Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) (Geoffroy, 1803) (Carnivora, Felidae) food habits in a mosaic of Atlantic Rainforest and eucalypt plantations of southeastern Brazil

Food habits of jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) (Geoffroy, 1803) (Carnivora, Felidae) were studied between November 2000 and November 2001, in a 24.9 km² area of secondary Atlantic Rainforest and eucalypt plantation, in the Serra de Paranapiacaba, São Paulo State, Brazil. Analyses of 26 fecal and regurgitate samples, obtained over a stretch of 570.1 km, showed the consumption of 19 prey items and 74 prey occurrences. Small mammals were the most frequent food item (42.5%), followed by birds (21%), reptiles (14%) and medium-sized mammals (3%). The percent occurrence (PO) suggests that the diet consisted mainly of small rodents (30%) and birds (21%). We recorded for the first time the predation of Viperidae snakes by P. yagouaroundi. Although having a large list of items and range of dietary niche breadths (Bsta = 0.76), our data show that jaguarundi prey mainly on small vertebrates (mammals, birds or reptiles), and even in tall tropical forests or eucalypt plantations, it preys mostly on animals that come to, or live on, the ground.

Antimicrobial And Antiproliferative Potential Of Anadenanthera Colubrina (vell.) Brenan.

The aim of the present study was to perform an in vitro analysis of the antimicrobial and antiproliferative potential of an extract from Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan (angico) and chemically characterize the crude extract. Antimicrobial action was evaluated based on the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration, and the inhibition of formation to oral biofilm. Cell morphology was determined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Six strains of tumor cells were used for the determination of antiproliferative potential. The extract demonstrated strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 18804 (MIC = 0.031 mg/mL), with similar activity found regarding the ethyl acetate fraction. The extract and active fraction also demonstrated the capacity to inhibit the formation of Candida albicans to oral biofilm after 48 hours, with median values equal to or greater than the control group, but the difference did not achieve statistical significance (P > 0.05). SEM revealed alterations in the cell morphology of the yeast. Regarding antiproliferative activity, the extract demonstrated cytostatic potential in all strains tested. The present findings suggest strong antifungal potential for Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan as well as a tendency toward diminishing the growth of human tumor cells.