Phytogrowth-Inhibitory lactones derivatives of Glaucolide B

The sesquiterpene lactone glaucolide B (1), isolated from Vernonia fruticulosa (Asteraceae), was transformed into six lactones (2-7). The structures of the products were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. A series of solutions of compounds 1-7, at 200 μᴍ, were tested on the germination and on the root and shoot growth of the dicotyledons Physalis ixocarpa and Trifolium alexandrinum and of the monocotyledons Lolium multiflorum and Amaranthus hypochondriacus. Lactone 5 exhibited clear selectivity towards dicotyledonous species at 200 μᴍ, with an average inhibition of 90% on the germination of P. ixocarpa. Lactones 1, 3 and 4 had a greater effect on root length of monocotyledonous species, inhibiting around 70% at 200 μᴍ in L. multiflorum. It seems that the diol function is required in lactones 4-6 to increase the activity, the polarity in the molecule might be required to reach its target

Phytotoxic effects of metabolites from Alternaria euphorbiicola against its host plant Euphorbia heterophylla

A bioassay-guided fractionation of culture filtrates of the fungus Alternaria euphorbiicola, a pathogen of the weed Euphorbia heterophylla, led to the isolation of anhydromevalonolactone (1), tyrosol (2), (R)-( - )-mevalonolactone (3), and cycloglycylproline (4). When tested on the punctured leaves of the host plant, these compounds produced bleached lesions with dark brown margins at concentrations as low as 80 µM. When tested on the leaves of other relevant weeds, only cycloglycylproline showed selective activity against E. heterophylla. This is the first report on the isolation of phytotoxins from A. euphorbiicola and on the phytotoxicity of anhydromevalonolactone, (R)-( - )-mevalonolactone, and cycloglycylproline

In vitro analysis of the internal anatomy of lower incisors by cone beam computerized tomography

For the success of endodontic treatment, the knowledge of the internal anatomy becomes essential. Objective: to analyze the prevalence of lower incisor canals in a clinical and tomographic analysis. Material and methods: 148 lower incisors were used, measured, and evaluated through periapical radiograph and computed tomography. Results: in relation to the number of canals, 107 teeth(72.3%) presented a single canal, while 41 teeth (27.7%) presented two canals. Of the 41 teeth presenting 2 canals, 3 teeth presented independent canals (2.03%) and 38 teeth had 2 canals that joined at some point of the canal path (25.67%). Conclusion: The prevalence of two canals in the lower permanent human incisors was 27.7%; of these, 2.03% were independent. The main point of root canal union was at the apical third (20.94%). The most commonly found root canal shape was round in cervical third, flattened in middle third, and round in third apical.For the success of endodontic treatment, the knowledge of the internal anatomy becomes essential. Objective: to analyze the prevalence of lower incisor canals in a clinical and tomographic analysis. Material and methods: 148 lower incisors were used, measured, and evaluated through periapical radiograph and computed tomography. Results: in relation to the number of canals, 107 teeth(72.3%) presented a single canal, while 41 teeth (27.7%) presented two canals. Of the 41 teeth presenting 2 canals, 3 teeth presented independent canals (2.03%) and 38 teeth had 2 canals that joined at some point of the canal path (25.67%). Conclusion: The prevalence of two canals in the lower permanent human incisors was 27.7%; of these, 2.03% were independent. The main point of root canal union was at the apical third (20.94%). The most commonly found root canal shape was round in cervical third, flattened in middle third, and round in third apical

O uso de tecnologia da informação na fiscalização e denúncias do uso de recursos hídricos

A água tem se tornado uma preocupação em todo planeta por estar se tornando um recurso cada vez mais escasso nos últimos anos, devido a diversos fatores, sobretudo ao desrespeito dos seres humanos ao desenvolvimento sustentável. Hodiernamente, torna-se imperativo a proposição de políticas públicas, legislação e desenvolvimento de novas metodologias, processos e produtos que possam auxiliar no combate à poluição, desperdício e uso racional dos recursos hídricos. Em especial, o uso de tecnologia da informação propicia uma gestão moderna, ágil e eficiente dos recursos hídricos. Uma das ações importantes neste sentido é o processo de fiscalização do uso da água. Neste artigo, discutimos o processo de fiscalização, abordamos uma metodologia de fiscalização usada na Agência de gestão de águas, e abordamos uma arquitetura de sistema de informações baseado na Web, em plataforma móvel e em Sistema de Informação Geográfica para prover uma gestão da fiscalização de forma eficiente e eficaz. Tal sistema encontra-se em produção na Agência de Gestão de Águas e alguns resultados parciais, sobretudo no tocante às denúncias, notificações e autos de infração que são discutidos

Chemical composition of the essential oil of Psidium guajava leaves and its toxicity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Globally, the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is considered as one of the most important phytopathogens, since it affects the production of several economically important crops. Further, it is difficult to control, thus increasing the use of pesticides. Therefore, the search for new substances, especially those extracted from plants, has received special attention to control this plant pathogen. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the yield and chemical composition of the essential oil extracted from the fresh leaves of guava collected during the rainy and dry seasons, and also to evaluate its toxicity against S. sclerotiorum. The experiment was a completely randomized design with five treatments and six replicates. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation of the leaves and analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The main compounds identified in the essential oil were trans-caryophyllene and ?-humulene. The essential oil at a concentration of 300 ?L exhibited 90% inhibition of the mycelial growth of S. sclerotiorum. This confirmed the antifungal potential of the essential oil of the guava leaves during both the sampling seasons

Plant compounds insecticide activity against Coleoptera pests of stored products

O objetivo deste trabalho foi selecionar plantas com atividade inseticida, para isolar, identificar e avaliar a bioatividade de compostos inseticidas presentes nessas plantas, contra as seguintes pragas de produtos armazenados da ordem Coleoptera: Sitophilus zeamais Mots. (Curculionidae), Rhyzopertha dominica F. (Bostrichidae) e Oryzaephilus surinamensis L. (Silvanidae). As espécies de plantas usadas foram: anis (Ocimum selloi Benth), arruda (Ruta graveolens L.), cordão-de-frade (Leonotis nepetifolia L.), datura (Datura stramonium L.), erva baleeira (Cordia verbenacea L.), hortelã (Mentha piperita L.), melão-de-são-caetano (Mormodica charantia L.) e mentrasto (Ageratum conyzoides L.). Avaliou-se a toxicidade dos extratos hexânico e etanólico dessas plantas sobre R. dominica. Somente o extrato hexânico de A. conyzoides apresentou atividade inseticida. O extrato hexânico desta planta foi fracionado, sucessivamente, por cromatografia de coluna de sílica gel, para isolamento e purificação dos compostos ativos. Os compostos 5,6,7,8,3',4',5'-heptametoxiflavona; 5,6,7,8,3'-pentametoxi-4',5'-metilenodioxiflavona e cumarina foram identificados. Entretanto, somente a cumarina apresentou atividade inseticida às três espécies de insetos (DL50 de 2,72 a 39,71 mg g-1 de i.a.). A ordem crescente de suscetibilidade à cumarina foi R. dominica, S. zeamais e O. surinamensis.The objective of this work was to screen plants with insecticide activity, in order to isolate, identify and assess the bioactivity of insecticide compounds present in these plants, against Coleoptera pests of stored products: Oryzaephilus surinamensis L. (Silvanidae), Rhyzopertha dominica F. (Bostrichidae) and Sitophilus zeamais Mots. (Curculionidae). The plant species used were: basil (Ocimum selloi Benth.), rue (Ruta graveolens L.), lion's ear (Leonotis nepetifolia (L.) R.Br.), jimson weed (Datura stramonium L.), baleeira herb (Cordia verbenacea L.), mint (Mentha piperita L.), wild balsam apple (Mormodica charantia L.), and billy goat weed or mentrasto (Ageratum conyzoides L.). The insecticide activity of hexane and ethanol extracts from those plants on R. dominica was evaluated. Among them, only hexane extract of A. conyzoides showed insecticide activity; the hexane extract of this species was successively fractionated by silica gel column chromatography, for isolation and purification of the active compounds. Compounds 5,6,7,8,3',4',5'-heptamethoxyflavone; 5,6,7,8,3'-pentamethoxy-4',5'-methilenedioxyflavone and coumarin were identified. However, only coumarin showed insecticide activity against three insect pests (LD50 from 2.72 to 39.71 mg g-1 a.i.). The increasing order of insects susceptibility to coumarin was R. dominica, S. zeamais and O. surinamensis

