Flavonoids and a naphthopyranone from Eriocaulon ligulatum and their mutagenic activity

A new acylated flavonoid, 6,4'-dimethoxyquereetin-3-O-beta-D-6 ''[3,4,5-trihydroxy (E)-cinnamoyl]glucopyranoside, and a naphthopyranone dimer, named eriocauline, together with 2 other known flavonoids, 6-methoxyapigenin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and 6-methoxyapigenin-7-O-beta-D-allopyranoside, have been isolated from the capitulae of Eriocaulon ligulatum. The compounds were identified using spectroscopic methods (HR-ESI-MS, and 1-D and 2-D NMR). The methanol extract exhibited mutagenic activity in the Salmonella/microsome assay, in strains TA100, TA97a and TA102 and for dichloromethane extract tested in strain TA98.

Characterization of flavonoid and naphthopyranone derivatives from Eriocaulon ligulatum using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

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

Chemical profile of Eriocaulon ligulatum (Vell.) LB Smith (Eriocaulaceae)

Two new and six known flavonoids and two known naphthopyranones have been isolated by chromatographic methods and spectrometrically identified in capitulae and scapes of Eriocaulon ligulatum (Vell.) L.B. Smith (Eriocaulaceac). The presence of naphthopyranones suggests approximation between Eriocaulon and Paepalanthus genus. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Plantas do cerrado brasileiro com atividade contra Mycobacterium fortuitum

Mycobacterium fortuitum is a rapidly-growing species of bacteria, ubiquitous in the environment and related to important human mycobacterioses. It has been isolated from blood, abscesses, the endocardium and surgical and traumatic wounds. This mycobacterium is hard to treat, being recognized in the literature as resistant even to the drugs used in the treatment of tuberculosis. The objective of this study was to screen extracts prepared from plants of the Brazilian cerrado (extended savanna-like belt) with known activity against M. fortuitum, employing the Microplate Alamar Blue Assay (MABA) as the analytical method. Out of 26 extracts tested against M. fortuitum, the nonpolar extract of Quassia amara (in methylene dichloride) gave the best result (MIC 62.5μg/ mL), followed by the nonpolar extracts of Syngonanthus macrolepsis, Davilla elliptica and Turnera ulmifolia, with equal MICs of 125μg/ml. The polar extracts (in ethanol and methanol) obtained from the same plants were considered inactive, since the MIC values determined were above 500μg/mL and not significantly different from those of extracts from other plants, without known activity.

Mutagenicidade e estrogenicidade de plantas da família Eriocaulaceae e relação estrutura-atividade de algumas substâncias isoladas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Floral anatomy of Eriocaulon elichrysoides and Syngonanthus caulescens (Eriocaulaceae)

The floral anatomy of Eriocaulon elichrysoides Bong. and Syngonanthus caulescens (Poir.) Ruhland, from Brazilian mountain rock savannas (campos rupestres) was studied. The staminate flowers of E. elichrysoides present a diplostemonous androecium with six stamens, and those of S. caulescens present an isostemonous androecium with three stamens and three scalelike staminodes. Eriocaulon elichrysoides and S. caulescens have three nectariferous pistillodes located in the central portion of the receptacle. The pistillate flowers of E. elichrysoides present three simple styles while those of S. caulescens present three simple styles interspersed with three nectariferous appendices. Both the styles of E. elichrysoides and the nectariferous appendices of S. caulescens are vascularized by the dorsal vascular bundles of the carpels. The styles of S. caulescens lack vascularization. At the base of the gynoecium of E. elichrysoides there are six staminodes and there are three in the S. caulescens. Entomophily is suggested as the pollination syndrome in E. elichrysoides and S. caulescens as they present staminate and pistillate flowers with nectariferous structures. The ancestral character in Eriocaulon is probably given by the presence of the two staminal whorls. The staminate flowers of S. caulescens are probably derived from the reduction of a diplostemonous ancestral androecium. It remains open whether the pistillate flowers with nectariferous, appendices present an ancestral character or a derived one.

Estudo químico e biológico de plantas da família Eriocaulaceae

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Essai monographique sur les espèces d'Eriocaulon du Brésil.

Published in Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Pétersburg ... July 1831 (in journal): 1-54, pl. 1-10. Reprinted and to be cited as: Mémoires de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg. Sér. 6. Sci. Math. Nat. 1831. 1: 601-656, pl. 1-10; Suite i, Oct. 1832 (in journal): 56-74, pl. 11-19. Id. 2:219-237, pl. 11-19; suite 2, 1835. 3(2): 545-560, pl. 20-27; suite iii, Petropoli. Oct. 1839: 9-29, pl. 28, 28a-35.

Análise percentual de metais pesados em inflorescências de Eriocaulon setaceum L. (Eriocaulaceae).

Muitas plantas possuem potencial genético para a remoção de metais tóxicos, o que permite que elas sejam empregadas na remediação de áreas contaminadas, por serem uma alternativa econômica e ecologicamente viável. O gênero Eriocaulon é composto 476 espécies de plantas aquáticas com distribuição especialmente pantropical, dentre elas E. setaceum é umaespécie com ampla distribuição geográfica, ocorrendo tanto nos paleotrópicos (Ásia e África) como nos neotrópicos da América Central até o sudeste do Brasil. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar uma análise semiquantitativa de metais pesados em inflorescências de E. setaceum com o intuito de verificar a presença e a influência desses metais sobre a morfologia da espécie, visando contribuir para os estudos sobre o manejo e a recuperação de áreas degradadas. As amostras de Eriocaulon setaceum,provenientes da Ilha do Marajó, foram encaminhadas para EDS (Energy Dispersive X-ray Detector) obtendo-se dados percentuais de metais pesados. Os metais apareceram distribuídos em várias regiões da inflorescênciadas plantas e em diferentes concentrações. Apesar dos altos valores encontrados, principalmente para mercúrio, a planta não apresentou sinais de intoxicação ou aparente modificação em tecidos da inflorescência, mostrando o seu potencial bioacumulador e potencial para ser utilizada na fitorremediação de áreas contaminadas.

Notes on grasses (Poaceae) for the Flora of China, VI. New combinations in Stipeae and Anthoxantham

When Oryzopsis is confined to the type species, Chinese species are placed in Achnatherum and Piptatherum. This necessitates the following new combinations: Piptatherum grandispiculum, Piptatherum aequiglume var. ligulatum, Piptatherum tibeticum var. psilolepis.. Piptatherum. munroi var. parviflorum, Achnatherum henryi. and Achnatherum henryi var. acutum. Achnatherum henryi is lectotypified. The new name Piptatherum kuoi replaces the illegitimate name Piptatherum obtusum, and this species is lectotypified. Hierochloe potaninii is transferred to Anthoxanthum as A. potaninii, as Hierochloe is regarded as a synonym of Anthoxanthum. All the grass taxa (Poaceae) listed are endemic to China.

High-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Quantification of Flavonoids in Eriocaulaceae Species and Their Antimicrobial Activity

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

Anatomia de algumas espécies aquáticas de Eriocaulaceae brasileiras

Estudou-se a anatomia de raízes, caules, folhas e escapos de Eriocaulon elichrysoides, Leiothrix fluitans, Paepalanthus obtusifolius, Philodice hoffmannseggii, Syngonanthus caulescens e Tonina fluviatilis,espécies aquáticas de Eriocaulaceae que ocorrem em diferentes ecossistemas brasileiros, visando a caracterização anatômica das mesmas e também a interpretação das adaptações ao ambiente. Essas plantas caracterizam-se por apresentarem raízes com aspecto esponjoso e esbranquiçado; acúmulo de ar no córtex; epiderme unisseriada, de paredes finas; córtex externo, mediano e interno; endoderme unisseriada e periciclo unisseriado ou multisseriado. em L. fluitans, P. obtusifolius e T. fluviatilis foram observadas raízes absorventes com aerênquima e raízes fixadoras sem aerênquima. Caules aéreos ou rizomatosos, com ou sem espessamentos causados pelo periciclo. Folhas e escapos com células epidérmicas de paredes finas, estômatos somente na face abaxial, parênquima clorofiliano frouxo, tecido de sustentação pouco desenvolvido e feixes vasculares colaterais. Essas estruturas anatômicas são típicas de plantas de ambientes úmidos ou aquáticos, e ocorrem de forma convergente em diferentes gêneros de Eriocaulaceae.

Anatomy of Brazilian Eriocaulaceae: correlation with taxonomy and habitat using multivariate analyses

In this study we present a survey on vegetative anatomy in species of Actinocephalus, Blastocaulon, Eriocaulon, Leiothrix, Paepalanthus, Philodice, Syngonanthus, and Tonina (Eriocaulaceae). Multivariate analyses were used to correlate anatomical characters to taxa and the habitats where the species occur. Root and stem anatomical characters seem to be more affected by environmental factors where these species occur, and seem of little value for delimiting major taxonomic groups within the family. Other characters in the leaves, such as epidermis with thickened wall cells, compartmented substomatal chambers, mesophyll with hypodermis, compact chlorenchyma, collenchymatous bundle sheath extensions, and numerous vascular bundles, were shown to be important for defining species clusters in Leiothrix, Syngonanthus, and Paepalanthus subg. Platycaulon. Similarly, loosely aggregated chlorenchyma caused Blastocaulon, Eriocaulon, Philodice, Syngonanthus sect. Carpocephalus, S. sect. Syngonanthus, and Tonina, genera from humid environments, to cluster. Scape characters appear to be more informative in discriminating groups. This situation probably reflects lower selection pressures determining anatomical characters of this organ.