The germination of seeds of Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw. (Cactaceae) is controlled by phytochrome and by nonphytochrome related process

As sementes de Epiphyllum phyllanthus apresentam alta sensibilidade à luz e a sua germinação pode ser promovida pela luz verde de segurança por meio da resposta de fluência muito baixa mediada pelo fitocromo A. Parte da população de sementes tem fitocromo B na forma ativa (Fve) suficiente para promover a germinação no escuro. Sementes de Epiphyllum phyllanthus germinam em uma ampla faixa de temperatura de 10 a 40°C, atingindo germinação completa na faixa de 15 a 30°C. Acima de 35°C a velocidade de germinação aumenta indicando o controle por um processo não relacionado com o fitocromo. A análise da cinética da germinação de sementes indicou que o controle pelo fitocromo A é menos dependente da temperatura do que o processo controlado pelo fitocromo B.

Flower morpho-anatomy in Epiphyllum phyllanthus (Cactaceae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Seedling morphology and development in the epiphytic cactus Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw. (Cactaceae: Hylocereeae)

Seedling morphology is relevant in classification, taxonomy, and vegetation studies to understand plant life cycles, germination succession and requirements, and developmental progression. However, most morphological studies of seedlings lack analysis of organ anatomy, impeding the comprehension of series of development and establishment in a particular environment. Here, we have taken a traditional anatomical approach to examine the stages of seedling development in Epiphyllum phyllanthus, a holo-epiphytic cactus of tribe Hylocereeae. The goals were 1) to offer a comprehensive description of growth series in E. phyllanthus seedlings based on morphological and anatomical analysis and 2) to examine the initial growth phases in the life cycle of this species to identify organ development and understand their adaptive significance in relation to seedling establishment. Our results include descriptions of seed morphology, embryonic features, and seedling vascularization pattern in the root, hypocotyl, cotyledons, and epicotyl. The morphological and developmental patterns in E. phyllanthus seedlings have potential phylogenetic and ontogenetic implications in the Cactaceae. Characters such as the presence of mucilage on the seed coat, the lack of seed operculum, and large cotyledons in E. phyllanthus are comparable to basal cacti, but the root anatomy is more similar to columnar relatives. At the familial level, there is an apparent trend in decreasing number of phloem and xylem poles in the stele of primary root, correlated with degree of specialization and advanced phylogenetic position: tetrarch to septarch-octarch in basal lineages, tetrarch Cereus-type in columnar species, to the diarch vascular system in Rhipsalideae and some species with cylindric/globose stem. © Torrey Botanical Club.

Morfoanatomia dos órgãos reprodutivos e da plântula de Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw. (Cactaceae)

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Vegetal) - IBRC

Densidade de plantio e época de colheita no crescimento, produção e teor de filantina em Phyllanthus amarus

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Horticultura) - FCA

Plantas medicinais do SUS: espécies comuns da região de Bauru-SP

This work deals with present and discuss mainly the chemical composition and pharmacological activities of each species of the National List of Medicinal plants of interest to SUS (RENISUS) contained in scientific articles that are found in the Bauru-SP region. Such information compiled in this study may help in the advancement of scientific research, promoting the speed in bibliographic queries these species. In the present work was carried out consultation papers and described in the form of literature review, published information of the species listed in Renisus specific to the Bauru-SP region are: Aloe spp* (A. vera or A. barbadensis), Schinus terebinthifolius = mastic Schinus, trimera Baccharis, Mikania spp* (M. glomerata and M. laevigata), Vernonia condensata, Tabebuia avellanedeae, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Momordica charantia, Phyllanthus spp* (P. amarus, P. niruri, P. tenellus and P. urinaria), Stryphnodendron adstringens = Stryphnodendron barbatimam, pulegium Mentha, Mentha spp* (M. crispa, M. piperita or M. villosa), Plectranthus barbatus = Coleus barbatus, Persea spp* (gratissima or P. americana P.), Bauhinia spp* (B. affinis, B. forficata or B. variegata), Copaifera spp*, Morus sp*, Eugenia uniflora or brasiliana Myrtus*, Psidium guajava, Syzygium spp* (S. jambolanum or S. cumini), Passiflora spp* (P. alata, P. edulis or P. incarnata), Punica granatum and Casearia sylvestris. Studies have shown that the use of plants as alternatives treatment and sustainable use of Brazilian biodiversity has a breakthrough in research regarding the chemical composition of each species of RENISUS relationship. Many phytochemical studies are reported compiled with possible pharmacological indications of each species. Thus enabling the use and production of herbal medicines in SUS

