From forests to cattail: how does the riparian zone influence stream fish?

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

Identification and characterization of a potyvirus isolated from siratro plants

The present work describes the identification and characterization of a potyvirus isolated from siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum Urb.) in the north-west region of the State of Sdo Paulo, Brazil. The virus was transmitted by mechanical inoculation. Its host range was restricted mainly to members of the Fabaceae. A cDNA fragment of about 930 bp was amplified by RT/PCR, cloned and sequenced. The fragment, which included the coat protein gene, had amino acid identity percentages between 88 and 98% with isolates of Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV). Phylogenetic analysis grouped the. siratro potyvirus and BCMV isolates in 99% of the replicates, including Azuki mosaic virus, Dendrobium mosaic virus, Blackeye cowpea mosaic virus and Peanut stripe virus, which have been classified as BCMV strains. This is the first citation on the presence of BCMV in siratro plants in Brazil.

Plant inhabiting mites (Acari) from the Cerrado biome of Mato Grosso State, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Mites and leaf domatia: no evidence of mutualism in Coffea arabica plants

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

Influence of the riparian zone phytophysiognomies on the longitudinal distribution of fishes: evidence from a Brazilian savanna stream

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

Effects of the medicinal plants Curcuma zedoaria and Camellia sinensis on halitosis control

Volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) are the gases mainly responsible for halitosis (bad breath). The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of medicinal plants on halitosis control. Two commonly used plants were tested: Curcuma zedoaria and Camellia sinensis (green tea). These plants were prepared as an aqueous solution and used as mouthwashes, compared with a standard mouthwash of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate and a placebo (water). The experiment was conducted with 30 volunteers from the School of Dentistry of Sao Jose dos Campos, Univ. Estadual Paulista - UNESP, SP, Brazil. Each volunteer tested the four mouthwashes. The Cysteine Challenge Method, modified for this study, was used for initial breath standardization. Four breath assessments were conducted after volunteers rinsed orally with acetylcysteine: one before the test mouthwash was used; the second, one minute after its use; a third 90 minutes later; and the last 180 minutes later. The results showed that chlorhexidine gluconate lowered VSC production immediately, and that this effect lasted up to 3 hours, while the tested plants had immediate inhibitory effects but no residual inhibitory effects on VSC. We concluded that Curcuma zedoaria and Camellia sinensis, prepared as infusions and used as mouthwashes, did not have a residual neutralizing effect on VSC.

Simultaneous Determination of Cadmium and Lead in Medicinal Plants Using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and Direct Slurry Sampling

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

Evaluation of solid sampling high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for direct determination of chromium in medicinal plants

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

Determination of lead in medicinal plants by high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry using direct solid sampling

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

Screening of Brazilian plants for antimicrobial and dnadamaging activities: I. Atlantic rain forest . Ecological station juréia-itatins

(Triagem de plantas nativas do Brasil para atividades antimicrobiana e de Danos no DNA I. Mata Atlântica . Estação Ecológica Juréia-Itatins). Oitenta e oito espécies nativas do estado de São Paulo foram coletadas numa região de Mata Atlântica e ensaiadas quanto a sua atividade antimicrobiana e capacidade de causar danos no DNA. Dos 114 extratos submetidos aos ensaios para atividade antibacteriana, apenas os extratos de folhas e galhos de Aspidosperma ramiflorum (Apocynaceae) apresentaram uma atividade fraca contra Escherichia coli. No ensaio antifúngico com Candida albicans, não foram observados extratos ativos. Por outro lado, no ensaio de bioautografia com Cladosporium sphaerospermum e C. cladosporioides 12% dos extratos apresentaram atividade. Contudo, nesse ensaio, somente o extrato dos ramos de Psychotria mapoureoides (Rubiaceae) inibiu fortemente o crescimento de ambas espécies do fungo. O ensaio para danos no DNA com cepas mutantes de Saccharomyces cerevisiae apresentou 17.5 % de extratos ativos. A maioria dos extratos ativos (55 %) apresentou resultados seletivos para danos dependentes da topoisomerase II como mecanismo de reparo do DNA e somente 20 % foram seletivos para o mecanismo da topoisomerase I.

Screening for antifungal, DNA-damaging and anticholinesterasic activities of Brazilian plants from the Atlantic Rainforest: Ilha do Cardoso State Park

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

Trypanocidal activity of Brazilian plants against epimastigote forms from Y and Bolivia strains of Trypanosoma cruzi

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

Patents of drugs extracted from Brazilian medicinal plants

Background: Plants synthesise a vast repertoire of chemicals with various biological activities. Brazilian enormous botanical diversity facilitates the development of novel ethical drugs for the treatment of diseases in humans. Objective: To present therapeutic patent applications comprising Brazilian native plants published in the 2003 - 2008 period in light of legal aspects of patentability of biodiversity and public health concerns. Methods: Therapeutic patent applications related to Brazilian medicinal plants available at both the European Patent Office and the Brazilian National Institute of industrial Property databases were reviewed. Results/conclusion: Twenty-five patents are presented, most of which concern inflammatory, allergic, parasitic, infectious or digestive diseases, including extracts from Carapa guianensis, Copaifera genus, Cordia verbenacea, Erythrina mulungu, Physalis angulata and other pharmaceutical compositions with antileishmanial, antimalarial or trypanocidal activity. Brazilian research centres and universities are responsible for most of these inventions.

Relative antioxidant activity of Brazilian medicinal plants for gastrointestinal diseases

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