Parasitoids with potential for the control of Hypsipyla grandella in Latin America

Hypsipyla grandella (Zeller) is the most important insect pest of the Meliaceae in the Neotropics. This paper reviews the information on H. grandella parasitoids in Latin America and the Caribbean. Preliminary data on the parasitoid complex in Turrialba, Costa Rica, are presented, where apparent parasitisation of H. grandella during 1995–1996 reached 36%. The lowest level of parasitisation occurred during the dry season. The parasitoid Apanteles sp. (= Hypomicrogaster hypsipylae de Santis?) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was the most abundant larval parasitoid with a mean of 22 parasitoids per parasitised larva and a sex ratio of 3:1 females to males. Brachymeria conica Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) was found parasitising pupae, but at low frequency

Preservation of encapsulated shoot tips and nodes of the tropical hardwoods Corymbia torelliana × C. citriodora and Khaya senegalensis

Alginate encapsulation is a simple and cost-effective technique to preserve plant germplasm but there are only a few reports available on preservation of encapsulated explants of two highly valuable groups of tropical trees, the eucalypts (Myrtaceae) and mahoganies (Meliaceae). This study investigated alginate encapsulation for preservation of the eucalypt hybrid, Corymbia torelliana × C. citriodora, and the African mahogany, Khaya senegalensis. We assessed shoot regrowth of encapsulated shoot tips and nodes after storage for 0, 3, 6 and 12 months on media varying in sucrose and nutrient content, under storage conditions of 14°C and zero-irradiance. Encapsulated explants of both trees were preserved most effectively on high-nutrient (half-strength Murashige and Skoog) medium containing 1% sucrose, which provided very high frequencies of shoot regrowth (92–100% for Corymbia and 71–98% for Khaya) and excellent shoot development after 12 months’ storage. This technique provides an extremely efficient means for storage and exchange of eucalypts and mahoganies, ideally suited for incorporation into plant breeding and germplasm conservation programs.

Estructura, diversidad florística y estimación de carbono almacenado en tres bosques del municipio El Castillo, Río San Juan, Nicaragua, 2012

La planificación y manejo integral de fincas es un mod elo con tendencias productivas, en Nicaragua la ausencia de metodologías sencillas, flexibles, con alta factibilidad económica y confiabilidad de los resultados, es un factor determinante de la aceptación e implementación de los planes de manejo a nivel de finca. El presente estudio se realizó con la finalidad de contribuir información de metodología para inventarios forestales y resultados florísticos en el almacenamiento de carbono, en tres fincas productivas del bosque húmedo tropical del municipio El Castillo, Río San Juan. El estudio se estableció en tres etapas metodológicas: planificación de trabajo, fase de campo y almacenamiento de datos (procesamiento). Para cumplir los objetivos se implementó un inventario forestal por muestreo sistemático con diferentes intensidades de muestreo en cada finca, se establecieron parcelas de 10m x 50m (0.05 ha), para comparar la diversidad entre fincas se utilizó igual tamaño de parcelas (0.3 ha), mediante el índice de Margalef (riqueza) e índice de Shannon-Weiner (equidad), se analizó la estructura horizontal mediante el cálculo de abundancia, área basal y volumen por hectárea, para la estimación de carbono se optó por el método no destructivo utilizando la ecuación general de biomasa (Brown, 1997) y el factor de carbono según IPCC, 2005. Las variables estudiadas son: nombre botánico de la especie arbórea, DAP (1.30m sobre el suelo ) mayor a 10 cm y altura fustal. Se identificaron 31 familias botánicos, 57 géneros y 68 especies, las familias más representativas, según el número de especie son, Moraceae, Rubiaceae, Fabaceae, Sapotaceae, Anonaceae, Burseraceae, Cumbretaceae, Lauraceae, Meliaceae, Vochysiaceae, Mimosaceae, alta presencia de especies indicadoras de bosques alterados o secundarios y bajo número de especies comerciales. No obstante el estudio de muestra alta riqueza en las tres fincas sin diferencias significativas (X²= 0,916; P>0,05) y baja equidad en La Pavona y La Perilla, por el contrario La Primavera presenta mejor representatividad de las especies. El bosque con mayor área basal y volumen (desarrollo estructural), fue La Pavona (26.51 m2ha-1 y 365.39 m3 ha-1), también almacenó mayor carbono por hectárea (195.66Mg C ha-1), básicamente los resultado de carbono son similares entre las tres fincas (La Perilla con 184.38 MgC ha-1 y La Primavera con 192.21 MgC ha-1), también se encontró alta relación entre el estado de desarrollo (clases naturales de edades), abundancia, volumen y el almacenamiento de carbono por la alta cantidad de biomasa.

