Extração e Caracterização de Uma Enzima Proteolítica do Curauá (Ananas erectifolius)

Ananas erectifolius (curaua) is a fibrous vegetable that can be found in North and Central West regions of Brazil. It is a bromeliaceae family plant which physico-chemical features provides great potential in the automobilistic industry as a source of fibers. As commonly described in other bromeliaceae species, it contains significant levels of bromelain, of high commercial value and wide range of aplications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. In this paper, experimental tests were performed to evaluate the extraction of the proteolytic enzymes of the Ananas erectifolius under different pH and temperature conditions to determine in which ones the enzymatic activity would be the maximum for later purification of the bromelain. The two commercially available curaua varieties (white and purple) were used in the experiments and the results showed the same optimal pH of 8,5 for both varieties and different temperatures of 30ºC for the white one, and 10ºC, 20ºC and 35ºC for the purple one.

Effect of Calcium on the in vitro Growth of Aechmea blanchetiana (Baker) L. B. Smith Plantlets

This work investigated the influence of different concentrations of calcium on the growth of plantlets of the bromeliad Aechmea blanchetiana cultured in vitro. Seedlings of A. blanchetiana were axenically cultured in liquid Murashige and Skoog basal medium supplemented with different concentrations of calcium (Ca; 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, or 12 mM) without growth regulators. The resulting plantlets were cultured under 93 mol m-2 s-1 illumination, 12 hour photoperiod regime and 25C 1 for 120 days with subculture to fresh identical media every 30 days. The addition of calcium at 9.38 mM to MS modified medium increased the production of fresh and dry mass of plantlets, whilst chlorine from calcium chloride dehydrate (CaCl2 2 H2O) in excess (3.35 mM) decreased both the fresh and dry mass of plantlets.

Bromeliaceae do Herbário do Dr. Adolpho Lutz: Encholirium Lutzii L. B. Smith n. sp

Encholirium Lutzii is distinguished from the majority of species by its branched inflorescence. Only E. horridum L. B. Smith and rarely E. spectabile Martius exhibit this character, but have much larger flowers than E. Lutzii and stout floral axes. Also the wing of the seed in E. horridum is very long-caudate. We feel that it is particularly appropriate to dedicate this new species to Dr. Adolpho Lutz because of his great discoveries in the biological relationships of the Bromeliaceae.

Spatial distribution and preferential substrate of Neoregelia johannis (Carriére) L.B. Smith (Bromeliaceae) in a disturbed area of Atlantic Rainforest at Ilha Grande, RJ, Brazil

In bromeliad populations, amount of light and available substrates influence individuals spatial organization. In Atlantic Rainforest of Ilha Grande, the heliophylous bromeliad Neoregelia johannis is a large and abundant species. In this forest, it would be expected that N. johannis would occupy stable substrates, as large trunks, large branches, rock boulders or ground, with high sunlight, enough for the bromeliad survivor. In the present work, we analyzed the distribution and most used substrates of N. johannis in secondary forest. We analyzed the frequency of reproductive modes (sexual and vegetative) used by the bromeliad shoots, registering if the shoots were originated from seeds or by vegetative reproduction. The results indicated an aggregated distribution pattern (Ip = 0.052). The preferred substrate was boulders (91%), whereas tree trunks (6%) and the ground (3%) were rarely used. Small and fragile substrates are unstable to support large adults of this species, which may explain the predominant pattern of establishment over boulders within the secondary forest, as the presence of this substrate also results in more opened canopy cover. Approximately 50% of young individuals entered the population by vegetative reproduction. We conclude that the preferential habit and the aggregated distribution of N. johannis are due to the conjunction of preferred substrate with higher amount of light resulting from breaks in tree canopy over areas with rock blocks, and high frequency of recruitment by vegetative reproduction.

