PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN SEEDS AND ANTIOXIDANT METABOLISM OF LETTUCE SEEDLING EXPOSED TO THE ACTION OF Zantedeschia aethiopica Spreng. LEAF EXTRACT

This work aimed to evaluate the influence of different concentrations of Zantedeschia aethiopica Spreng. extract on the physiological performance of the seed and on the response of the antioxidant metabolism of lettuce seedlings. The treatments consisted of leaves extracts from Z. aethiopica at concentrations of 0, 6, 12, 25 and 50%. Germination, first germination count, germination speed and index, length of shoot and radicle, seedling total dry mass, chlorophyll content, activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbarte peroxidase enzymes, lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide quantification and seedling emergence, length of organs, and total dry mass of seedlings were evaluated. The percentage of germination, the length of the shoot and radicle of seedlings and the total dry mass of seedlings grown in the greenhouse were reduced as the concentration of the extract increased. There were increases of electrical conductivity, of superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidadase enzymes and the amount of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation in seedlings with increasing extract concentration. The extract reduced the physiological quality of lettuce seeds and induced an increased production of hydrogen peroxide in seedlings, which increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes that were not effective in tissue detoxification, resulting in cellular damage and increased numbers of abnormal seedlings.

Teor de nutrientes e trocas gasosas em plantas de copo-de-leite cultivadas em sistema hidropônico

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do cultivo de plantas de copo-de-leite (Zantedeschia aethiopica) em sistema hidropônico, no crescimento vegetativo, no teor de nutrientes na parte aérea e nas trocas gasosas. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em arranjo fatorial triplo (2x2x2), com oito tratamentos, três repetições e oito plantas por parcela. Os tratamentos consistiram de duas dimensões de espuma fenólica (2,5x2,5x2,5 e 5,0x5,0x3,8 cm, expressas em altura x comprimento x largura), duas soluções nutritivas e dois perfis hidropônicos (100 e 150 mm). As plantas de copo-de-leite foram cultivadas em sistema hidropônico fluxo laminar de nutriente (NFT) e apresentaram teores de nutrientes na parte aérea, na seguinte sequência decrescente: K>N>Ca>P>S>Mg para macronutrientes e Fe>Mn>Zn>B>Cu para micronutrientes. Plantas de copo-de-leite cultivadas em sistema hidropônico NFT, em espuma fenólica de 5,0x5,0x3,8 cm e em perfil hidropônico de 150 mm, apresentam maior acúmulo de massa de matéria seca na parte aérea e no rizoma, bem como maiores taxas fotossintéticas, independentemente da solução nutritiva.

Powdery mildew of ornamental species caused by Oidiopsis haplophylli in Brazil

Oidiopsis haplophylli (syn. Oidiopsis sicula) was identified as the causal agent of powdery mildew diseases occurring on five ornamental species in Brazil. This disease was observed in plastic house-grown lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum: Gentianaceae), in nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus: Tropaeolaceae) cultivated under open field conditions and in greenhouse-grown calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica: Araceae), impatiens (Impatiens balsamina: Balsaminaceae) and balloon plant (Asclepias physocarpa: Asclepiadaceae). Typical disease symptoms consisted of chlorotic areas on the upper leaf surface corresponding to a fungal colony in the abaxial surface. With the disease progression, these chlorotic areas eventually turned to necrotic (brown) lesions. Fungi morphology on all hosts was similar to that described for the imperfect stage of Leveillula taurica (O. haplophylli). The Koch's postulates were fulfilled by inoculating symptom-free plants via leaf-to-leaf contact with fungal colonies. Additional inoculations using an isolate of O. haplophylli from sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) demonstrated that it is pathogenic to all five species belonging to distinct botanical families, indicating lack of host specialization. This is the first formal report of a powdery mildew disease on lisianthus, calla lilly, impatiens and nasturtium in Brazil. It is, to our knowledge, the first report of O. haplophyllii infecting A. physocarpa, extending the host range of this atypical powdery mildew-inducing fungus. This disease might become important on these ornamental crops especially in protected cultivation and also under field conditions in hot and dry areas of Brazil.