Caracterización de las técnicas reproductivas a nivel de vivero de especies arbóreas en el jardín botánico y vivero Santa Elena, Managua, 2014

El presente estudio fue realizado en El Jardín Botánico y Vivero Santa Elena, ubicado en el departamento de Managua en el Kilómetro 14 carretera norte Managua-Tipitapa. Surgió como producto de la coordinación entre La Facultad de Recursos Naturales y del Ambiente (FARENA) de la Universidad Nacional Agraria (UNA)y la se cretaría del centro de propagación de plantas Jardín Botánico y Vivero Santa Elena. El objetivo principal del mismo es la caracterización de las técnicas reproductivas a nivel de vivero que se utilizan para especies arbóreas. La metodología consistió en: (1) aplicación de entrevista dirigida a informantes claves preseleccionados (directora, coordinador del vivero y responsable del área forestal); (2) implementación de la técnica de observación de campo; (3)levantamiento de datos mediante formato pre definido; y (4) cotejo de la información con otras fuentes bibliográficas. Se identificó un total de 31 especies forestales distribuidas en 16 familias botánicas y 27 géneros. Entre las familias más representativas se encuentran: Caesalpiniaceae, Bignoniaceae y Mimosaceae con 4 especies cada una y menor a 3 especies resultó Meliaceae, Fabaceae, Combretaceae, Bombacaceae, Malvaceae y Boraginaceae. La técnica que más seutiliza es la sexual con un 96.77% y en menor proporción se implementa la técnica asexual con 3.23%; 51.61% de las especies son exóticas y el 48.39% son nativas; se utiliza como sustrato abono orgánico que incluye cascarilla de arroz, aserrín y tierra común; y el tratamiento pre germinativo más común se basas en la escarificación mecánica e inmersión en agua, que varía según la especie.

云南元谋和山西太谷上新世化石木群研究

首次报道了云南元谋盆地（虎跳滩土林、湾堡土林和新华土林）晚上新世的硅化木材植物群和山西太谷盆地晚上新世的炭屑木材植物群，分析了这两个盆地当时的植被、环境和气候，为认识我国西南地区和北方中部地区晚上新世气候变化提供了生物学证据。 1。云南元谋盆地晚上新世沙沟组（相当于钱方等1991元谋组下部一、二段）化石木植物群包括：裸子植物1种，归属于三尖杉科(Cephalotaxaceae)三尖杉属(Cephalotaxus)或红豆杉科(Taxaceae)穗花杉属(Amentotaxus);被子植物11种，分别归属于楝科(Meliaceae)香椿属(Toona)、大戟科(Euphorbiaceae)秋枫属(Bischofia)、榆科(Ulmaceae)榉属(Zelkova)、豆科(Fabaceae)黄檀属(Dalbergia)、壳斗科(Fagaceae)锥属(Castanopsis)、青冈属(Cyclobalanopsis)、 千屈菜科(Lythraceae)紫薇属(Lagerstroemia)、桑科(Moraceae)桑属(Morus)、胡桃科(Juglandaceae)、豆科和壳斗科。其中三尖杉属或穗花杉属、楝科香椿属、豆科黄檀属、壳斗科锥属、青冈属、千屈菜科紫薇属、桑科桑属、胡桃科和壳斗科的化石木在我国为首次报道。依据植物群的组成，当时该盆地周围山地上的森林是以锥属、青冈属和三尖杉属或穗花杉属为主要分子的常绿针阔混交林，盆地内的树木包括楝科香椿属、大戟科秋枫属、豆科和千屈菜科紫薇属等植物;当时的气候为亚热带气候，温暖湿润。与印度同时代植物群相比，元谋植物群不具有典型的热带雨林分子如龙脑香科植物，而在印度晚第三纪则常见热带雨林分子。这种差异可能是因为中印植物区系起源不同，以及地质历史时期青藏高原的隆升造成区域气候分异，从而导致中印古植物区系不同。 2．山西太谷盆地晚上新世小白组化石木植物群包括榆科(Ulmaceae)榆属(Ulmus)、蔷薇科(Rosaceae)李属(Prunus)和桑科柘属(Cudrania)，它们的标本保存为炭屑木材。该化石木群的发现，以及综合通过孢粉学研究得出的古气候研究结果，表明当时当地属于典型的温带气候。化石木清晰的生长轮表明当时气候具明显的季节性。现代生态木材解剖学研究发现温带干旱地区植物群中导管分子壁的螺纹加厚比例较高、且明显。化石木标本导管分子壁具明显的螺纹加厚也表明盆地内为温带的气候类型。孢粉学研究和地层中丰富的石膏层也表明当时气候具有明显的干湿波动，地层中多层炭屑的存在证明了当时气候条件下森林火频繁发生。这些炭屑木材的发现丰富了太谷盆地晚上新世植物群，为古植被重建和古环境恢复提供了新的证据

