Biological activity of sugarcane pyroligneous acid against Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) annually cause enormous loss to the producers and their  combat has become a worldwide challenge mainly due to several reports of pesticides resistance. Today, one of the best  alternatives used in this combat is the application of natural insecticides such as neem oil and pyroligneous acid. This study  demonstrates a method to obtain a hexane fraction from sugarcane pyroligneous acid, which can be easily applied, as well as its effectiveness against S. frugiperda. The hexane fraction exhibited LC50 of 2206,41 ppm after 24 h of exposure with a linear dose-response, indicating that the fraction can be used as a bio-insecticide against S. frugiperda.Keywords: Wood vinegar, insecticide, Saccharum officinarum, fall armyworm, pyroligneous extract

Composição bioinseticida proveniente da cana-de-açúcar

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do SulFundação Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do SulQuímicaDepositad

Seasonal and spatial variation of the iridoid specioside in monodominant formation of Tabebuia aurea in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland/ Variação sazonal e espacial do especiosídeo iridóide em formação monodominante de Tabebuia aurea na zona húmida do Pantanal brasileiro

It is common in the Pantanal the occurrence of monodominant formations, such as “paratudal” dominated by Tabebuia aurea. Although it is of high importance, little is known about how it is maintained and what factors limit its progress. We investigated the variation of secondary metabolism between individuals located on the edge and center of the formation as well as the effect of flood pulse and what part of the plant (stem bark or leaves) is there greater accumulation of iridoids glycosides, and if is there a translocation of specioside between them. We collected stem bark and leaves samples from individuals of T. aurea located in the center and edge of paratudal in drought and flooded season, sampled individuals were the same in both seasons. We also analyzed the topographic profile of paratudal. Ours results showed that the specioside concentration in stem bark decreased during flood season only on the edge of paratudal and this region was lower than the center. Individuals located on the edge stay more time exposed to the flooding effect. These results suggest that the flooding is the main cause of the change in the specioside concentration on monodominant formation and the topography should delimitate the monoformation

Control of anthocyanin and non-flavonoid compounds by anthocyanin-regulating MYB and bHLH transcription factors in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves

Coloration of plant organs such as fruit, leaves and flowers through anthocyanin production is governed by a combination of MYB and bHLH type transcription factors. In this study we introduced Rosea1 (ROS1, a MYB type) and Delila (DEL, a bHLH type), into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves by agroinfiltration. ROS1 and DEL form a pair of well-characterized transcription factors from Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), which specifically induce anthocyanin accumulation when expressed in tomato fruit. In N. benthamiana, robust induction of a single anthocyanin, delphinidin-3-rutinoside (D3R) was observed after expression of both ROS1 and DEL. Surprisingly in addition to D3R, a range of additional metabolites were also strongly and specifically up-regulated upon expression of ROS1 and DEL. Except for the D3R, these induced compounds were not derived from the flavonoid pathway. Most notable among these are nornicotine conjugates with butanoyl, hexanoyl and octanoyl hydrophobic moieties, and phenylpropanoid-polyamine conjugates such as caffeoyl-putrescine. The defensive properties of the induced molecules were addressed in bioassays using the tobacco specialist lepidopteran insect Manduca sexta. Our study showed that the effect of ROS1 and DEL expression in N. benthamiana leaves extends beyond the flavonoid pathway. Apparently the same transcription factor may regulate different secondary metabolite pathways in different plant species

Chemical profile and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic and antimicrobial activities of geopropolis from the stingless bee Melipona orbignyi

Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Geopropolis is a resin mixed with mud, produced only by stingless bees. Despite being popularly known for its medicinal properties, few scientific studies have proven its biological activities. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic and antimicrobial activities of the Melipona orbignyi geopropolis. The hydroalcoholic extract of geopropolis (HEGP) was prepared and its chemical composition determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detector and mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS). The antioxidant activity was determined by the capture of free radicals and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by the inhibition of the hyaluronidase enzyme and the antimutagenic action was investigated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae colonies. The antimicrobial activities were determined against bacteria and yeasts, isolated from reference strains and hospital origin. The chemical composition of HEGP included flavonoids, derivatives of glycosylated phenolic acids and terpenoids. HEGP showed high antioxidant activity, it inhibited the activity of the inflammatory enzyme hyaluronidase and reduced the mutagenic effects in S. cerevisiae. In relation to the antimicrobial activity, it promoted the death of all microorganisms evaluated. In conclusion, this study reveals for the first time the chemical composition of the HEGP of M. orbignyi and demonstrates its pharmacological properties.This work was supported by grants from Foundation to Support to Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT, Brazil), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Brazil) and PRODER, (24.073 – Â, Portugal).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phenolic derivatives and other chemical compounds from Cochlospermum regium