Controle de plantas daninhas na produção de mudas de plantas ornamentais

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a eficácia do oxyfluorfen no controle da brilhantina (Pilea microphylla) na produção de mudas de plantas ornamentais. Foram conduzidos dois experimentos, no delineamento de blocos ao acaso, no esquema fatorial 3 x 7, com três repetições. Um dos experimentos foi constituído por mudas de três espécies de plantas ornamentais - copo-de-leite (Zantedeschia aethiopica), estrelítzia (Strelitzia reginae) e palmeira-australiana (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) - e sete doses de oxyfluorfen (0, 24, 72, 144, 216, 288 e 360 g ha-1) pulverizadas em área total, e o outro, pelas mesmas espécies e sete concentrações de oxyfluorfen (0,00000 0,00036, 0,00072, 0,00144, 0,00288, 0,00576, e 0,01152% do i.a.), aplicadas em pulverização dirigida à brilhantina, sem atingir as folhas das mudas de plantas ornamentais. Cada unidade experimental foi constituída de um vaso com uma muda de planta ornamental, infestado com brilhantina. Aos 15, 30 e 60 dias após aplicação do herbicida (DAA), foram realizadas avaliações visuais de toxidez nas plantas ornamentais e controle de brilhantina. Para aplicação em área total, os vasos com plantas de palmeira-real-australiana demandaram doses mais elevadas do herbicida, devido à maior área foliar desta espécie por ocasião da aplicação, promovendo o "efeito-guarda-chuva". Ainda nessa modalidade de aplicação, verificaram-se sintomas de intoxicação, considerados leves, nas mudas de plantas ornamentais, porém mais evidentes nas plantas de palmeira-australiana. Em aplicação dirigida, não houve interação entre fatores, espécie e concentração do herbicida, nem diferença no comportamento do herbicida entre as espécies para as características avaliadas. Não se observou intoxicação nas plantas ornamentais em nenhum dos tratamentos avaliados, na aplicação dirigida. Verificou-se controle eficiente de brilhantina, acima de 90%, a partir das doses de 300, 320 e 340 g ha-1 de oxyfluorfen, para plantas de copo-de-leite, estrelítzia e palmeira-australiana, respectivamente, na aplicação em área total, e nas concentrações superiores a 0,0018%, na aplicação dirigida, aos 30 DAA.

Desenvolvimento in vitro de copo-de-leite: efeito das concentrações de sacarose e de ácido giberélico

Calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) is appreciated as cut flower and for the composition of gardens. However, many pathogens affect this species. By the traditional method of propagation, some units of new seedlings can only be produced annually. Tissue culture allows fast large-scale clonal propagation and provides healthy uniform plants. During the in vitro process, type and concentration of growth regulator could affect the growth of seedlings. Thus, the aim of this work was to determine sucrose and GA(3) concentrations to increase the efficiency of the in vitro multiplication of calla lily. After 60 days, the length of the above ground part and the roots, the number of sprouts, roots and leaves, above ground part and root fresh weight of seedlings were evaluated. The experimental design was entirely randomized with four replications. It was necessary the addition of 60.5 g L-1 sucrose associated to 5 mg L-1 GA(3) to obtain hight sprouts number. For higher length of the above ground part the addition of 45.3 g L-1 sucrose and 10 mg L-1 GA(3) was enough. Better results in the root length and number of roots were observed only in the sucrose presence, in concentrations in the range of 51.13 - 56.5 g L-1.

Leishmania aethiopica field isolates bearing an endosymbiontic dsRNA virus induce pro-inflammatory cytokine response.

BACKGROUND: Infection with Leishmania parasites causes mainly cutaneous lesions at the site of the sand fly bite. Inflammatory metastatic forms have been reported with Leishmania species such as L. braziliensis, guyanensis and aethiopica. Little is known about the factors underlying such exacerbated clinical presentations. Leishmania RNA virus (LRV) is mainly found within South American Leishmania braziliensis and guyanensis. In a mouse model of L. guyanensis infection, its presence is responsible for an hyper-inflammatory response driven by the recognition of the viral dsRNA genome by the host Toll-like Receptor 3 leading to an exacerbation of the disease. In one instance, LRV was reported outside of South America, namely in the L. major ASKH strain from Turkmenistan, suggesting that LRV appeared before the divergence of Leishmania subgenera. LRV presence inside Leishmania parasites could be one of the factors implicated in disease severity, providing rationale for LRV screening in L. aethiopica. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A new LRV member was identified in four L. aethiopica strains (LRV-Lae). Three LRV-Lae genomes were sequenced and compared to L. guyanensis LRV1 and L. major LRV2. LRV-Lae more closely resembled LRV2. Despite their similar genomic organization, a notable difference was observed in the region where the capsid protein and viral polymerase open reading frames overlap, with a unique -1 situation in LRV-Lae. In vitro infection of murine macrophages showed that LRV-Lae induced a TLR3-dependent inflammatory response as previously observed for LRV1. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we report the presence of an immunogenic dsRNA virus in L. aethiopica human isolates. This is the first observation of LRV in Africa, and together with the unique description of LRV2 in Turkmenistan, it confirmed that LRV was present before the divergence of the L. (Leishmania) and (Viannia) subgenera. The potential implication of LRV-Lae on disease severity due to L. aethiopica infections is discussed.