四川蜡瓣花、密花樫木、四川溲疏及云南豆腐柴的化学成分研究

本论文对四川蜡瓣花 (Corylopsis willmottiae Rehd. et Wils.)、密花樫木[Dysoxylum densiflorum (Blume) Miq.]、四川溲疏 (Deutzia setchuenensis Franch)及云南豆腐柴 (Premna yunnanensis W. W. Smith)的化学成分进行了研究。通过色谱分离得到44个化合物。主要基于波谱数据鉴定了它们的结构，其中1个为新化合物。 1．从四川蜡瓣花全株的95%乙醇提取物中共分离鉴定了13个化合物，它们是：1-O-(3-O-甲基没食子酸)-岩白菜素(1)、11-O-没食子酰基岩白菜素(2)、 11-O-紫丁香基岩白菜素(3) 、岩白菜素(4)、4-O-没食子酰基岩白菜素(5) 、4,11-O-二没食子酰基岩白菜素 (6)[14]、β-谷甾醇 (7)、acetyl aleuritolic acid (8)、(-)-表没食子儿茶素没食子酸酯(9)、对羟基苯甲酮 (10)、 11-香豆酸酰岩白菜素 (11)[19]、丁香酸 (12)和没食子酸 (13)。其中1为新化合物。 2．从密花樫木根的95%乙醇提取物中共分离纯化了13个化合物，它们是：β-白檀酮(14)、richenone (15)、β-谷甾醇 (7)、cabraleadiol (16)、β-香树脂醇 (17)、龙脑香醇酮 (18)、cabraleadiol monoacetate (19)、cabraleone (20)、3β-hydroxy-5 -pregnen-20-one (21)、3β-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (22)、cabraleahydroxylactone (23)、川楝子甾醇B (24)、表儿茶素 (25)。 3．从四川溲疏全株95%乙醇提取物中共分离11个化合物，鉴定了其中的9个化合物。它们是：β-谷甾醇 (7)、白桦酯醇(26)、齐墩果酸(27)、hydrangetin (28)、肉桂酸 (29)，齐墩果酸-3-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖醛酸苷(30)、β-胡萝卜苷 (31)、齐墩果酸-3-O-（β-D-吡喃葡萄糖醛酸-6-正丁酯）(32)、齐墩果酸-3-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖醛酸-28-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷 (33)。 4．从云南豆腐柴95%乙醇提取物中分离得到12个化合物，分别为白桦脂醇 (25)、7-羟基黄烷酮 (34)、松属素 (35)、2’,4’-羟基查儿酮 (36)、高良姜素-3-甲醚 (37) 、高良姜素-3,7-二甲醚 (38)、异甘草素-4-甲醚 (39)、豆蔻明 (40)、乔松酮 (41)、异甘草素 (42)、arjunolic acid (43)、槲皮素3-O-β-D-木糖苷(44)。 5．综述了1976年以来樫木属植物化学成分和活性研究的概况。 Phytochemical investigation on Corylopsis willmottiae, Dysoxylum densiflorum, Deutzia setchuenensis, and Premna yunnanensis, led to the isolation of 44 compounds, 1 of which was new one. 1. One new compound was isolated from 95% ehanolic extrat of the whole plants of C. willmottiae, identified as 11-O-(3-O-methylgalloyl)-bergenin (1). The twelve known compounds isolated were 11-O-galloylbergenin (2), 11-O-syringylbergenin (3), bergenin (4), 4-O-galloylbergenin (5), 4,11-di-O-galloylbergenin (6), β-sitosterol (7), acetyl aleuritolic acid (8), (-)-epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate (9), 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethanone (10), 11-O-coumaroylbergenin (11), syringic acid (12), gallic acid (13). 2. Thirteen compounds were isolated from 95% ethanol extract from the roots of D. densiflorum and identified as β-amyrenone (14), richenone (15), β-sitosterol (7), cabraleadiol (16), β-amyrin (17), hydroxydammarenone-Ⅱ (18), cabraleadiol monoacetate (19), cabraleone (20), 3β-hydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one (21), 3β-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (22), cabraleahydroxylactone (23), toosendansterol B (24) and (-)-epicatechin (25). 3. Eleven compounds were isolated from ethanol extract of D. Setchuenensis. Nine were identified as β-sitosterol (7), betulin (26), oleanolic acid (27), hydrangetin (28), cinnamic acid (29), oleanolic acid 3-O-β-D-glucuronopyranoside (30), β-daucosterol (31), oleanolic acid 3-O-β-D-glucuronopyranoside-6-O-butyl ester）(32), oleanolic acid 3-O-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl-28-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (33). 4. Twelve compounds were isolated from ethanol extract of P. yunnanensis and identified as betulin (26), 7-hydroxyflavanone (34), pinocembrin (35), 2’,4’-dihydroxychalcone (36), galangin 3-methyl ether (37), galangin 3,7-dimethyl ether (38), isoliquiritigenin 4-methyl ether (39), cardamonin (40), pinostrobin (41), isoliquiritigenin (42), arjunolic acid (43), quercetin 3-O-β-D-lyxosopyranoside (44). 5. Chemical constituents and biological activities of the genus Dysoxylum (Meliaceae) were reviewed during 1976-2009.

A New Triterpenoid from Amoora dasyclada

Five compounds were isolated from the EtOH extraction of the stem of Amoora dasyclada (How et T. Chen) C. Y. Wu (Meliaceae). On the basis of spectroscopic methods, their structures were elucidated as 24, 25-epoxy-tirucall-7-ene-3, 23-dione (1), 24, 25, 26, 27-tetranortirucall-7-ene-3-oxo-23(21)-lactone (2), taraxerone (3), taraxerol (4) and b-sitosterol (5). Among them, compound 1 was a new triterpenoid, compounds 3-5 were firstly obtained from this plant; compound 2, an tetranortriterpenoid, was firstly isolated from natural sources, and its NMR data were assigned for the first time. Moreover, the D7-bond and the Me-14 in compound 2 were never changed, which has never been found in other tetranortriterpenoids. And the biosynthetic pathway of tetranortriterpenoid was further discussed.