Who really ate the fruit? A novel approach to camera trapping for quantifying frugivory by ruminants

Tropical forest ruminants disperse several plants; yet, their effectiveness as seed dispersers is not systematically quantified. Information on frequency and extent of frugivory by ruminants is lacking. Techniques such as tree watches or fruit traps adapted from avian frugivore studies are not suitable to study terrestrial frugivores, and conventional camera traps provide little quantitative information. We used a novel time-delay camera-trap technique to assess the effectiveness of ruminants as seed dispersers for Phyllanthus emblica at Mudumalai, southern India. After being triggered by animal movement, cameras were programmed to take pictures every 2 min for the next 6 min, yielding a sequence of four pictures. Actual frugivores were differentiated from mere visitors, who did not consume fruit, by comparing the number of fruit remaining across the time-delay photograph sequence. During a 2-year study using this technique, we found that six terrestrial mammals consumed fallen P. emblica fruit. Additionally, seven mammals and one bird species visited fruiting trees but did not consume fallen fruit. Two ruminants, the Indian chevrotain Moschiola indica and chital Axis axis, were P. emblica's most frequent frugivores and they accounted for over 95% of fruit removal, while murid rodents accounted for less than 1%. Plants like P. emblica that are dispersed mainly by large mammalian frugivores are likely to have limited ability to migrate across fragmented landscapes in response to rapidly changing climates. We hope that more quantitative information on ruminant frugivory will become available with a wider application of our time-delay camera-trap technique.

Context-dependency of a complex fruit-frugivore mutualism: temporal variation in crop size and neighborhood effects

The quantity of fruit consumed by dispersers is highly variable among individuals within plant populations. The outcome Of Such selection operated by firugivores has been examined mostly with respect to changing spatial contexts. The influence of varying temporal contexts on frugivore choice, and their possible demographic and evolutionary consequences is poorly understood. We examined if temporal variation in fruit availability across a hierarchy of nested temporal levels (interannual, intraseasonal, 120 h, 24 h) altered frugivore choice for a complex seed dispersal system in dry tropical forests of southern India. The interactions between Phyllanthus emblica and its primary disperser (ruminants) was mediated by another frugivore (a primate),which made large quantities of fruit available on the ground to ruminants. The direction and strength of crop size and neighborhood effects on this interaction varied with changing temporal contexts.Fruit availability was higher in the first of the two study years, and at the start of the season in both years. Fruit persistence on trees,determined by primate foraging, was influenced by crop size andconspecific neighborhood densities only in the high fruit availability year. Fruit removal by ruminants was influenced by crop size in both years and neighborhood densities only in the high availability year. In both years, these effects were stronger at the start of the season.Intraseasonal reduction in fruit availability diminished inequalities in fruit removal by ruminants and the influence of crop size and fruiting neighborhoods. All trees were not equally attractive to frugivores in a P. emblica population at all points of time. Temporal asymmetry in frugivore-mediated selection could reduce potential for co-evolution between firugivores and plants by diluting selective pressures. Inter-dependencies; formed between disparate animal consumers can add additional levels of complexity to plant-frugivore mutualistic networks and have potential reproductive consequences for specific individuals within populations.

Woody plant seedling distribution under invasive Lantana camara thickets in a dry-forest plot in Mudumalai, southern India

Lantana camara, a shrub of Central and South American origin, has become invasive across dry forests worldwide. The effect of the thicket-forming habit of L. camara as a dispersal and recruitment barrier in a community of native woody seedlings was examined in a 50-ha permanent plot located in the seasonally dry forest of Mudumalai, southern India. Sixty 100-m(2) plots were enumerated for native woody seedlings between 10-100 cm in height. Of these, 30 plots had no L. camara thickets, while the other 30 had dense thickets. The frequency of occurrence and abundance of seedlings were modelled as a function of dispersal mode (mammal, bird or mechanical) and affinities to forest habitats (dry forest, moist forest or ubiquitous) as well as presence or absence of dense L. camara thickets. Furthermore, frequency of occurrence and abundance of individual species were also compared between thickets and no L. camara. At the community level, L. camara density, dispersal mode and forest habitat affinities of species determined both frequency of occurrence and abundance of seedlings, with the abundance of dry-forest mammal-dispersed species and ubiquitous mechanically dispersed species being significantly lower under L. camara thickets. Phyllanthus emblica and Kydia calycina were found to be significantly less abundant under L. camara, whereas most other species were not affected by the presence of thickets. It was inferred that, by affecting the establishment of native tree seedlings, L. camara thickets could eventually alter the community composition of such forests.

Frecuencia y grado de cubrimiento de las malezas presentes en el Ingenio Azucarero Javier Guerra B. Nandaime

El presente estudio se llevó a cabo de junio de 1992 a junio 1993 en áreas del Ingenio Javier Guerra, ubicado en el municipio de Nandaime, departamento de Granada, con el propósito de determinar la composición florística de las malezas que compiten en el cultivo de la caña de azúcar, el grado de cubrimiento y frecuencia de aparición de las mismas en general y por tipo de suelo. Para el estudio se seleccionaron siete lotes de producción representativos de las condiciones de suelo predominantes en las áreas cañeras. En cada lote de muestreo se seleccionaron de forma sistemática cinco puntos, los cuales estaban separados 200 metros el uno del otro. En cada una de las estaciones se anotaron por separado las malezas y el grado de cubrimiento, seleccionándose las especies con mayores distribuciones en base a la frecuencia y grado de cubrimiento promedio en total de sub-estaciones evaluados. El método utilizado fue el de observación visual, tomando como base los grados fijados en la escala de Braun-Blanquet (1964). Se realizó selección de especies de malezas que aparecieron en los tipos de suelo en estudio (TX a 3 III), (NNc IV), (AA a II), (VCa 4 IV), (TXa 2 II) y (Sta II). El análisis de los resultados se realizó de forma descriptiva, con el auxilio de Figuras y Tablas. Los resultados pueden ser resumidos de !a siguiente forma: se determinaron 79 especies de malezas, el 68.35 por ciento corresponden a dicotiledóneas y el 31.65 por ciento a monocotiledóneas. Se determinaron en total 24 familias de plantas, cuatro de las cuales pertenecen a la clase monocotiledóneas. Del total de monocotiledóneas, el 72 por ciento pertenecen a la familia poaceae Las especies de malezas pertenecientes a la clase dicotiledóneas presentaron un porcentaje superior en relación a las malezas monocotiledóneas. Del total de malezas dicotiledóneas el 14.8 por ciento corresponde a la familia asteraceae. La familia poaceae es la familia con mayor representación en número de especies presentes, ya que presenta 22.8 por ciento del total de especies determinadas. Las especies de malezas con clase de frecuencia 5 fueron ixophorus unicetus (Presl) Schlecht, Phyllanthus amarus Schum y Amaranthus Spinosus L. Las dos primeras especies aparecieron en el 100 por ciento de las muestras realizadas y la última en el 85 por ciento de las muestras. La especie Cyperus rotundus L. presenta frecuencia N, y grado de cubrimiento de 4, lo cual constituye un parámetro importante para considerar a asta especie como una de las más problemáticas en el área del cultivo. La mayor cantidad de especies se encontró en los suelo TX a 3 III, y NNc IV. El suelo Sta II, presentó el menor número de especies de malezas. Las especies de malezas dicotiledóneas y monocotiledóneas, predominantes en tos seis tipos de suelo fueron: A. spinosus, Lunicetus, P. amaras. En cambio, las malezas con distribución en cinco y cuatro tipos de suelos fueron: Baltimora recta , Cleome viscosa , Cyperus rotundas , Cucumisdipsacum , y Echinochloacolonum.

Ensayo comparativo de cuatro herbicidas en el cultivo de la yuca (Manihot utilissima Polh)

Con el objetivo de estudiar el comportamiento de varios herbicidas sobre el control de malezas en el cultivo de la yuca, se llevo a efecto un ensayo en los suelos de la Escuela Nacional de Agricultura y Ganadería en Nicaragua. Al mismo tiempo se estudio la factibilidad económica del empleo de estos herbicidas. La evaluación se hizo en base a peso de las raíces de yuca al momento de la cosecha. También se uso una escala visual y el numero de especies de malezas por parcela. Todos los herbicidas se aplicaron de presiembra en tres dosis. Se presentaron diferencias significativas entre los herbicidas, pero no entre las dosis de estos, ni en la interacción de los herbicidas y las dosis. Gesagard en dosis de 1.0 kilogramos por hectárea de material activo produjo una ganancia neta de C209,20 por hectárea. El Karmer en dosis de 0,53 kilogramos por hectárea de material activo produjo una ganancia de C123,30 por hectárea, mientras que Treflan y Gesaprim resultaron antieconomicos produciendo perdidas de C24,15 y C177,20 respectivamente. Gesagard y Gesaprim en sus tres dosis controlaron totalmente las malezas de hoja ancha. Gesapard permitió el desarrollo normal del cultivo, mientras que Gesaprim produjo efectos fitotoxicos sobre el cultivo. Karmex y Treflan no controlaron malezas de hoja ancha como Euphorbia spp. (golondrina), Argemon mexicana (cerdo santo), Phylantus niruri (huevos de rana), Portulaca oleracea (verdolega), Euphorbia scabrella, Amaranthus spinosos (bledo) y Physalis ixocarpa (popa), ni malezas de hojas angostas como Cyperus rotundus (coyolillo), Cenchrus equinatus (mozote) y Cynodon dactilon Pers. (pasto bermuda). En Treflan se noto que no ejerció ningún buen control los primeros treinta días y luego se comporto como un tratamiento regular.

余甘子、细叶草乌及土荆皮化学成分研究

本论文由三部分共6 章组成。第一部分报道了余甘子、细叶草乌和土荆皮等三种药用植物的化学成分研究成果；第二部分报道了细叶草乌和土荆皮中分离得到的化合物的活性测试，以及这两种植物的质谱分析；第三部分概述了土荆皮的研究现状。第一部分包括1－3 章。在第1 章、第2 章和第3 章中分别报道了余甘子(Phyllanthus emblica L.) 、细叶草乌(Aconitum richardsonianum var.pseudosessiliflorum) 和土荆皮( pseudolarix kaempferi) 的化学成分。采用正、反相硅胶柱层析等各种分离方法，从余甘子中共分离出10 个化合物，其中1 个为新化合物，另外还有2 个为首次从该植物中分离得到。细叶草乌的化学成分研究尚未见报道，我们从该植物中共分离出15 个化合物，其中6 个为二萜生物碱，9个为非生物碱成分。从土荆皮中分离得到16 个化合物，其中8 个二萜、1 个三萜和7 个其它类型化合物，其中有4 个化合物为首次在该植物中分离得到；从土荆皮挥发油中分离鉴定出了22 个化合物，占挥发油总量的90%。第二部分包括4－5 章。第4 章报道了从细叶草乌和土荆皮中分离得到的13个化合物的药理活性研究，结果显示，展花乌头宁和土荆乙酸葡萄糖苷等表现出较高的组织蛋白酶K 抑制活性；土荆乙酸葡萄糖苷表现出较高的组织蛋白酶B抑制活性；8-去乙酰滇乌碱表现出较高的蛋白质酪氨酸磷酸酶抑制活性。第5 章报道了细叶草乌和土荆皮总浸膏的质谱( ESI-MS ) 分析，研究结果表明，ESI-MS 法可以简单快速地检测这两种植物的主要成分；通过ESI-MS2 分析初步探讨了一些化合物的裂解规律，尝试质谱在其结构测定中的具体应用。第三部分为第6 章。从化学成分、药理、构效关系、主要成分的定量分析、及其合成研究等方面概述了土荆皮的研究进展。 This dissertation consists of three parts. The first part elaborate thephytochemical investigation of three medicinal plants, Phyllanthus emblica L.,Aconitum richardsonianum var. pseudosessiliflorum and pseudolarix kaempferi. Thesecond part reported the bioassay of 13 constituents from Aconitum richardsonianumvar. pseudosessiliflorum and pseudolarix kaempferi, and ESI-MS analysis of these twoplant . The third part is a review on the research progress of pseudolarix kaempferi.The first part is composed of three chapters. Chapters 1-3 focus on the isolationand identification of chemical constituents from Phyllanthus emblica L., Aconitumrichardsonianum var. pseudosessiliflorum and pseudolarix kaempferi. 10 compoundsincluding a new tannin were isolated from the fruits of Phyllanthus emblica by repeatcolumn chromatography over normal and reversed phase silica gel, 2 of them werefirstly reported in this plant. The chemical constituents of Aconitum richardsonianumvar. pseudosessiliflorum never reported before, 15 compounds including 6 diterpenealkaloids were isolated and identified from the roots of this plant. 16 compoundsincluding 8 diterpenes , 1 triterpene and 7 other compounds were isolated from the bark of pseudolarix kaempferi, among them, 4 compounds were firstly reported fromthe EtOH extracts of this plant, and 22 compounds were identified from its essentialoil, representing 90% of the total essential oil.The second part includes chapters 4 and 5. Chapter 4 reported thepharmacological activities of 13 compounds isolated from Aconitum richardsonianumvar. pseudosessiliflorum and pseudolarix kaempferi. Results demonstrated that chasmanine and pseudolaric acid B-β-D-glucoside exhibit relatively high anti-Cathepsin K activities; pseudolaric acid B-β-D-glucoside exhibits relatively highanti-Cathepsin B activity; 8-deacetyl-yunaconitine exhibits relatively high anti-PTP1Bactivity. Chapter 5 reported the ESI-MS analysis of extractions from Aconitumrichardsonianum var. pseudosessiliflorum and pseudolarix kaempferi, it was showedthat ESI-MS can be used as an useful tool in analyzing the major constituents of thesetwo plant much quick and easy, in addition, the fragmentation rules of somecompounds were discussed, in order to find some applications of ESI-MS2 method in their structure determination.The third part is a review on the research progress of pseudolarix kaempferi,including the chemical constituents, pharmacology, structure-activity relationship(SAP), quantitative analysis and synthesis of the major constituents.

Morpho-anatomical variations during stem development in some epiphytic Cactaceae

LEMOS, R. C. C. AND G. F. A. MELO-DE-PINNA (Departamento de Botanica, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Rua do Matao 277, Travessa 14, Cidade Universitaria, Butanta, Caixa Postal 11461, 05422-970, Sao Paulo, SP, Brasil). Morpho-anatomical variations during stem development in some epiphytic Cactaceae. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 138: 16-25. 2011. In this study, the morpho-anatomical features of Hatiora salicornioides (Harworth) Britton & Rose, Rhipsalis floccosa Salm-Dyck Pfeiffer, Rhipsalis elliptica G. Lindb. ex K. Schum. and Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haworth. were studied during different phases of stem development. Primary (more developed) and terminal (less developed) segments showed variations of anatomical features as exhibited by the epidermal cells in surface view and transverse section. Features of the vascular system, e.g., the occurrence of non-lignified parenchyma in bands (H. salicornioides) or in small groups (R. floccosa and R. elliptica), as well as pericycle fibers and lignified cells in the medullar region, were only observed on the primary segments. Nevertheless, based on our anatomical analysis of stem segments in different developmental phases, we conclude that some characters described and used in systematic interpretations should be revised, mainly in the vascular (secondary xylem; non-xylematic vascular fibers) and dermal systems (epidermis in surface view and transverse section).

Obtenção de sistemas microemulsionados e estudo de simulação por dinâmica molecular de sistemas micelares objetivando a veiculação de produtos naturais bioativos

Among the new drugs launched into the market since 1980, up to 30% of them belong to the class of natural products or they have semisynthetic origin. Between 40-70% of the new chemical entities (or lead compounds) possess poor water solubility, which may impair their commercial use. An alternative for administration of poorly water-soluble drugs is their vehiculation into drug delivery systems like micelles, microemulsions, nanoparticles, liposomes, and cyclodextrin systems. In this work, microemulsion-based drug delivery systems were obtained using pharmaceutically acceptable components: a mixture Tween 80 and Span 20 in ratio 3:1 as surfactant, isopropyl mirystate or oleic acid as oil, bidistilled water, and ethanol, in some formulations, as cosurfactants. Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SMEDDS) were also obtained using propylene glycol or sorbitol as cosurfactant. All formulations were characterized for rheological behavior, droplet size and electrical conductivity. The bioactive natural product trans-dehydrocrotonin, as well some extracts and fractions from Croton cajucara Benth (Euphorbiaceae), Anacardium occidentale L. (Anacardiaceae) e Phyllanthus amarus Schum. & Thonn. (Euphorbiaceae) specimens, were satisfactorily solubilized into microemulsions formulations. Meanwhile, two other natural products from Croton cajucara, trans-crotonin and acetyl aleuritolic acid, showed poor solubility in these formulations. The evaluation of the antioxidant capacity, by DPPH method, of plant extracts loaded into microemulsions evidenced the antioxidant activity of Phyllanthus amarus and Anacardium occidentale extracts. For Phyllanthus amarus extract, the use of microemulsions duplicated its antioxidant efficiency. A hydroalcoholic extract from Croton cajucara incorporated into a SMEDDS formulation showed bacteriostatic activity against colonies of Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli bacteria. Additionally, Molecular Dynamics simulations were performed using micellar systems, for drug delivery systems, containing sugar-based surfactants, N-dodecylamino-1-deoxylactitol and N-dodecyl-D-lactosylamine. The computational simulations indicated that micellization process for N-dodecylamino-1- deoxylactitol is more favorable than N-dodecyl-D-lactosylamine system.

Ácaros (Acari, Arachnida) associados a euforbiáceas nativas em áreas de cultivo de seringueiras (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg., Euphorbiaceae) na região noroeste do estado de São Paulo, Brasil

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