Desenvolvimento de mudas de bromélia (Neoregelia cruenta (R. Graham) L. B. Smith) cultivadas em diferentes substartos e adubação foliar

As bromélias apresentam formas exóticas com uma grande diversidade de cores e de flores, constituindo importantes espécies para uso em paisagismo e floricultura. em conseqüência disto, são muito comercializadas. Porém, parte das plantas que se encontram no mercado, ainda são provenientes do extrativismo. Esta situação é também reflexo do pequeno número de informações sobre técnicas de propagação e cultivo. Uma das limitações é o desconhecimento do tipo de substrato e adubação adequados ao cultivo destas espécies. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o crescimento de bromélias do Neoregelia cruenta, cultivadas em diferentes substratos e adubações foliares através da altura, do número de folhas, da matéria fresca e seca, da parte aérea e das raízes. As mudas utilizadas foram provenientes de cultura de tecidos. Após um período de pré-aclimatização, foram transplantadas para estufa sem nebulização. Os substratos foram constituídos da mistura de diferentes proporções de solo, areia, casca de arroz carbonizada e por um substrato comercial à base de vermiculita. Aos substratos foi aplicada adubação foliar, combinando uréia e sacarose, em intervalos de quinze dias. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que as interações entre os substratos, dose de sacarose e de uréia, não afetaram a altura das mudas e o número de folhas. O uso de sacarose também não influenciou o desenvolvimento das mudas. O substrato comercial à base de vermiculita, independente da aplicação de adubação foliar, proporcionou maior altura das mudas e número de folhas. A aplicação de uréia apresentou efeito linear crescente durante o período avaliado.

Fast preparative separation of flavones from capitula of Eriocaulon ligulatum (Vell.) L.B.Smith (Eriocaulaceae) by High-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC)

High-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) is a leading method for the fast separation of natural products from plants. It was used for the preparative isolation of two flavone monoglucosides present in the capitula of Eriocaulon ligulatum (Veil.) L.B.Smith (Eriocaulaceae). This species, known locally as botão-dourado, is exported to Europe, Japan and North America as an ornamental species, constituting an important source of income for the local population of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The solvent system, optimized in tests prior to the HSCCC run, consisted of the two phases of the mixture ethyl acetate: n-propanol: water (140:8:80, v/v/v), which led to the successful separation of 6-methoxyluteolin-7-O-β-D-allopyranoside and 6-methoxyapigenin-7-O-β-D-allopyranoside in only 3 hours. The two flavonoids were identified by NMR (1-D and 2-D) and ESI-MS, comparing their spectra with published data.

Acúmulo de minerais em Aechmea blanchetiana (Baker) L.B. Smith (Bromeliaceae), contaminadas com zinco em cultivo in vitro

Com o objetivo de estudar a absorção e translocação de Ca, Co, Fe, K e Zn em Aechmea blanchetiana, plantas foram cultivadas in vitro em meios de cultivo contendo concentrações de Zn (0,0; 0,18; 1,8; 18 e 180 mg Zn L-1). Após 16 semanas de cultivo, os sistemas aéreo e radicular foram separados e determinadas à massa seca para massa de matéria seca e para a análise por ativação com nêutrons (AAN). O procedimento consistiu em irradiar amostras e padrões no reator nuclear de pesquisa IEA-R1 por 16 h para análise por espectrometria de raios gama. O controle dos resultados foi avaliado por meio das análises dos materiais de referência certificados, com desvios padrão relativo de 9,1 % e erros inferiores a 12,9 %. Os resultados das determinações dos elementos mostraram que o Zn alterou absorção e translocação de Ca, Co, Fe, K e Zn. A espécie apresentou alta quantidade de Zn nos sistemas aéreo e radicular indicando, possivelmente, ser bioacumuladora desse elemento.