Natural products biological screening and ligand-based virtual screening for the discovery of new antileishmanial agents

In the course of our research program to discover novel antileishmanial agents, a biological screening of natural products against Leishmania major promastigotes allowed the identification of a furoquinoline alkaloid (1) and a furanocoumarin (2) as new hits. Subsequently, an integrated ligand-based virtual screening approach was employed to search for new antileishmanial compounds using these naturally occurring molecules as templates. Fourteen out of 40 compounds selected from a database of about 800,000 compounds (extracted from ZINC, a free database for virtual screening) were experimentally confirmed to possess significant in vitro antileishmanial properties. The application of ligand-based virtual screening as a complementary approach to experimental natural product screening was a useful strategy to facilitate the identification of new promising lead candidates.

Interaction between resistant tomato genotypes and plant extracts on Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) biotype B

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

Enraizamento de estacas de Trichilia catigua A. Juss (catigua) em diferentes estações do ano

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Frugivoria e especificidade por hospedeiros na erva-de-passarinho Phoradendron rubrum (L.) Griseb. (Viscaceae)

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

Chuva de sementes e regeneração natural sob três espécies arbóreas em uma floresta em processo de restauração

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Limonoids showing selective toxicity to DNA repair-deficient yeast and other constituents of Trichilia emetica

Bioactivity-directed fractionation of the MeCOEt extract of Trichilia emetica (Meliaceae) resulted in the isolation of the limonoids nymania 1 (1), drageana 4 (3), trichilin A (4), rohituka 3 (5),and Tr-B (7) and the novel seco-A protolimonoid 8. of these, nymania 1 and Tr-B showed selective inhibitory activity toward DNA repair-deficient yeast mutants. The isolation, structure elucidation, C-13 NMR spectral assignments, and biological activities of:these compounds are reported.

Phytosociological studies in the morro do diabo forest (Pontal do Paranapanema, SP), Brazil

Results are given of a phytosociological study of a forest located in the Morro do Diabo State Park. in the county of Teodoro Sampaio (22 degrees 31'S, 52 degrees 10'W), Pontal do Paranapanema region, state of São Paulo. The point-centered quarter method, using 300 sampling points, was used establishing 3 trails of 100 sampling points each, 10 m interdistant. All woody vegetation with a breast height diameter of 5 cm or more were samplied. Three distinct ecotopes could be identified in the forest: the lower, thc slope and the peak, which were analised separately.The families that presented the greatest numbers of genera, species and individuals were Leguminosae, Euphorbiaceae and Myrtaceae, followed by Rutaceae, Lauraceae, Meliaceae and Moracea. A total of 104 species, 85 genera and 37 families were sampled by the phytosociological survey. The relative sociological position of each plant family or species varied according to ecotope.

Efeito alelopático de extrato aquoso de folhas de Azadirachta indica A. Juss. em alface, soja, milho, feijão e picão-preto

The family Meliaceae has been identified as one of the most promising for biological control, as most species have biologically active compounds. Among the species, the Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) is that stands out most for its efficiency and low toxicity, and it is utilized to control insects, fungi and nematodes. The aim of this work was to verify the allelopathic potential of aqueous extract of fresh leaves of Neem on germination of lettuce, soybeans, maize, beans and Bidens pilosa, as a way to control this weed. The extract was obtained by grinding 200g/L of fresh leaves of the Neem (considered extract 100%) and diluting in distilled water at concentrations of 80, 60, 40, and 20%, and a control with only water. The seeds were kept in the germination chamber at a temperature of 25 degrees C, with photoperiod of 12 hours of light. The aqueous extract affected the germination percentage and average length root of lettuce, with values of 1% and 0.1, cm respectively. For the soybeans, the extract influenced negatively the average time of germination and average speed of germination. There was a drastic reduction of the average root length at higher concentration for soybean, corn and beans. For Bidens pilosa all the parameters analyzed were negatively affected, which means sensitivity to the extract. The bioassay performed in the laboratory showed that the aqueous extract of fresh leaves of Azadirachta indica has allelopathic effect on all species.