Evaluation of the floral vasculature of the Janusia, Mascagnia and Tetrapterys species as a tool to explain the decrease of floral organs in Malpighiaceae

The family Malpighiaceae is considered monophyletic, but the intra-family classification is conflicting. Analyses of floral vasculature allow the identification of reductions, connations and adnations and can even reveal evolutionary steps prior to current floral morphology. The present work analysed the floral vasculature of Janusia mediterranea, Mascagnia cordifolia and Tetrapterys chamaecerasifolia using material processed by traditional methods for light microscopy. A general pattern was observed of three bundle traces supplying each sepal and one trace per petal and stamen; Mascagnia is an exception, as its eglandular sepal has only a median trace but shares lateral traces with adjacent sepals. No dorsal traces are emitted to the carpels; however, three intercarpellary complexes are emitted that divide into six ventral bundles, supplying the ovule. Mascagnia demonstrates connation between the anterior and adjacent sepal glands; reductions of the anterior sepal glands were registered in Tetrapterys and Janusia. This work reveals two distinct processes for gland loss in non-related groups of the family that resulted in similar present appearances. Our evaluation of the number of calyx glands and the processes of glandular loss in species with less than ten glands improves our understanding of the evolution of calyx glands in Malpighiaceae. © 2013 Elsevier GmbH.

Seed development in Malpighiaceae species with an emphasis on the relationships between nutritive tissues

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Variation in leaf structure of the invasive Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia, Basellaceae) at different light levels

Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) is a climber in the angiosperm family Basellaceae. It is native to South America and has naturalised in Australia. It is regarded as a serious environmental weed because of the structural damage it causes to native vegetation. The present study, for the first time, documents anatomical and morphological traits of the leaves of A. cordifolia and considers their implications for its ecology and physiology. Plants were grown under three different light levels, and anatomical and morphological leaf characters were compared among light levels, among cohorts, and with documented traits of the related species, Basella alba L. Stomata were present on both the adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaf, with significantly more stomata on the abaxial side and under high light. This may account for the ability of this species to fix large amounts of carbon and rapidly respond to light gaps. The leaves had very narrow veins and no sclerenchyma, suggesting a low construction cost that is associated with invasive plants. There was no significant difference in any of the traits among different cohorts, which agrees with the claim that A. cordifolia primarily propagates vegetatively. The anatomy and morphology of A. cordifolia was similar to that of B. alba.

Variation in leaf structure of the invasive Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia, Basellaceae) at different light levels

Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) is a climber in the angiosperm family Basellaceae. It is native to South America and has naturalised in Australia. It is regarded as a serious environmental weed because of the structural damage it causes to native vegetation. The present study, for the first time, documents anatomical and morphological traits of the leaves of A. cordifolia and considers their implications for its ecology and physiology. Plants were grown under three different light levels, and anatomical and morphological leaf characters were compared among light levels, among cohorts, and with documented traits of the related species, Basella alba L. Stomata were present on both the adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaf, with significantly more stomata on the abaxial side and under high light. This may account for the ability of this species to fix large amounts of carbon and rapidly respond to light gaps. The leaves had very narrow veins and no sclerenchyma, suggesting a low construction cost that is associated with invasive plants. There was no significant difference in any of the traits among different cohorts, which agrees with the claim that A. cordifolia primarily propagates vegetatively. The anatomy and morphology of A. cordifolia was similar to that of B. alba.

Structure of columbin, a diterpenoid furanolactone from Tinospora cordifolia Miers

(1S,4R,5R,8S, IOR,12S)-4-Hydroxy-15,16-epoxycleroda-2,13 (16), 14-trieno- 17,12:18,1-biscarbolactone,C20H2206, Mr = 358.2, m.p. = 453-454 K,orthorhombic, P212121, a = 7.3869 (6), b = 11.986 (1),c=19.896(2) A, V=1761.65A 3, Z=4, D x=1.351, Din(by flotation)= 1.349gem -3, 2(CuKa)=1.5418 A, /l = 8.36 cm -1, F(000) = 760, T= 295 K,R = 0.0432 for 1662 observed reflections. Two terpenerings, two ~-lactones, two methyl groups, a tertiary hydroxyl group and a fl-substituted furan ring are present in the structure. The H atoms at C(12) and C(8) are a- and fl-oriented. The terpene ring A is locked into a boat conformation by the C(1)-C(4) lactone bridge. The furan ring is attached equatoriaUy at atom C(12). The hydroxyl group is involved in intramolecular hydrogen bonding.

Effects of Withania somnifera and Tinospora cordifolia Extracts on the Side Population Phenotype of Human Epithelial Cancer Cells: Toward Targeting Multidrug Resistance in Cancer

Recent reports suggest the existence of a subpopulation of stem-like cancer cells, termed as cancer stem cells (CSCs), which bear functional and phenotypic resemblance with the adult, tissue-resident stem cells. Side population (SP) assay based on differential efflux of Hoechst 33342 has been effectively used for the isolation of CSCs. The drug resistance properties of SP cells are typically due to the increased expression of ABC transporters leading to drug efflux. Conventionally used chemotherapeutic drugs may often leads to an enrichment of SP, revealing their inability to target the drug-resistant SP and CSCs. Thus, identification of agents that can reduce the SP phenotype is currently in vogue in cancer therapeutics. Withania somnifera (WS) and Tinospora cordifolia (TC) have been used in Ayurveda for treating various diseases, including cancer. In the current study, we have investigated the effects of ethanolic (ET) extracts of WS and TC on the cancer SP phenotype. Interestingly, we found significant decrease in SP on treatment with TC-ET, but not with WS-ET. The SP-inhibitory TC-ET was further fractionated into petroleum ether (TC-PET), dichloromethane (TC-DCM), and n-butyl alcohol (TC-nBT) fractions using bioactivity-guided fractionation. Our data revealed that TC-PET and TC-DCM, but not TC-nBT, significantly inhibited SP in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, flow cytometry-based functional assays revealed that TC-PET and TC-DCM significantly inhibited ABC-B1 and ABC-G2 transporters and sensitized cancer cells toward chemotherapeutic drug-mediated cytotoxicity. Thus, the TC-PET and TC-DCM may harbor phytochemicals with the potential to reverse the drug-resistant phenotype, thus improving the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy.

Estimativa da área foliar de Sida cordifolia e Sida rhombifolia usando dimensões lineares do limbo foliar

A estimativa da área foliar pode auxiliar na compreensão de relações de interferência entre plantas daninhas e cultivadas. Com o objetivo de obter uma equação que, por meio de parâmetros lineares dimensionais das folhas, permita a estimativa da área foliar de Sida cordifolia e Sida rhombifolia, estudaram-se as correlações entre área foliar real (Af) e parâmetros dimensionais do limbo foliar, como o comprimento (C) ao longo da nervura principal e a largura máxima (L) perpendicular à nervura principal. Foram analisados 200 limbos foliares de cada espécie, coletados em diferentes agroecossistemas na Universidade Estadual Paulista, campus de Jaboticabal. Os modelos estatísticos utilizados foram linear: Y = a + bx; linear simples: Y = bx; geométrico: Y = ax b; e exponencial: Y = ab x. Todos os modelos analisados podem ser empregados para estimação da área foliar de S. cordifolia e S. rhombifolia. Sugere-se optar pela equação linear simples, envolvendo o produto C*L, considerando-se o coeficiente linear igual a zero, em função da praticidade desta. Desse modo, a estimativa da área foliar de S. cordifolia pode ser obtida pela fórmula Af = 0,7878*(C*L), com coeficiente de determinação de 0,9307, enquanto para S. rhombifolia a estimativa da área foliar pode ser obtida pela fórmula Af = 0,6423*(C*L), com coeficiente de determinação de 0,9711.

Numerical chromosome polymorphism in Mikania cordifolia Willd. (Asteraceae)

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

Morfoanatomia de órgãos reprodutivos de cinco espécies de malpighiaceae

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Isolation and characterization of sodium 2-fluoroacetate from Mascagnia rigida using chromatography and infrared spectroscopy

Sodium monofluoroacetate was first identified in Dichapetalum cymosum, a South African plant that can cause livestock poisoning and death. After, several other plants also showed to contain this toxin, which leads to the "sudden death". Mascagnia rigida, a well identified poisonous plant, commonly found in northeast of Brazil also cause sudden death in cattle, which shows clinical signs similar to those produced by the ingestion of plants that contain monofluoroacetate. Our aim was to identify the toxic compound present in the aqueous extract of M. rigida. For this purpose, the dried and milled plant was extracted; the extract was lyophilized and submitted to successive chromatographic process, until the desired purity of the active compound was achieved. The study of this material by planar chromatography and by infrared spectrometry indicated that the toxin can be a mixture of mono, di and trifluoroacetate. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethnobotany of the Monpa ethnic group at Arunachal Pradesh, India

Background: The present paper documents the uses of plants in traditional herbal medicine for human and veterinary ailments, and those used for dietary supplements, religious purpose, local beverage, and plants used to poison fish and wild animals. Traditional botanical medicine is the primary mode of healthcare for most of the rural population in Arunachal Pradesh. Materials and methods: Field research was conducted between April 2006 and March 2009 with randomly selected 124 key informants using semi-structured questionnaire. The data obtained was analyzed through informant consensus factor (F(IC)) to determine the homogeneity of informant's knowledge on medicinal plants. Results: We documented 50 plants species belonging to 29 families used for treating 22 human and 4 veterinary ailments. Of the medicinal plants reported, the most common growth form was herbs (40%) followed by shrubs, trees, and climbers. Leaves were most frequently used plant parts. The consensus analysis revealed that the dermatological ailments have the highest F(IC) (0.56) and the gastro-intestinal diseases have F(IC) (0.43). F(IC) values indicated that there was high agreement in the use of plants in dermatological and gastro-intestinal ailments category among the users. Gymnocladus assamicus is a critically rare and endangered species used as disinfectant for cleaning wounds and parasites like leeches and lice on livestocks. Two plant species (Illicium griffithii and Rubia cordifolia) are commonly used for traditional dyeing of clothes and food items. Some of the edible plants recorded in this study were known for their treatment against high blood pressure (Clerodendron colebrookianum), diabetes mellitus (Momordica charantia), and intestinal parasitic worms like round and tape worms (Lindera neesiana, Solanum etiopicum, and Solanum indicum). The Monpas of Arunachal Pradesh have traditionally been using Daphne papyracea for preparing hand-made paper for painting and writing religious scripts in Buddhist monasteries. Three plant species (Derris scandens, Aesculus assamica, and Polygonum hydropiper) were frequently used to poison fish during the month of June-July every year and the underground tuber of Aconitum ferrox is widely used in arrow poisoning to kill ferocious animals like bear, wild pigs, gaur and deer. The most frequently cited plant species; Buddleja asiatica and Hedyotis scandens were used as common growth supplements during the preparation of fermentation starter cultures. Conclusion: The traditional pharmacopoeia of the Monpa ethnic group incorporates a myriad of diverse botanical flora. Traditional knowledge of the remedies is passed down through oral traditions without any written document. This traditional knowledge is however, currently threatened mainly due to acculturation and deforestation due to continuing traditional shifting cultivation. This study reveals that the rural populations in Arunachal Pradesh have a rich knowledge of forest-based natural resources and consumption of wild edible plants is still an integral part of their socio-cultural life. Findings of this documentation study can be used as an ethnopharmacological basis for selecting plants for future phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies.

山黑豆属(豆科)的分类学修订

山黑豆属Dumasia DC.隶属于豆科、菜豆族、大豆亚族，广泛分布于亚洲、非洲东南部的热带、亚热带地区以及大洋洲的巴布亚新几内亚地区，其中大多数种在我国均有分布。该属形态变异复杂，命名混乱，缺乏世界性的系统分类学研究基础。基于这样的背景，本论文通过开展形态学、解剖学、细胞学及孢粉学等方面的综合研究工作，对该属进行了全面的分类修订，对属内种间关系及地理分布格局进行了分析和探讨，结果如下： 1、形态学 在研究了大量腊叶标本和进行了野外考察的基础上，对山黑豆属植物的形态性状的变异式样进行了分析。该属植物的根系形态较为多样，可以作为划分种的辅助形状，分为有主根类型 (2个种，心叶山黑豆D. cordifolia Benth. ex Baker和柔毛山黑豆D. villosa DC.) 和无主根类型 (5个种，云南山黑豆D. yunnanensis Y. T. Wei & S. K. Lee、小鸡藤D. forrestii Diels、硬毛山黑豆D. hirsuta Craib、山黑豆D. truncata Siebold & Zucc.和长圆叶山黑豆D. henryi (Hemsl.) B. Pan & X. Y. Zhu)；该属几乎全为多年生缠绕草本，只有柔毛山黑豆为半灌木，因此可能是该属中较原始的种类；该属植物的萼筒管状、筒口斜截形及花柱细长且弯曲处膨大等独特的解剖结构是区别该属其它近缘属的重要性状；花序和复叶的长度及荚果内种子数目变异幅度极大，缺乏稳定性，并非好的分类性状。 2、解剖学 应用光学显微镜，首次对山黑豆属7种植物 (心叶山黑豆、柔毛山黑豆、云南山黑豆、小鸡藤、硬毛山黑豆、山黑豆和长圆叶山黑豆) 的叶表皮进行了观察。结果表明，该属植物叶表皮细胞均呈不规则形，垂周壁为波状，气孔器类型以平列型为主。心叶山黑豆、柔毛山黑豆和云南山黑豆上表皮细胞垂周壁呈深波状；小鸡藤、长圆叶山黑豆、山黑豆和硬毛山黑豆上表皮细胞垂周壁呈浅波状。在一定程度上，上表皮细胞垂周壁的形态反映了山黑豆属种间的近缘关系。 3、细胞学 首次报道了山黑豆属3个种 (云南山黑豆、小鸡藤和硬毛山黑豆) 的染 色体数目，它们均为2n=20。在已报道染色体的植物种类中 (共计6种)，仅心叶山黑豆染色体数目为2n=22，其余5种 (柔毛山黑豆、山黑豆、云南山黑豆、小鸡藤和硬毛山黑豆) 染色体数目均为2n=20。与大豆亚族大多数属染色体数目为2n=22相比较，心叶山黑豆可能是该属中较为原始的种。 4、孢粉学 在光学显微镜下，对该属7种植物 (心叶山黑豆、柔毛山黑豆、云南山黑豆、小鸡藤、硬毛山黑豆、山黑豆和长圆叶山黑豆) 的花粉进行了观察，结果表明：该属植物为三角形6孔花粉，极轴短，每个角的萌发孔由一对小孔组成；外壁具网纹，网脊粗，网眼不规则。柔毛山黑豆和小鸡藤极面的网脊几乎不断裂；心叶山黑豆、云南山黑豆、硬毛山黑豆、山黑豆和长圆叶山黑豆极面的网脊断裂较多。外壁的纹饰在一定程度上反映了该属植物的近缘关系。 5、地理分布格局 该属植物主要分布在中国南部和西南，只有柔毛山黑豆分布到非洲和大洋洲。研究结果表明，具主根的2个种 (心叶山黑豆和柔毛山黑豆) 主要分布在中国西南部，其分布区域相互重叠；而无主根的5个种 (云南山黑豆、小鸡藤、硬毛山黑豆、山黑豆和长圆叶山黑豆) 由中国西南部向东到日本、韩国都有分布，分布区域几乎不重叠。本研究认为：有主根的心叶山黑豆和柔毛山黑豆可能代表了该属的原始类群；有主根类群衍生出其余无主根类型的各种，并由中国西南扩散到其他地区。 综合以上资料，本研究对山黑豆属进行了分类修订，认为该属含8种、1亚种及2变种，其中建立新组合1个，归并6个类群，并指定了4个后选模式。另外，本研究同时提供了该属植物的检索表、种的形态描述和插图以及地理分布图等信息。