Influence of the drying process on the quality of thyme essential oil

[PT] Objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar o efeito da temperatura do ar de secagem sobre a qualidade do óleo essencial de folhas de tomilho. Foram empregadas diferentes temperaturas de secagem (30, 40, 50, 60, 70 ºC), em um secador com resistências elétricas. Os componentes químicos do óleo essencial, depois de realizada a secagem, foram comparados com os valores obtidos na planta in natura (testemunha). Para a extração do óleo essencial, foi empregado o método de extração com CO2 supercrítico. A identificação dos componentes químicos do óleo essencial foi realizada por cromatografia gasosa, acoplada ao espectrofotômetro de massas (CG-EM) e, para a quantificação desses componentes, empregou-se o cromatógrafo a gás, acoplado ao detector por ionização de chamas (CG-DIC). Em função dos resultados obtidos, recomenda-se ar, à temperatura de 60 ºC, para a secagem das folhas de tomilho.[EN] The study aimed to evaluate the effect of drying air temperature on the quality of the essential oil from thyme leaves. Different drying temperatures (30, 40, 50, 60, 70 ºC) were applied in a dryer with electrical resistance heater. After drying, the chemical components of the essential oil were compared with those obtained from fresh samples (control). The extraction of the essential oil was performed using the supercritical CO2 method. The identification of the essential oil components was carried out by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the quantification by gas chromatography coupled to a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). According to the results, it is recommended the drying air temperature of 60 ºC for drying thyme leaves .Financiado pelo CNPq, FAPEMIG e CAPESRocha, RPD.; Melo, EDC.; Barbosa, LCDA.; Bon Corbín, J.; Amorim Berbet, P. (2012). Influência do processo de secagem sobre os principais componentes químicos do óleo essencial de tomilho. Revista CERES. 59(5):731-737. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/150333S73173759

Composition and fungitoxicity of essential oil of citronella grass as affected by organic fertilization

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência da adubação orgânica sobre o teor e a composição do óleo essencial de capim citronela (Cymbopogon nardus), bem como a fungitoxicidade desse óleo ao crescimento micelial dos fungos Didymella bryoniae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides e Amphobotrys ricini. A extração do óleo essencial foi realizada por hidrodestilação, a partir de plantas cultivadas em quatro doses de adubação orgânica (0, 3, 6 e 9 kg de esterco bovino curtido por cova), e a identificação dos constituintes químicos foi conduzida por cromatografia gasosa/espectrometria de massas. Para avaliar a inibição do crescimento micelial, o experimento foi instalado no delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em arranjo fatorial. Foram testadas sete alíquotas do óleo essencial (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 e 30 μL), em cinco épocas de avaliação, com quatro repetições. O teor de óleo essencial do capim citronela não foi afetado pela adubação orgânica, e o óleo essencial do capim citronela apresentou 24 compostos químicos, entre estes monoterpenos e sesquiterpenos, com maior concentração dos compostos citronelal, β‑citronelol, geraniol e elemol. O óleo essencial do capim citronela apresenta maior efeito de inibição a Amphobotrys ricini, em comparação aos fungos Didymella bryoniae e Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of organic fertilization on the content and composition of the essential oil of citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus), as well as to assess the fungitoxicity of this oil to the mycelial growth of the fungi Didymella bryoniae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and Amphobotrys ricini. The extraction of the essential oil was done by hydrodistillation in plants cultivated with four doses of organic fertilizer (0, 3, 6, and 9 kg matured cattle manure per hole), and the identification of the chemical compounds was done by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. To evaluate the inhibition of mycelial growth, the experiment was installed in a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement. Seven aliquots of essential oil were tested (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 μL) in five evaluating times, with four replicates. The contents of the essencial oil in citronella grass were note affected by organic fertilization, and the oil includes 24 chemical compounds, among these monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, with higher concentrations of the compounds citronellal, β‑citronellol, geraniol, and elemol. The essential oil of citronella grass has higher inhibition effect on Amphobotrys ricini, when compared to the fungi Didymella bryoniae e Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Photobiomodulation Therapy in the Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An In Vitro Study

Introduction: Since photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) favors in vitro mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) preconditioning before MSC transplantation, increasing the proliferation of these cells without molecular injuries by conserving their characteristics, in the present in vitro study we analyzed the effect of PBMT on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs).Methods: Irradiation with an InGaAIP Laser (660 nm, 10 mW, 2.5 J/cm2, 0.08 cm2 spot size, and 10 s) was carried out. The cells were divided into four groups: CONTROL [cells grown in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM)], OSTEO (cells grown in an osteogenic medium); PBMT (cells grown in DMEM+PBMT), and OSTEO+PBMT (cells grown in an osteogenic medium-plus PBMT). The cell proliferation curve was obtained over periods of 24, 48 and 72 hours using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Osteogenic differentiation was analyzed by the formation of calcium nodules over periods of 7, 14 and 21 days. Morphometric analysis was performed to quantify the total area of nodular calcification.Results: The highest cell proliferation and cell differentiation occurred in the OSTEO+PBMT group, followed by the PBMT, OSTEO, and CONTROL groups respectively, at the observed times (P < 0.05).Conclusion: PBMT enhanced the osteogenic proliferation and the differentiation of hUCMSCs during the periods tested, without causing damage to the cells and preserving their specific characteristics, a fact that may represent an innovative pretreatment in the application of stem cells