This study describes the chemical investigation of the ethyl acetate fraction obtained from the hydroethanolic extract of the xylopodium of Cochlospermum regium (Mart. & Schr.) Pilger, which has been associated with antimicrobial activity. Phytochemical investigation produced seven phenol derivatives: ellagic acid, gallic acid, dihydrokaempferol, dihydrokaempferol-3-O-β-glucopyranoside, dihydrokaempferol-3-O-β-(6"-galloyl)-glucopyranoside, pinoresinol, and excelsin. It also contained two triacylbenzenes, known as cochlospermines A and B. The hydroethanolic extract and its fractions exhibited antimicrobial activity (0.1 mg/mL) against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Gallic acid showed activity against S. aureus. Dihydrokaempferol-3-O-β-(6"-galloyl)-glucopyranoside is reported here for the first time in the literature

The Chemical Profile of Senna velutina Leaves and Their Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Effects

Natural products can be a source of biomolecules with antioxidant activity which are able to prevent oxidative stress-induced diseases and show antitumor activity, making them important sources of new anticancer drug prototypes. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the chemical composition of an ethanol extract of Senna velutina leaves and to assess its antioxidant and cytotoxic activities in leukemic cells. The antioxidant properties were evaluated using a DPPH free radical scavenging assay and by examining the extract's inhibition of AAPH-induced lipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes. Its cytotoxicity and possible mechanisms of action were assessed in Jurkat and K562 leukemic cell lines. The ethanol extract contained flavonoids, such as epigallocatechin, epicatechin, kaempferol heteroside, rutin, and dimeric and trimeric proanthocyanidin derivatives. The extract exhibited antioxidant activity by scavenging free radicals and antihemolytic action, and it decreased malondialdehyde content in human erythrocytes. Furthermore, the extract also induced leukemic cell death by activating intracellular calcium and caspase-3, decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential, and arresting the cell cycle in S and G2 phases. Hence, S. velutina leaf extract contains antioxidant and antileukemic biomolecules with potential applications in diseases associated with oxidative stress and in the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation.This work was supported by grants of the Fundac¸˜ao de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciˆencia e Tecnologia do Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient´ıfico e Tecnol´ogico (CNPq), and Coordenac¸˜ao de Aperfeic¸oamento de Pessoal de N´ıvel Superior (CAPES). Edson Lucas dos Santos, Carlos Alexandre Carollo, and Edgar J. Paredes-Gamero are recipients of fellowships from Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq), Brazil.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Microbiological quality, chemical profile as well as antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, commonly known as Brazilian peppertree, is a plant species widely used in Brazilian traditional medicine for various purposes. The objective of this study was to assess the microbiological quality, safety, chemical profile as well as antioxidant and antidiabetic potentials of different parts of S. terebinthifolius. Microbiological analysis of the methanolic extracts of the roots (MESR), stem bark (MESB) and leaves (MESL) of S. terebinthifolius showed no microbial growth. The concentrations of phenolic compounds, phenolic acids and flavonoids were determined by spectrophotometry. The phenolic compounds of the MESL were identified by liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector and mass spectrometer (LC-DAD-MS). The antioxidant activities of the extracts were analyzed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl radical (DPPH[rad]), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (ABTS[rad] + ), fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), reducing power, β-carotene bleaching and malondialdehyde (MDA) assays in human erythrocytes. The antidiabetic properties of the extracts were demonstrated in vitro by their inhibition of the α-glucosidase enzyme and their anti-glycation activity via fructose and glyoxal. After showing no acute toxicity in vivo, MESL was able to lower postprandial glycemia after glucose overload in normoglycemic mice as well as the water and feed intake, liver weight, glycemia and serum levels of glycated hemoglobin, aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) in diabetic mice. Overall, S. terebinthifolius extracts showed microbiological safety along with antioxidant and antidiabetic activities, likely mediated by its chemical constituents, such as gallic acid, gallotannins and glycosylated flavonolsThis work was supported by grants from Foundation to Support to Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Metabolic response of Adenocalymma peregrinum during regeneration of the aerial parts

Adenocalymma peregrinum, popularly known as ciganinha, is an aggressive pasture invader. This species has a vegetative propagation mechanism that includes aerial latent buds and subterranean stalks activated by cuts and other lesions. In the present study, we evaluated the levels of cytokinins and secondary metabolites in A. peregrinum during regeneration of the aerial part. Plants used in this experiment were established in the field and were cut at intervals of five days until the 25th day. The regeneration of the cut plants started on the 10th day after the first cut. Among observed compounds, only kinetin, allantoin and the iridoide 6-β-hydroxyipolamiide were detected at adequate levels for comparative evaluation. The maximum levels of these compounds coincided with the beginning of regeneration in these plants, indicating the involvement of these compounds in the regeneration process

Quality and microbiological safety and antifungal activity of Hancornia Speciosa Gomes (Apocynaceae).

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and microbiological safety and antifungal activity of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Hancomia Gomes (EEHS), a Brazilian fruit tree popularly known mangabeira .info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio