distribution.

First host plant records for Iridopsis hausmanni Vargas (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) in the coastal valleys of northern Chile

First host plant records for Iridopsis hausmanni Vargas (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) in the coastal valleys of northern Chile. The trees Haplorhus peruviana Engl. and Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae) are mentioned as the first host plant records for the little known native moth Iridopsis hausmanni Vargas, 2007 (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae) in the coastal valleys of the northern Chilean Atacama Desert. This is also the first record of Anacardiaceae as host plant for a Neotropical species of Iridopsis Warren, 1894.

First record of folivory on a newly documented host plant for the little known geometrid moth Eupithecia yubitzae Vargas & Parra (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) in northern Chile

The native tree Schinus molle (Anacardiacae) is reported for the first time as a host plant for larvae of the little known geometrid moth Eupithecia yubitzae Vargas & Parra (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, based on morphology and DNA barcodes. This discovery importantly expands the host range of E. yubitzae, as previous records were restricted to Fabaceae trees. Larvae were previously known as florivorous, while these were found to be folivorous on S. molle. Furthermore, host-associated cryptic larval polychromatism was detected, as larvae collected on S. molle were found to be mostly pale green, contrasting with the dark yellow ground color of the larvae typically collected on fabaceous host plants.

Variação ao longo do dia da atividade de enzimas do catabolismo de sacarose em plântulas de Hymenaea courbaril L. durante a mobilização do xiloglucano de reserva

Sementes de Hymenaea courbaril L. possuem um polissacarídeo de reserva que é mobilizado após a germinação, quando a primeira folha da planta já é fotossinteticamente ativa. No momento da mobilização das reservas, a plântula precisa coordenar duas fontes de carboidratos: a fotossíntese e a mobilização das reservas. Ambos geram sacarose como forma de exportação de carbono. Para entender a alocação de recursos na plântula, portanto, é necessário avaliar o catabolismo de sacarose nos órgãos. Neste trabalho foram analisados os carboidratos de baixo peso, quantificada a atividade da sacarose sintase e das três isoformas de invertase nos diferentes órgãos de plântulas de H. courbaril ao longo de um dia. As dosagens foram feitas no período de mobilização do xiloglucano, sendo as plântulas coletadas em intervalos de 6 horas, com uma coleta extra às 2 horas da manhã. Cada uma das enzimas apresentou um padrão característico de variação ao longo do dia, sugerindo funções distintas e independentes em cada órgão. A análise dos carboidratos mostrou altas concentrações de sacarose nos órgãos-dreno, enquanto os cotilédones apresentaram altas concentrações de monossacarídeos livres. A existência de isoformas com propriedades e distribuição celular distintas variando de forma independente ao longo do dia sugere que as isoformas podem ter funções fisiológicas distintas dentro da planta.

Composição de algas perifíticas (exceto Bacillariophyceae) em distintos substratos naturais de um ambiente semilótico, planície de inundação do Alto Rio Paraná, Brasil

Constituiu o objetivo deste estudo a taxonomia das algas perifíticas (exceto Bacillariophyceae) dominantes em três substratos naturais, Eichhornia azurea Kunth, Nymphaea amazonum Mart. & Zucc. e Oxycaryum cubense (Poepp. & Kunth) Lye, em um ambiente semilótico (Ressaco do Pau Véio), na planície de inundação do Alto Rio Paraná. Considerou-se apenas os táxons com freqüência de ocorrência acima de 75% das amostras, excetuando-se as diatomáceas. Trinta e um táxons foram descritos, ilustrados e medidos, distribuídos nas classes: Chlorophyceae (3), Cryptophyceae (1), Cyanobacteria (14 taxa), Zygnemaphyceae (7), Euglenophyceae (2) e Xanthophyceae (4). Vinte e três espécies consistiram em primeiros registros taxonômicos para a planície do Alto Rio Paraná: Chamaesiphon investiens Skuja, Geitleribactron subaequale (Geitler) Komárek, Chroococcus limneticus Lemmerm., C. minimus (Keissler) Lemmerm., C. minor (Kütz.) Nägeli, Aphanothece microscopica Nägeli, Phormidium molle (Kütz.) Gomont, Leptolyngbya angustissima (West & G.S. West) Anagn. & Komárek, L. foveolarum (Rabenhorst ex Gomont) Anagn. & Komárek e Pseudanabaena frigida (Fritsch) Anagn. (Cyanobacteria); Characium ensiforme Hermann, C. ornithocephalum A. Braun e Desmodesmus brasiliensis (Bohlin) E. Hegewald (Chlorophyceae); Cosmarium abbreviatum Racib., C. bireme Nordst., C. pseudopyramidatum Lundell, C. subadoxum Grönblad, C. trilobulatum Reinsch, Gonatozygon pilosum Wolle and Staurastrum forficulatum Lundell (Zygnemaphyceae); Trachelomonas hispida (Perty) Stein emend. Deflandre (Euglenophyceae); Cryptomonas tenuis Pascher (Cryptophyceae) e Characiopsis sphagnicola Pascher (Xanthophyceae).

Brief daily postpartum separations from the litter alter dam response to psychostimulants and to stress

Neonatal handling induces several behavioral and neurochemical alterations in pups, including decreased responses to stress and reduced fear in new environments. However, there are few reports in the literature concerning the behavioral effects of this neonatal intervention on the dams during the postpartum period. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to determine if brief postpartum separation from pups has a persistent impact on the dam's stress response and behavior. Litters were divided into two neonatal groups: 1) non-handled and 2) handled [10 min/day, from postnatal day (PND) 1 to 10]. Weaning occurred at PND 21 when behavioral tasks started to be applied to the dams, including sweet food ingestion (PND 21), forced swimming test (PND 28), and locomotor response to a psychostimulant (PND 28). On postpartum day 40, plasma was collected at baseline for leptin assays and after 1 h of restraint for corticosterone assay. Regarding sweet food consumption, behavior during the forced swimming test or plasma leptin levels did not differ between dams briefly separated and non-separated from their pups during the postpartum period. On the other hand, both increased locomotion in response to diethylpropion and increased corticosterone secretion in response to acute stress were detected in dams briefly separated from their pups during the first 10 postnatal days. Taken together, these findings suggest that brief, repeated separations from the pups during the neonatal period persistently impact the behavior and induce signs of dopaminergic sensitization in the dam.