Genetic variation of the Ananas genus with ornamental potential

Brazil is one of the main centers of origin of pineapple species presenting the largest genetic variation of the Ananas genus. Embrapa Cassava and Fruits is a Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation and has an ex-situ collection of 678 accessions of the Ananas genus and some other Bromeliaceae. The use of ornamental pineapple has increased in the last years demanding new varieties, mainly for the external market, due to the originality and colors of its tiny fruits. The main aim of the present study was describing accessions from the pineapple gene bank in order to quantify their genetic variation and identify possible progenitors to be used in breeding programs of ornamental pineapples. Eighty-nine accessions of Ananas comosus var. comosus, A. comosus var. bracteatus (Lindl.) Coppens et Leal, A. comosus var. ananassoides (Baker) Coppens et Leal, A. comosus var. erectifolius (L. B. Smith) Coppens et Leal, A. comosus var. parguasensis (Camargo et L. B. Smith) Coppens et Leal and A. macrodontes Morren were evaluated with 25 morphological descriptors. According to the results, the evaluated accessions were separated into the following categories: landscape plants, cut flower, potted plants, minifruits, foliage and hedge. The genetic distance among accessions was determined using the combined qualitative and quantitative data by the Gower algorithm. The pre-selected accessions presented genetic variation and ornamental potential for different uses. The multicategory analysis formed seven clusters through a classification method based on the average Euclidean distance between all accessions using the cut-point of genetic dissimilarity (D dg = 0.35). The genotypes A. comosus var. erectifolius were selected to be used as landscape plants, cut flower, minifruits and potted plants. Accessions of A. comosus var. bracteatus and A. macrodontes were selected as landscape plants and hedge. The highest variation was observed in A. comosus var. ananassoides genotypes, which presented high potential for use as cut flowers.

Fertilidade e fauna edáfica em solo sob reflorestamento com paricá (Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke) no município de Aurora do Pará

Com este estudo objetivou-se avaliar a variação na fertilidade do solo e na fauna edáfica sob reflorestamento com paricá (Schizolobium amazonicum Heber ex. Ducke) em monocultivo ou em sistema agroflorestal quando comparados com floresta secundária em área experimental considerando a sazonalidade da precipitação no período de 2009 e 2010. A área experimental pertence a Fazenda Tramontina Belém S/A, localizada no nordeste paraense, no município de Aurora do Pará. Foram analisados quatro tratamentos submetidos a reflorestamento com: Curauá (Ananas comosus var. erectifolius L.B.Smith), Paricá (Shizolobium var. amazonicum Huber ex Ducke) sob a forma de monocultivos, Paricá + curauá (Ananas comosus var. erectifolius L.B.Smith; Shizolobium var. amazonicum Huber ex Ducke); Paricá + Mogno + Freijó + Curauá (Shizolobium var. amazonicum Huber ex Ducke; Switenia macrophylla, King; Cordia goeldiana Huber; Ananas comosus var. erectifolius L.B.Smith). As amostragens foram realizadas em dezembro de 2009, abril e julho de 2010, o que caracterizou o período sazonal de transição (estiagem para chuva intensa), chuva intensa e estiagem respectivamente, para avaliar a granulometria, densidade aparente, densidade da partícula, porosidade total e umidade atual, bases trocáveis, soma de bases, CTC, acidez, fósforo, teor de carbono orgânico, pH, em três profundidades diferentes (0 – 10 cm. 10 - 20 cm; 20 – 40 cm) e a ocorrência de macrofauna edáfica. Os resultados mostraram a ação dos períodos sazonais sobre a densidade aparente, densidade da partícula, porosidade total do solo. Fatores químicos como, por exemplo, carbono orgânico, cujos teores variaram entre 5,85 g/kg e 13,00 g/kg, com teores elevados no sistema de cultivo S2, sofreu alterações nos períodos sazonais chuva intensa e estiagem. Quanto a fauna edáfica, foram capturados 9.964 invertebrados pertencentes a 26 táxons diferentes. Os mais abundantes foram Hymenoptera- Formicidae (5.805), Coleoptera (1.454), Acari (862), Collembola (649), Diplopoda (307) e Isopoda (110). Dos 26 táxons identificados, aproximadamente 40% deles apresentaram apenas um representante nas três amostragens efetuadas ou em apenas uma delas. Os maiores valores para frequência relativa ocorreu no sistema de cultivo S2, S4 e S3, respectivamente. O maior valor para frequência absoluta ocorreu durante o período sazonal chuva intensa em S1. As áreas sob reflorestamento com monocultivo e sistema agroflorestal paricà + curauá mostraram melhores desempenhos na recuperação da fertilidade do solo e da fauna edáfica comprovando a eficácia do paricá em monocultivo ou em sistema agroflorestal na recuperação da fertilidade do solo e da fauna edáfica.

