Use of Moringa oleífera Lamarck leaf extract as sugarcane juice clarifier: effects on clarifed juice and sugar

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaf extract on the sedimentation of impurities in the treatment of sugarcane juice and the effects on sugar quality and on the clarified juice. The experimental design used was a 4x2 factorial arrangement with four replications. The main treatments performed included the extracted original sugarcane juice, the synthetic polyelectrolyte (Flomex 9076), the leaf extract, and a control. The secondary treatments consisted of the sugarcane varieties RB92579 and RB867515. The clarification process used was simple defecation, in which the flocculating agents and the juice, limed and heated, were poured simultaneously into a decanter. The microbiological and chemico-technological characteristics of the extracted and clarified juices were evaluated. The clarified juice was concentrated up to 60° Brix (syrup) and subjected to boiling in a pilot pan using seeds to perform the graining: The sugar was recovered by centrifugation and analyzed for microbiological and chemico-technological characteristics. It was concluded that the use of the Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves extract resulted in a better quality of clarified juice and sugar.

Efeito da radiação UV -B na interação Botrytis cinerea – clonostachys rosea em morangueiro e do ácido 4 - aminobenzóico no controle do patógeno em tabaco

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Proteção de Plantas) - FCA

Leaf application of silicic acid to upland rice and corn

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Cyatta abscondita: Taxonomy, Evolution, and Natural History of a New Fungus-Farming Ant Genus from Brazil

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

Polydomy in the ant Ectatomma opaciventre

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Do litter manipulations affect leaf functional traits of savanna woody plants?

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Clonagem de canistel por estaquia

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

Botanical extracts: alternative control for silverleaf whitefly management in tomato

Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) biotype B is one of the most limiting pests of tomato crops in the world. Tomato yield is currently dependent on the use of pesticides, which are problematic to farmers, consumers and the environment. A promising alternative to reduce the harmful effects caused by the indiscriminated use of synthetic insecticides is the use of insecticides of botanical origin. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 3% (w/v) aqueous extracts from different structures of thirteen botanical species on the behavior of B. tabaci biotype B adults, as well as insecticidal activity of such aqueous extracts on B. tabaci eggs, nymphs, and adults infesting tomato plants. A distilled water solution was used as a negative control, and thiamethoxam insecticide (18 g/100 L of water) as a positive control. Leaf extract of Toona ciliata was observed to have the most efficient inhibitory effect in tests of extracts on whitefly behavior. Furthermore, the use of leaf extract of Toona ciliata led to the most drastic reduction in the number of adults and eggs on tomato leaflets. Leaf extract of Piper aduncum led to the greatest observed ovicidal effect (78.00% of non-hatched nymphs); however it was not effective against nymphs and adults. The leaf extracts of Trichilia pallida, Trichilia casaretti, and Toona ciliata showed the highest control indexes (67.9, 60.3, and 55.1%, respectively). For adults mortality, T. pallida was the most effective (72.8%). Our results indicate that application of extracts of T. pallida, T. ciliata, and T. casaretti are promising strategies to manage B. tabaci biotype B on tomato.

Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Gomes) L. R. Landrum (Myrtaceae): stem and leaf anatomy of a medicinal plant

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico(CNPq)

Genotoxic potential of the latex from cotton-leaf physicnut (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The ant fauna of hospitals: advancements in public health and research priorities in Brazil

Ants inhabit several types of natural and urban habitats, where they successfully nest. In urban environments, the hospitals should be considered priority for studies, as ants pose risks to human health due to their pathogen carrying potential. We aimed at surveying the literature about studies on ants in hospital settings in Brazil in the past 20 years. We found 40 papers in 22 journals, the first one published in 1993. Among them, 26 papers assessed pathogenic microorganisms on ants. We recorded 59 ant species, being Tapinoma melanocephalum the most common. The Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo states had the largest number of published papers. Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul showed the highest number of species. Exotic ant species were recorded in all states, except Goias. Considering the potential to carry microorganisms and the importance of thorough studies on the ecology of ant species, our results can support and guide further research in Brazil. (C) 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Entomologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Formulations of Melia azedarach to control diabrotica speciosa (germar) (coleoptera: chrysomelidae) larvae in corn and plant enhancement

We evaluated oil and powder formulations of Melia azedarach for controlling larvae of Diabrotica speciosa (Germar) in corn and plant enhancement. Five concentrations of each formulation were evaluated and compared to fipronil (negative control) and distilled water (positive control). After treatment, the number of surviving insects (larvae, pupae, and adults), the adult body weight, the sex ratio, and the longevity were recorded, while the height, dry weight of aerial part and roots, and number of leaves of plants were measured. The oil formulation at 4.0 mL reduced the larvae population of D. speciosa similarly to the insecticide fipronil, which resulted in greater height, dry weight of the root system, and number of leaves. Powder formulation at concentrations of 40, 80, and 160 mg caused larval mortality above 80%; however, these concentrations did not prevent reduction of plant height and dry weight of aerial part. Further studies assessing the residual period of M. azedarach control against D. speciosa larvae and its phytotoxicity, which are common traits associated with azadirachtin application, are necessary to subsidize the next steps of this alternative control strategy.

Protective efficacy of psidium cattleianum (Sabine) and myracrodruon urundeuva (Allemao) leaf extracts against caries development in rats

This study evaluated the influence of Psidium cattleianum Sabine (Myrtaceae) and Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão (Anacardiaceae) aqueous extracts on S. mutans counts and dental enamel micro-hardness of rats submitted to a cariogenic challenge. Sixty Wistar rats were distributed in three groups and received water (control) or aqueous extracts of Psidium cattleianum or Myracrodruon urundeuva as hydration solution. Initially the animals had their sublingual and submandibular salivary glands surgically removed and the parotid ducts ligated. Then the rats were inoculated with 106 CFU of Streptococcus mutans ATCC 35668 and were fed with a cariogenic diet. To detect and quantify the presence of S. mutans, oral biofilms were sampled and microbial DNA was extracted and submitted to amplification by means of real-time PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). After seven weeks the animals were sacrificed and enamel demineralization was analyzed by cross-sectional micro-hardness. Both extracts produced a significant reduction on S. mutans counts and decreased the enamel demineralization. It can be concluded that the extracts tested had a significant effect on S. mutans in oral biofilm of the rats, decreasing S. mutans accumulation and enamel demineralization.

Unraveling Trichoderma species in attine ant environment: description of three new taxa

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effects of UV-B radiation on the antagonistic ability of Clonostachys rosea to Botrytis cinerea on strawberry leaf disc

Human activities are altering the concentrations of ozone in the troposphere and hence in the incidence of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) on Earth’s surface. Although representing only five percent of UV-B radiation striking the Earth's surface, this radiation has the potential to cause effects on biologically active molecules. Sensitivity to UV-B radiation is one of the limitations of biological control of plant pathogens in the field. The objectives of this work were to evaluate the effects of UV-B on several isolates of Clonostachys rosea, and the ability of an isolate of C. rosea, previously selected for its tolerant to UV-B radiation, to control Botrytis cinerea on strawberry leaves in controlled conditions (strawberry leaf discs). The germination of C. rosea conidia was inversely proportional to the irradiance. The most tolerant strain (LQC62) had relative germination of about 60% after irradiation of 4.2kJ/m2, and this strain was selected to be used in the subsequent studies. The data showed that even with exposure to UV-B radiation, C. rosea LQC62 controlled the pathogen. Conidial concentrations of strain LQC62 above 105 conidia/ml showed higher tolerance to UV-B radiation and increased ability to control more than 75% of the B. cinerea even with exposure to radiation. According to our results, in addition to showing less growth under UV-B, conidia of C. rosea had lower antagonistic ability. Further studies are needed to observe the tolerance of B. cinerea conidia to UV-B radiation and thereby prove that an environment with increased UV-B radiation may be favoring the pathogen due to a lower ability of C. rosea to control the pathogen in conditions of increased UV-B.