Influence of organic and mineral soil fertilization on essential oil of Spilanthes oleracea cv. Jambuarana

In the present study, the composition of essential oil of leaves and inflorescences of jambu (Spilanthes oleracea. Jambuarana), under organic manuring and mineral fertilization, was stuhed. Jambu plants show important chemical properties and their production has been addressed for the extraction of the essential oils for cosmetics industries, due to their pharmacolopcal properties. The experimental area of treatments contained urea as mineral fertilizer (120 g m2), applied twice and organic fertilizer (8 kg m2), applied at the planting. Jambu leaves and flowers were harvested twice: the first at 90 days after seedling transplantation and at the opening of the flower buds. Branches were cut at 7 cm from the soil, thus new branches can bud for the accomplishment of the second crop which happened 40 days after the re-budhng. The essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass-spectrometry. According to our results the most representative compounds were trans-caryophyllene, germacrene-D, 1-dodecene, spathulenol and spilanthol (a compound presenting anesthetic properties) occurring in inflorescences. Fertilization procedure does not affect the content and the quality of the essential oil in Jambu plants. © 2012 Academic Journals Inc.

Differential seed germination of a keystone palm (Euterpe edulis) dispersed by avian frugivores

The effectiveness of seed dispersal by vertebrates has been analysed by examining both quantitative and qualitative components (Jordano & Schupp 2000, Schupp et al. 2010). While the quantitative component is relatively easily assessed in the field (e.g. visitation rate, number of fruits eaten per visit), the qualitative component (e.g. fate of dispersed seeds, seed treatment in the digestive system of the disperser) is rarely studied under natural conditions, because it is difficult to measure the effects on seeds once ingested by the dispersers (Cortes et al. 2009). © Cambridge University Press 2012.

Erythroxylaceae, erythroxylum subsessile (Mart.) O.E. schulz in Espírito Santo: Distribution extension

Erythroxylaceae have tropical and subtropical distribution with four genera and about 250 species. Erythroxylum is the biggest genus of the family with approximately 100 species cited for Brazil. Erythroxylum subsessile (Mart.) O.E. Schulz is a species cited just for Rio de Janeiro state and now first recorded for the state of Espírito Santo, increasing its area of distribution. © 2012 Check List and Authors.

Bioactive substance contents and antioxidant capacity of the lipid fraction of Annona crassiflora Mart. seeds

Annona crassiflora Mart. is a typical fruit of the Brazilian cerrado, considered to be a species of economic interest, mainly for its use in cooking, which is widespread among the inhabitants of that region, and can be found in many typical local dishes, especially sweets, jellies, liqueurs, soft drinks, ice creams and juices. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the bioactive substance contents and the antioxidant capacity of the lipid fraction of A. crassiflora Mart. seeds in the interest of better identifying the quality of this raw material from the Brazilian cerrado. After the receipt of the fruits, the seeds were removed manually and, then, the lipid fraction was obtained by cold extraction with chloroform:methanol:water (2:1:0.8, v/v/v) and analyzed for the composition of phytosterols, tocopherols, fatty acids, total carotenoids, antioxidant activity and oxidative stability index. The lipid fraction showed significant quantity of bioactive substances, especially phytosterols, tocopherols and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as significant antioxidant capacity and oxidative stability, influenced by the content of phytosterols and the composition of fatty acids present in the analyzed fraction. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Micorrização e crescimento de progênies de hymenaea stignocarpa mart. ex. Hayne em subsolo de área degradada degraded area

In tropical ecosystems, little is known about the relationship between arbuscular mycorhizal fungi (AMF) and the host genetic variability, especially among tree species. This study aimed to examine the response of 19 progenies of jatobá-do-cerrado (Hymenaea stignocarpa Mart. Ex. Hayne) inoculated with AMF, the root colonization and seedlings early growth were evaluated, growing in cultivated in subsoil from the loading area, under greenhouse conditions. The seedlings, germinated in the laboratory, were transferred to plastic bags containing subsoil and sand mixture (4:1). For the inoculation, each replicate received 100 g of soil (with about 48 spores of AMF) from a preserved Cerrado area, to reintroduce microorganisms. After 120 days, the mycorrhiza colonization (COL), the number of spores of AMF, the plant height (PH), the weight of shoot dry matter (SDM) and the root fresh matter (RFM) were assessed. The highest values of COL, SDM and RFM were observed in the progenies JC7, JC18, JC29, JC27 and JC14; the JC7 andJC18 also increased number of spores. There were significant and positive correlations between COL and the others variables (AP, NE, RFM and SDM, and between RFM and other variables (NE, AP and SDM). The conclusion is that, there is variability among the genotypes of Hymenaea stignocarpa growth (AP MFSR and DMAP) and mycorrhization (COL and NE), with emphasis on two progenies (JC7 and JC18), that showed the highest values, which can be resulted of a greater affinity to strains of AMF- soil inoculum.

Variação genética em progênies de jacaranda cuspidifolia mart. Utilizando o delineamento sistemático tipo leque

Knowledge of genetic variation in native tree species has helped direct strategies of genetic ex situ conservation, based on provenances and progenies tests. These tests use fixed spacing, not allowing evaluating the behavior of different progenies under this management variable. One way to evaluate simultaneously the genetic variation and different spacing in a small planting area is to use a systematic design. The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic variation and to evaluate its performance in Jacaranda cuspidifolia under different spacing. We used a progeny test in a systematic fan design, arranged in a system of 30 concentric rays, with one progeny per ray, randomly, at angles of 12°. The plants were arranged in rays in geometric progression of ratio 1.21, corresponding to nine for plant spacing: 1,95 m2; 2,86 m2; 4,18 m2; 6,12 m2; 8,96 m2; 13,12 m2; 19,21 m2; 28,13 m2; e 41,19 m 2 installed in Selvíria/MS. The traits height, height diameter of 30 cm to soil (DA3) and survival were evaluated at 12 and 24 months of age. Estimates of genetic parameters and spacing were evaluated using the procedure REML/BLUP (restricted maximum likelihood / best linear unbiased prediction). The progenies showed genetic variation, showing that the sample strategy to ex situ conservation was efficient. The species showed good adaptability inthe field and the best performance in treating five, equivalent to a 3 × 3 m spacing, with 8,96 m2;/plant for all traits. The fan systematic design permitted to evaluate in a small area the silvicultural behavior of J. Cuspidifolia plants in spacing varying from 2 to 42 m2/plant (5.000 to 238 trees/ha); which could hardly be evaluat by the traditional designs.

Efeitos da polpa do fruto de annona crassiflora mart., nos parâmetros bioquímicos e na carcinogênese de colon de ratos

A. crassiflora Mart. a Brazilian savannah fruit, is a source of phytochemical compounds that possess a wide array of biological activities, including free radical scavenging. This native fruit proved to potentialize the mutagenic process in previous in vivo investigations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of A. crassiflora Mart. pulp intake on colonic cell proliferation and on the development of Aberrant Crypt Foci (ACF) in male Wistar rats. The animals were fed with either a commercial diet or a diet supplemented with A. crassiflora Mart. pulp mixed in 1%, 10% or 20% (w/w) for 4 weeks or 20 weeks. The carcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (4 doses, 40 mg kg-1 each) was used to induce colonic ACF. After euthanasia, the blood, liver and colon samples were collected for biochemical determinations, oxidative stress or ACF development analysis, respectively. Immunohistochemical analyses of the colonic mucosa were performed using antibodies against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in normal-appearing colonic crypt and β-catenin in ACF. There was no ACF development in the colon from groups treated with A. crassiflora Mart. pulp. Also, the biochemical and oxidative stress analysis, PCNA labeling and ACF development (number, multiplicity or cellular localization of β-catenin) were unchanged as a result of marolo pulp intake. Thus, the present results suggest that A. crassiflora Mart. pulp intake did not exert any protective effect in the colon carcinogenesis induced by DMH in rats.

