Annona sp: Plants with multiple applications as alternative medicine - a review

Annona species have been used as a natural remedy for a variety of illnesses with antiparasitic, antispasmodic, antidiarrheal, antiulcer, sedative, analgesic, hypotensive, and vermifugal effects. These properties are due to the presence of a number of bioactive compounds on the leaves, fruit, seeds, and stem. The aim of this review is to show the main species of Annona, their medicinal properties and the chemical constituents that may be related to these effects. In the leaves it is possible to find acetogenins, annopentocins A, B, and C, cis- and trans-annomuricin-D-ones, goniothalamicin, arianacin, and javoricin, related to anticancer properties. Quercetin-3-O-glucoside, also found in the leaves mediates antidiabetic and antioxidative effects. In the fruit are found annonaine, nornuciferine and asimilobine, associated to antidepressive effects. In the seeds are found muricatetrocin A and muricatetrocin B, longifolicin, corossolin, corossolone, uvarigrandin A, bullatacin, squamotatin. These acetogenins are associated with anticancer effects. Cyclosquamosin B, quercetin, and cyclosquamosin from the seeds have respectively vasorelaxant, antithyroidal and, antiinflammatory activity. In the stem parts there are several components as N-trans-feruloyltyramine, N-p-coumaroyltyramine, and N-trans-caffeoyltyramine, lignans, syringaresinol, syringaldehyde, beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosterol-beta-D-glucoside which exhibit antiplatelet aggregation activity. Copaene, patchoulane, 1H-cycloprop (e) azulene and kaur-16-en-19-oic acid found in the barks exhibit significant central as well as peripheral analgesic and antiinflammatory activities. The properties of the biological compounds in Annona species support information that may provide validation for its medicinal uses, but further studies should be performed to establish ideal and safe doses of consumption to ensure the effectiveness of the benefits. © 2012 Bentham Science Publishers.

From infant industry to technology exports: the Argentine experience in the international sale of industrial plants and engineering works

Includes bibliography

Fertilizing lychee plants with phosphorus at time of planting in Brazil

The objective of this research was to study the effects of P fertilizers applied at time of planting on lychees' nutritional status and on plant growth. The treatments consisted of five doses of P: zero, 50, 100, 200, and 300 g of P2O5 per plant, furnished by triple superphosphate. Plant diameter was evaluated during two years and the plants' nutritional status on the second year. The second year foliar levels of macro and micronutrients (with the exception of Zn) were increased by the P fertilizer. The orchard's initial development, especially during the second year, was also influenced by the fertilizer. The P doses of 164 and 158 g of P2O5 per plant resulted in the largest plant diameter after the first and the second year, respectively. These doses were found to be associated with a foliar P level of <1.4 g kg-1. © 2012 Renato de Mello Prado et al.

Essential oils from medicinal and aromatic plants: A review of the gastroprotective and ulcer-healing activities

Gastric ulcer is an excoriated area of the gastric mucosa. It is among the predominant gastrointestinal chronic diseases. The essential oils represent an important part of the traditional pharmacopoeia in many countries and have been successfully used for gastroprotection and ulcer healing. Thus, this review presents the experimental activity of essential oils traditionally used in the gastric ulcer prevention and treatment, considering their families, part of the plant studied, bioassays, and their mechanisms of gastroprotection and ulcer healing, with the aim of stimulating novel studies in the search for a new phytomedicine to treat gastric diseases. © 2012 The Authors Fundamental and Clinical Pharmacology © 2012 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

Absence of mutagenicity of plants used to treat gastrointestinal disorders

The Brazilian Savanna (locally called Cerrado) is an important biome presenting several plants that are used in popular medicine. However, the risks associated with the consumption of derivatives from these plants are generally unknown. Studies with compounds obtained from different species have shown the risks of DNA damage. The present work assessed the in vivo mutagenicity of three plant species used in popular medicine to treat human gastrointestinal disorders (Mouriri pusa, Qualea grandiflora and Qualea multiflora). The micronucleus assay was performed in peripheral blood of mice submitted to acute treatments. Results showed that no assessed extracts were mutagenic in vivo. In fact, the absence of mutagenicity in the present study indicates that the extracts do not contain compounds capable of inducing DNA breaks or chromosomal loss. However, further analysis should be performed in others systems to guarantee their safety, mainly to human chronic use.

Foliar and Radicular Absorption of Boron by Beetroot and Tomato Plants

The isotopic technique was employed to study boron (B) mobility in tomato and beetroot plants under protected cultivation conditions. An experiment was conducted in which both species grew in 10-dm3 vases filled with coconut fiber, under hydroponic conditions. The plants were subjected to four different treatments: (1) no B in the substratum and no foliar fertilization; (2) no B in the substratum, with foliar 10B fertilization; (3) B in the substratum, with foliar 10B fertilization; and (4) 10B in the substratum and no foliar fertilization. The biological growth variables and total B and 10B contents in the plant parts grown after the application of the nutrient were evaluated. For increasing B content in young tissues, the foliar application of this element was not as efficient as application via root system, indicating low mobility of B in the tissues of both beetroot and tomato plants. © 2013 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Tolerance of physic nut plants to aluminum activity in nutrient solution

Plants have different levels of tolerance to phytotoxic effects of aluminum and the exploitation of this characteristic is of significant importance to the use of acid soils. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of aluminum activity in nutrient solution on growth of physic nut young plant. After seven days of adaptation, plants were submitted to Al concentrations of 0; 200; 400; 600; 800 and 1,000 μmol L-1, corresponding to Al3+ activity solution, of: 14.5, 21.4; 46.6; 75.6; 108.3 e 144.8 μmol L-1, respectively. The increased activity of Al3+ decreased linearly the number of leaves, plant height, leaf area, shoot dry matter and root length of physic nut plant. Physic nut young plants are sensitive to high aluminum activity in solution. The root length, number of leaves, shoot dry matter and total dry matter were variables more affected by Al activity in solution, and can be used to discriminate the tolerance levels to aluminum in physic nut plants. The accumulation of aluminum increased in a activity-dependent manner; however, its translocation from root to shoot was low.

Mite (Acari; Arachnida) diversity of two native plants in fragments of a semideciduous seasonal forest in Brazil

Studies to determine mite species richness in natural environments are still scarce, and have been conducted mainly in tropical ecosystems. The aim of this study was to determine the species richness of mites on two common native plants in fragments of the semideciduous seasonal forest in the Northwest of São Paulo State, Brazil. In each of eight fragments, 10 specimens of Actinostemon communis (Euphorbiaceae) and 10 of Trichilia casaretti (Meliaceae) were selected and marked. In total, 124 species of mites belonging to 21 families were found on the two plants. Tarsonemidae had the highest diversity (34 species), followed by Phytoseiidae (31), Tetranychidae (9) and Tenuipalpidae (8). Species accumulation curves for the two sampled plants did not reach an asymptote, even with the large sampling effort. Hence, it is estimated that a greater sampling effort may lead to an increase in species richness compared with what was found in this study. The richness of this mite fauna suggests that preservation of these plant species is important to maintain the mite diversity in these forest fragments. © 2013 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Identification of poisonous plants in the heart of public squares of ribeirão Preto SP

Toxic plants, many ornamentals, may be present in gardens, backyards, parks, vases, squares and vacant lots around the cities. Some of these plants are well known and exuberant, with strong color and decorative aspects, but when swallowed or handled, can cause severe intoxication specially in children. The main objective was to identify the poisonous plants found in public squares of Ribeirão Preto downtown, among five squares: XV de Novembro Square, Carlos Gomes Square, Bandeiras Square, Luís de Camões Square and Sete de Setembro Square. In this study, a literature review was performed in order to know the species that have been recorded as toxic plant. For the species in question, the common name and therapeutic indication were recorded. Over all evaluated squares toxic species were found. Sete de Setembro Square was the most frequent species in a total of seven toxical species. The most common species in the surveyed places were: Euphorbia pulcherrima, Buxus semprevirens and Dracaena fragrans, popularly known as Poinsettia, Boxwood and Cornstalk Dracaena, respectively. The importance of doing studies in urban squares is to improve care to ensure the afforestation process of the cities.

Effects of soil and foliar application of soluble silicon on mineral nutrition, gas exchange, and growth of potato plants

Silicon can alleviate biotic and abiotic stresses in several crops, and it has beneficial effects on plants under nonstressed conditions. However, there is still doubt about foliar-applied Si efficiency and Si effects on mineral nutrition, physiological processes, and growth of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants under wellwatered conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of soil and foliar application of soluble Si on Si accumulation, nutrients, and pigments concentration as well as gas exchange and growth of potato plants. The experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions in pots containing 35 dm3 of a Typic Acrortox soil. The treatments consisted of a control (no Si application), soil application of soluble Si (50 mg dm-3 Si), and foliar application of soluble Si (three sprays of 1.425 mM Si water solution, prepared with a soluble concentrate stabilized silicic acid), with eight replications. Both soil and foliar application of Si resulted in higher Si accumulation in the whole plant. Foliar application of Si resulted in the greatest Si concentration in leaves, and soil application increased Si concentration in leaves, stems, and roots. Silicon application, regardless of the application method, increased leaf area, specific leaf area, and pigment concentration (chlorophyll a and carotenoids) as well as photosynthesis and transpiration rates of wellwatered potato plants. However, only soil application increased P concentration in leaves and dry weight of leaves and stems. © Crop Science Society of America.

Nitrogen and potassium concentrations in the nutrients solution for melon plants growing in coconut fiber without drainage

With the objective of evaluating the effects of N and K concentrations for melon plants, an experiment was carried out from July 1, 2011 to January 3, 2012 in Muzambinho city, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The Bonus no. 2 was cultivated at the spacing of 1.1 × 0.4. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications in a 4 × 4 factorial scheme with four N concentrations (8, 12, 16, and 20 mmol L-1) and four K concentrations (4, 6, 8, and 10 mmol L-1). The experimental plot constituted of eight plants. It was observed that the leaf levels of N and K, of N-NO3 and of K, and the electrical conductivity (CE) of the substrate increased with the increment of N and K in the nutrients' solution. Substratum pH, in general, was reduced with increments in N concentration and increased with increasing K concentrations in the nutrients' solution. Leaf area increased with increments in N concentration in the nutrients solution. Fertigation with solutions stronger in N (20 mmol L-1) and K (10 mmol L-1) resulted in higher masses for the first (968 g) and the second (951 g) fruits and crop yield (4,425 gm-2). © 2013 Luiz Augusto Gratieri et al.

Comparison of Brazilian plants used to treat gastritis on the oxidative burst of helicobacter pylori -stimulated neutrophil

Ten Brazilian medicinal plants used to treat gastritis and ulcers were carefully selected on the basis of ethnopharmacological importance and antiulcerogenic activity previously described. The antioxidant activity of the methanolic extracts was determined in analysis conditions that simulate a real biological activity on inhibition of the oxidative burst induced in neutrophils using Helicobacter pylori as activator, by a luminol-amplified chemiluminescence assay. The extracts, at low concentration (5 g/mL), exhibited a large variation in inhibitory effects of H. pylori-induced oxidative burst ranging from 48% inhibition to inactive, but all extracts, excluding Byrsonima intermedia, had inhibitory activity over 80% at the concentration of 100 g/mL. The total suppressive antioxidant capacity measured as the effective concentration, which represents the extract concentration producing 50% inhibition of the chemiluminescence induced by H. pylori, varies from 27.2 to 56.8 g/mL and was in the following order: Qualea parviflora > Qualea multiflora > Alchornea triplinervia > Qualea grandiflora > Anacardium humile > Davilla elliptica > Mouriri pusa > Byrsonima basiloba > Alchornea glandulosa > Byrsonima intermedia. The main groups of compounds in tested extracts are presented. Differences in the phytochemical profile, quantitatively and qualitatively, of these plants can explain and justify their protective effect on the gastric mucosa caused by the neutrophil-generated ROS that occurs when H. pylori displays its evasion mechanisms. © 2013 Cibele Bonacorsi et al.

On the parameters of performance of combined refrigeration and power plants

Combined Refrigeration and Power (CRP) plants generate power and refrigerate a thermal load simultaneously from the same fuel. The overall efficiency is a parameter based on the first law generally used to quantify the fuel saving, in the sense that a plant that has greater overall efficiency saves more fuel than others to generate the same useful energy. However, the literature shows that the overall efficiency and other parameters of performance are defined in several different ways. This heterogeneity is not desirable when considering a coherent and universally accepted parameter of performance based on the first law. In this work, some parameters found in the literature are critically analyzed in order to indicate the most proper one. The indicated parameter is then formally analyzed in order to verify its mathematical consistency. The primary energy rate is considered the most well-suited parameter based on the first law to characterize the performance of a CRP plant. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and IIR.