Susceptibility of clinical isolates of Leishmania aethiopica to miltefosine, paromomycin, amphotericin B and sodium stibogluconate using amastigote-macrophage in vitro model.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania aethiopica is a public health and social problem with a sequel of severe and mutilating skin lesions. It is manifested in three forms: localized CL (LCL), mucosal CL (MCL) and diffuse CL (DCL). Unresponsiveness to sodium stibogluconate (Sb(V)) is common in Ethiopian CL patients. Using the amastigote-macrophage in vitro model the susceptibility of 24 clinical isolates of L. aethiopica derived from untreated patients was investigated. Eight strains of LCL, 9 of MCL, and 7 of DCL patients together with a reference strain (MHOM/ET/82/117/82) were tested against four antileishmanial drugs: amphotericin B, miltefosine, Sb(V) and paromomycin. In the same order of drugs, IC(50) (μg/ml±SD) values for the 24 strains tested were 0.16±0.18, 5.88±4.79, 10.23±8.12, and 13.63±18.74. The susceptibility threshold of isolates originating from the 3 categories of patients to all 4 drugs was not different (p>0.05). Maximal efficacy was superior for miltefosine across all the strains. Further susceptibility test could validate miltefosine as a potential alternative drug in cases of sodium stibogluconate treatment failure in CL patients.

Absorção de nutrientes em duas cultivares de copo-de-leite colorido (Zantedeschia sp.) sob fertirrigação

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Indução floral do copo de leite colorido (Zantedeschia sp) com ácido giberélico (GA3) aplicado vias irrigação, foliar e imersão, nas condições de Botucatu, SP

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Irrigação e Drenagem) - FCA

Unsere besten Zimmerpflanzen : II. Calla aethiopica

Karl Götze

Ms. Ff. H. Ludolf II 22 - Collectanea Aethiopica

Vorbesitzer: Hiob Ludolf;

Modus Baptizandi, preces et benedictiones, quibus ecclesia aethiopum vtitur, cum sacerdotes benedicunt puerperae, vna cum in sante ecclesiam ingredienti post quadragesimum puerperij diem ; item orationes, quibus iidem vtuntur in sacramento Baptismi [et] Confirmationis ; item missa qua communiter vtuntur, quae etiam canon vniuersalis apellatur, nunc primum ex lingua chaldaea siue aethiopica in latinan conuersa.

Mode of access: Internet.

Die beschreibung und kultur der azaleen, Cactus, camellien und Calla aethiopica.

Mode of access: Internet.

Primi Ezrae libri qui apud vulgatam appellatur quartus, versio aethiopica;

Ethiopic title at head of title-page.

Local increase of arginase activity in lesions of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease that is in Ethiopia mainly caused by the parasite Leishmania aethiopica. This neglected tropical disease is common in rural areas and causes serious morbidity. Persistent nonhealing cutaneous leishmaniasis has been associated with poor T cell mediated responses; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have recently shown in an experimental model of cutaneous leishmaniasis that arginase-induced L-arginine metabolism suppresses antigen-specific T cell responses at the site of pathology, but not in the periphery. To test whether these results translate to human disease, we recruited patients presenting with localized lesions of cutaneous leishmaniasis and assessed the levels of arginase activity in cells isolated from peripheral blood and from skin biopsies. Arginase activity was similar in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients and healthy controls. In sharp contrast, arginase activity was significantly increased in lesion biopsies of patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis as compared with controls. Furthermore, we found that the expression levels of CD3ζ, CD4 and CD8 molecules were considerably lower at the site of pathology as compared to those observed in paired PBMCs. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that increased arginase in lesions of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis might play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease by impairing T cell effector functions.