Ent-labdane and beyerane diterpenes from Erythroxylum betulaceum Mart

•Diterpenes were isolated from wood of Erythroxylum betulaceum Mart.•Two ent-labdanes and one ent-beyrane diterpenes were isolated.•Diterpenes together tropanic alkaloid and may be useful as a chemotaxonomic markers of Erythroxylum. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Pollen morphology in Brazilian species of Codonanthe (Mart.) Hanst. and Nematanthus Schrader (Gesneriaceae)

Pollen morphology of 24 Brazilian species of Codonanthe and Nematanthus (Gesneriaceae) was investigated by means of light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, in search of new characters that might contribute to taxonomic characterisation of the genera. The pollen grains are tricolpate or tricolporate, semitectate, reticulate, with simplicolumellate muri, sometimes with microreticulum and perforations, or duplicolumellate muri ring-shaped around lumina. The species studied were grouped into five pollen types on the basis of aperture characteristics and details of surface ornamentation. Sub-types were defined with reference to presence or absence of microreticulum and perforations around the lumina. Based on analysis of the morphology and measurements of pollen grains, we verified a close relationship among the genera, but can nevertheless discriminate their species. © 2013 Copyright Collegium Palynologicum Scandinavicum.

Can overharvesting of a non-timber-forest-product change the regeneration dynamics of a tropical rainforest? The case study of Euterpe edulis

The exploitation of non-timber forest products is often considered a low-impact activity in tropical forests. However, assessments of the impacts of such activity are mostly focused on the harvested species and not on the plant community, thus limiting our understanding for establishing forest management recommendations. We investigated the consequences of Euterpe edulis palm heart harvesting on the seed rain in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. We compared the density of E. edulis individuals, as well as the density of E. edulis seeds, and the density, richness and functional composition of seed rain of the whole plant community, before and after palm heart harvesting in a 10 ha permanent plot. This assessment was carried out in preserved (typical old-growth Atlantic rainforest) and in disturbed (more open habitat dominated by the native bamboo Guadua tagoara) forest patches. Palm harvesting reduced the E. edulis population from 202.16 to 25.67 ind/ha and its seed rain density from 0.362 to 0.3 seeds/m2 and from 2.395 to 0.15 seeds/m2 in preserved and disturbed forest patches, respectively. Seed density of light-dependent climbers, pioneer trees, bamboo and animal-dispersed seeds increased after palm harvesting, especially in the disturbed forest patches, where palm harvesting was more intense and may have changed the light regime of the understory. On the other hand, species richness of the plant community declined by half. We observed a remarkable decline in the number of animal-dispersed species, especially for those with large seeds, suggesting that the activity of seed dispersers, including many species attracted by E. edulis fruits, was reduced. Therefore, harvesting of E. edulis palm heart may change the regeneration dynamics of the Atlantic rainforest, both due to shifts in forest structure, mediated by the removal of individuals from the forest canopy, and in community functioning, mediated by the interference on the activity of seed dispersers. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estudo comparativo das perdas d'água em mesocosmos colonizados ou não por Aguapé (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laubach

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Diversidade de ácaros em Mabea fistulifera Mart.(Euphorbiaceae) e eficiência de seu pólen como alimento fitoseídeos (Acari, Phytoseiidae)

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

Variação espacial nas interações entre o palmito Euterpe edulis e as aves frugívoras: implicações para a dispersão de sementes

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Limitações bióticas afetando o recrutamento da palmeira Euterpe edulis em uma ilha continental da Mata Atlântica

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Influência da variação sazonal da temperatura e umidade do solo na germinação de sementes de espécies do cerrado: Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae), Banisteriopsis variabilis B. Gates (malpighiaceae) e Vochysia tucanorum Mart. (Vochysiaceace)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)