Pulmonary and hepatic lesions caused by the dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid-producing plants Crotalaria juncea and Crotalaria retusa in donkeys

The effects and susceptibility of donkeys to Crotalaria juncea and Crotalaria retusa poisoning were determined at high and low doses. Seeds of C. juncea containing 0.074% of dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids (DHPAs) (isohemijunceines 0.05%, trichodesmine 0.016%, and junceine 0.008%) were administered to three donkeys at 0.3, 0.6 and 1g/kg body weight (g/kg) daily for 365 days. No clinical signs were observed and, on liver and lung biopsies, the only lesion was a mild liver megalocytosis in the donkeys ingesting 0.6 and 1g/kg/day. Two other donkeys that received daily doses of 3 and 5g seed/kg showed initial respiratory signs 70 and 40 days after the start of the administration, respectively. The donkeys were euthanized following severe respiratory signs and the main lung lesions were proliferation of Clara cells and interstitial fibrosis. Three donkeys ingested seeds of C. retusa containing 5.99% of monocrotaline at daily doses of 0.025, 0.05 and 0.1g/kg for 365 days. No clinical signs were observed and, on liver and lung biopsies, the only lesion was moderate liver megalocytosis in each of the three donkeys. One donkey that received a single dose of 5g/kg of C. retusa seeds and another that received 1g/kg daily for 7 days both showed severe clinical signs and died with diffuse centrilobular liver necrosis. No lung lesions were observed. Another donkey that received a single dose of 2.5g/kg of C. retusa seeds showed no clinical signs. The hepatic and pneumotoxic effects observed are consistent with an etiology involving DHPAs. Furthermore, the occurrence of lung or liver lesions correlates with the type of DHPAs contained in the seeds. Similarly as has been reported for horses, the data herein suggest that in donkeys some DHPAs are metabolized in the liver causing liver disease, whereas others are metabolized in the lung by Clara cells causing lung disease. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Molecular characterization and clonal diversity of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus in milk of cows with mastitis in Brazil

Mastitis is an important disease for the dairy industry worldwide, causing economic losses and reducing milk quality and production. Staphylococcus aureus is a worldwide agent of this intramammary infection, which also causes foodborne diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) isolates in milk of mastitis cows in Brazil and to analyze the genetic lineages and the content of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors among these isolates. Fifty-six MSSA isolates were recovered from 1,484 milk samples (positive for the California mastitis test) of 518 cows from 11 different farms in Brazil (representing 51% of total Staph. aureus obtained), and they were further characterized. Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from 3.7% of California mastitis test-positive tested milk samples and from 6.2% of tested mastitic cows. Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates were characterized by spa typing, agr typing, and multilocus sequence typing, and resistance and virulence traits were investigated by PCR. Seven spa types were identified among MSSA (% of isolates): t127 (44.6), t605 (37.5), t002, t1784, t2066 (1.8), and 2 new ones: t10856 (10.7) and t10852 (1.8). Five distinct sequence types (ST) were detected (% of isolates): ST1 (46.4), ST126 (37.5), ST133 (10.7), ST5 (3.6), and a novel ST registered as ST2493 (1.8). Resistances were detected for streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline. One strain contained the chloramphenicol resistance gene (fexA; included within transposon Tn558) and 3 strains contained the tetracycline resistance gene [tet(K)]. Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains were susceptible to most of the antibiotics studied and lacked the virulence genes of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (lukF/S-PV), toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (tst), exfoliative toxin A (eta), and exfoliative toxin B (etb), as well as the genes of the immune evasion cluster. Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates were detected in a relatively low proportion of cows with mastitis (6.2%) and recovered isolates presented high diversity of genetic lineages, with CC1 and CC126 the predominant clonal complexes, and CC133 also being detected. Larger epidemiological studies with molecular characterization of isolates are required to deepen the knowledge on the circulating genetic lineages among the cow population with mastitis. © 2013 American Dairy Science Association.