Antiviral activity of plants occurring in the state of minas gerais (Brazil): Part III

A total of 24 extracts from 14 plant species collected at the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and belonging to five botanical families (Annonaceae, Apocynaceae, Ochnaceae, Polygonaceae and Vitaceae) was screened for cytotoxicity in cultured Vero cells and for antiviral activity against human herpes virus type 1 (HSV-1), vaccinia virus (VACV) and murine encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV). The highest cytotoxicity (CC 50 < 10 μg/mL) was observed for the ethanol extracts from Annona coriacea fruits and seeds. Extracts from Hancornia speciosa, Ouratea castaneafolia and O. semisrrata were the only ones that have shown activity against all the three viruses assayed. Extracts from Polygonum spectabile, Hancornia speciosa, Himatanthus phagedaenica, Ouratea spectabilis and O. semiserrata were the most active against HSV-1 (EC 50 < 50 mg/mL), with favorable SI values (8.0 to 10.0). Hancornia speciosa and Anaxagorea dolichocarpa were the most active against EMCV (EC 50 50 - 100 μg/mL), with reasonable SI values (5.2 to 6.1), while moderate to low activity (EC 50 > 100 μg/mL) was observed for Ouratea spectabilis and O. semiserrata. A total of 7 plant species, Ouratea semiserrata, O. spectabilis, O. castanaeafolia, Rollinia laurifolia, Cissus erosa, Polygonum spectabile, and Hancornia speciosa, were active against VACV, disclosing EC50 < 50 μg/mL and SI values ranging from 6.6 to 67.3. In total, 10 out of the 14 species were selected from a literature survey on plants used to treat viral diseases in Brazil; these species were responsible for 70% of the positive results.

Chromosomal evolution of neotropical cichlids: The role of repetitive DNA sequences in the organization and structure of karyotype

Cichlids are important in the aquaculture and ornamental fish trade and are considered models for evolutionary biology. However, most studies of cichlids have investigated African species, and the South American cichlids remain poorly characterized. Studies in neotropical regions have focused almost exclusively on classical cytogenetic approaches without investigating physical chromosomal mapping of specific sequences. The aim of the present study is to investigate the genomic organization of species belonging to different tribes of the subfamily Cichlinae (Cichla monoculus, Astronotus ocellatus, Geophagus proximus, Acaronia nassa, Bujurquina peregrinabunda, Hoplarchus psittacus, Hypselecara coryphaenoides, Hypselecara temporalis, Caquetaia spectabilis, Uaru amphiacanthoides, Pterophyllum leopoldi, Pterophyllum scalare, and Symphysodon discus) and reexamine the karyotypic evolutionary patterns proposed for this group. Variations in some cytogenetic markers were observed, although no trends were found in terms of the increase, decrease, or maintenance of the basal diploid chromosome number 2n = 48 in the tribes. Several species were observed to have 18S rDNA genetic duplications, as well as multiple rDNA loci. In most of the taxa analyzed, the 5S rDNA was located in the interstitial region of a pair of homologous chromosomes, although variations from this pattern were observed. Interstitial telomere sites were also observed and appear to be involved in chromosomal rearrangement events and the accumulation of repeat-rich satellite DNA sequences. Our data demonstrated the karyotypic diversity that exists among neotropical cichlids, suggesting that most of this diversity is due to the repetitive sequences present in heterochromatic regions and that repeat sequences have greatly influenced the karyotypic evolution of these fishes. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Fungos endofíticos: Uma fonte inexplorada e sustentável de novos e bioativos produtos naturais

Endophytic fungi are a rich source of new and biologically active natural products. They colonize a relatively unexplored ecological habitat and their secondary metabolism is particularly active, presumably due to metabolic interactions with their hosts. In the course of our continuing investigations for new and bioactive compounds from endophytic fungi from brazilian flora Alibertia macrophylla, Caseria sylvestris, Ocotea corymbosa, Cassia spectabilis, Piper aduncum, Cryptocaria mandioccana, Xylopia aromatica and Palicourea marcgravii were investigated. Forty two natural products were isolated and their structures were established on the basis of comprehensive spectral analysis, mainly using 1D and 2D NMR experiments. The compounds were tested in their antifungal, antioxidant, anticholinesterasic and anticancer activities.

Flutuação populacional de Meloidogyne mayaguensis em pomar de goiabeira e estudo do controle biológico com fungos nematófagos associado a culturas de cobertura

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Qualidade microbiológica do solo sob citrus em comparação com outros ecossistemas e sob adubação verde

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Obtenção de derivados semissintéticos dos alcalóides (-) - cassina e (-) e espectalina e avaliação do potencial antimalárico

Pós-graduação em Química - IQ

Desenvolvimento e produção de figueiras submetidas ao controle de nematóides

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Controle biológico de Brachiaria decumbens Stapf em área de reserva legal em processo de recuperação, na região do Pontal do Paranapanema, São Paulo, Brasil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Resposta da cultura do milho a profundidade de deposição de adubo e de culturas de cobertura em solo de Cerrado

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

New molecular evidence supports the species status of Kaempfer's Woodpecker (Aves, Picidae)

ABSTRACT: Kaempfer's Woodpecker (Celeus obrieni) is the only species of the genus Celeus endemic to Brazil. The description of this taxon as a subspecies of the Rufous-headed Woodpecker (Celeus spectabilis) was based on a single specimen. While C. obrieni and C. spectabilis are now considered separate species based on morphological and limited molecular evidence, no study has critically tested the reciprocal monophyly and degree of evolutionary independence between these taxa with several specimens. Herein, fragments of the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA of three recently-collected specimens of C. obrieni were analyzed to evaluate the degree of evolutionary differentiation of this taxon with respect to C. spectabilis. The results confirm the reciprocal monophyly between the specimens of C. obrieni and C. spectabilis. The genetic divergence values for the two taxa also support their classification as independent species, given that they are greater than the values recorded among other closely-related but separate species of the same genus. Estimates of the divergence time between C. obrieni and C. spectabilis indicate that cladogenesis occurred in the mid-Pleistocene, during a period of major climatic fluctuations and landscape change, consistent with the hypothesis of a corridor of open bamboo dominated forests and woodland stretching.

Sistemas de cultivo para o milho de primeira safra e doses de nitrogênio em feijoeiro e trigo em sucessão

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

Teor de nitrogênio inorgânico no solo em função de plantas de cobertura, fontes de nitrogênio e inibidor de nitrificação

A utilização de plantas de cobertura pode alterar a rela-ção NO3-:NH4+ no solo, proporcionando maiores quantidades de NH4+ e podendo viabilizar o desenvolvimento de culturas que absorvem mais e preferem esta forma de nitrogênio (N), como o arroz. Objetivou-se avaliar a influência da interação de plantas de cobertura e fontes de N, com e sem inibidor de nitrificação (dicianodiamida), em sistema plantio direto (SPD). O experimento foi realizado em 2009/2010, em Botucatu (SP), em Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico cultivado por seis anos no SPD. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, em esquema de parcela subdividida, com quatro repetições. As parcelas foram constituídas por seis espécies de plantas de cobertura do solo (Urochloa brizantha, U. decumbens, U. humidicola, U. ruziziensis, Pennisetum americanum e Crotalaria spectabilis) e as subparcelas por sete formas de fertilização nitrogenada, aos 0 e 30 dias após a emergência (DAE) do arroz [1 - controle, sem aplicação de nitrogênio; 2 - nitrato de cálcio (40 + 40 kg ha-1); 3 - nitrato de cálcio (0 + 80 kg ha-1); 4 - sulfato de amônio (40 + 40 kg ha-1); 5 - sulfato de amônio (0 + 80 kg ha-1); 6 - sulfato de amônio + dicianodiamida (40 + 40 kg ha-1); e 7 - sulfato de amônio + dicianodiamida (0 + 80 kg ha-1)]. O uso do inibidor de nitrificação e o cultivo de C. spectabilis proporcionaram maiores teores de amônio no solo. A aplicação da fonte amoniacal sem inibidor em dose total aos 30 DAE e com inibidor tanto parcelada quanto em dose total proporcionaram os maiores teores de nitrato no solo.

Consórcio entre milho e leguminosas, produção de palha e manejo do nitrogênio no feijão “de inverno” em região com verão chuvoso e inverno seco

Pós-graduação em Agronomia - FEIS

Upland rice under no-tillage preceded by crops for soil cover and nitrogen fertilization

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

Crescimento de leguminosas utilizadas na adubação verde em diferentes níveis de sais na água de irrigação

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