Sorção de petróleo por fibras vegetais

Nowadays, when accidents with oil tanker or shore tanks occur and there is oil spill, some arrangements are made in order to repress and to fix the situation. For the containment, barriers or detours are usually made of synthetic materials such as polyurethane foam. In order to clear water away, techniques like in loco burning, biodegradant agents, dispersant agents and sorbent materials application are used. The most of the sorbent materials are also synthetic and they are used because it is easy to store them and their availability in market. This dissertation introduces the study of vegetable fibers of pineapple leaf fibers (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.), cotton fibers (Gossypium herbaceum L.), kapok fibers (Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.), curauá fibers (Ananas erectifolius L.B. Sm.) and sisal fibers (Agave sisalana Perrine) related to their capacity of sorption of oil in case of accidental spill in the ocean. This work evaluates the substitution possibility of synthetic materials by natural biodegradable materials with less cost

Absorção de fosfatos mono e diâmonico marcados com radiofósforo, em presença e ausência de uréia, pela parte aérea de mudas de abacaxizeiro (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.)

O presente trabalho, desenvolvido em casa-de-vegetação com abacaxizeiro cultivar "Smooth cayenne", para observação do efeito de MAP e OAP com e sem uréia adicionados em solução a 1%, via axila da folha D, mostrou que: ambas as fontes tiveram efeitos semelhantes no suprimento de fósforo e a uréia não melhorou a eficiência de absorção, mostrando ainda uma tendência negativa na distribuição do 32p entre as partes estudadas.

Differences in gastroprotective and mutagenic actions between polar and apolar extracts of Ananas ananassoides

Several plants are used in folk medicine to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Ananas ananassoides (Baker) L. B. Smith (Family Bromeliaceae) is a medicinal plant commonly used in the central region of Brazil against gastric pain. We evaluated two extracts (methanol [MeOH] and dichloromethane [DCM]) obtained from the leaves of A. ananassoides for their ability to protect the gastric mucosa against injuries caused by necrotizing agents (0.3 M HCl/60% ethanol, absolute ethanol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and pylorus ligation) in mice and rats. The best results were obtained after pretreatment with the DCM extract, whereas the MeOH extract did not show any significant anti-ulcerogenic activity but presented mutagenic action. The mechanism of action of the DCM extract suggested the effective participation of endogenous sulfhydryl group in the gastroprotective action. The data, taken together with the absence of acute toxicity and mutagenicity, indicate the apolar extract, instead of the polar, extract of A. ananassoides as a safe and potential new anti-ulcerogenic drug.

Search for ZH -> l(+)l(-) b(b)over-bar Production in 4.2 fb(-1) of p(p)over-bar Collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Atividade da enzima bromelina emplantas de abacaxi (Ananas comosus L. Merril), sob condições de salinidade in vitro

The objectives of this work were to characterize pineapple plants (Ananas comosus L. Merril) cv. Smooth Cayenne, cultured in vitro, in saline medium, in relation to bromelian activity, identifying the parts of the plant with the highest bromelian activity. Also under aim was the study of the influence of saline stress on the enzyme activity. Axillary buds of pineapple were cultivated in vitro in MS medium, supplemented with 2 mg.L-1 BAP and 1 mg.L-1 NAA. The levels of salinity tested were: 0.57 g.L-1 NaCl, 1.15 g.L-1 NaCl, and 2.30 g.L-1 NaCl. Bromelian activity was evaluated in the development of buds, shoots, and roots. The results showed that bromelian activity was higher in buds at the highest salt concentration at 15 days. Cultured shoots showed bromelian activity decreasing in the saline treatments in all the collection, up to 60 days in culture. The roots showed higher bromelian activity in the roots in saline medium.

Avaliação da atividade carrapaticida e anti-helmíntica do abacaxi (Ananas comosus L.) em ruminantes

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV