Morfoanatomia e histoquímica da semente de sororoca (Phenakospermum guyannense (Rich.) Endl. - Strelitziaceae)

Phenakospermum guyannense, popularly known in the Amazon as sororoca, is usually found along rivers and in ombrophilous environments. The objective of this study was to describe the morpho-anatomy and histochemistry of mature seeds of P. guyannense collected at the Urubuí Waterfall, Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas state, Brazil. Seed anatomy was studied using a light and a scanning electron microscopes (SEM). Histochemical tests were performed to identify phenolic compounds, starch, protein and lipids. The mature seed of P. guyannense is stenospermic, with a black seed coat composed of several layers of different cell types, with most containing phenolic compounds. The hilum is punctiform, surrounded by cells, which form the aryl. The endosperm is solid, formed by tetrahedral cells containing starch and protein. The embryo, which is cylindrical and located in the proximal region, is basal capitate, with cells containing lipids and proteins and is composed of a slightly dilated hypocotyl-radicle axis. The haustorium is flattened and located in the distal region

Estudo etnobotânico de plantas medicinais em comunidades de várzea do rio Solimões, Amazonas e aspectos farmacognósticos de Justicia pectoralis Jacq. forma mutuquinha (Acanthaceae)

The use of medicinal plants, in association with its symbolic conceptions, have been valued in the whole world. The inhabitants of the amazonian floodplains have important collections of plants used for therapeutic purposes. The aim of this work was to realize an ethnobotanical study of the medicinal plants used in riverine communities in the Solimões River, in two localities of Manacapuru/AM and to contribute to the pharmacognostic characterization of a species with great informant agreement in the communities, Justicia pectoralis form mutuquinha (Acanthaceae) (mutuquinha). In the ethnobotanical study, informants were selected through the "snowball" method. Semi-structured interviews and participant observation were conducted. The informant agreement of species use was calculated and citations accumulation curves were constructed to compare the number of medicinal species and nosological categories listed in each locality. The anatomical and histochemical characterization of the leaves and stems of J. pectoralis forma mutuquinha was realized, according to usual laboratory methods. Informants are mostly elderly women. In both communities, 157 identified medicinal plant species distributed in 59 families were listed, besides 19 species not yet identified. The most represented families are Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Euphorbiaceae. 40% of species are exotic, featuring a dynamic pharmacopoeia. The local nosological conception is peculiar, with typical ―cultural‖ diseases. The humoral classification and the doctrine of signatures are present in the riverines‘ conceptions. Women and newborns‘ health have been highlighted in the local medical system. Most medicinal plants are herbaceous, supporting the idea of the importance of weeds in popular pharmacopoeias, and found in homegardens, which reflects the importance of domestication of plants used for therapeutic purposes. Food plants have large representation in the pharmacopoeias of the studied communities. Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) and Mentha cf. piperita L. (Lamiaceae) are plants with high informant agreement in both localities. The leaves are the most used plant parts in the preparation of medicines, decoction being the most common method. The characteristic periodic flooding of the Amazonian floodplains dictate the cycles of cultivation and availability of home remedies. The arrival of new religious beliefs in traditionally catholic communities seems to be a factor affecting the number of local nosological categories and the number of medicinal plants used. The leaves of J. pectoralis forma mutuquinha have uniseriate epidermis, dorsiventral mesophyll, are hypostomatic with diacytic stomata. Hydathodes were described at the base of the leaf blade. The petiole is concave-convex with an arc-shaped collateral central bundle. The stem has eustelic organization, typical of eudicotyledonous, with collateral bundles. Non- glandular and glandular trichomes and litocysths containing cystoliths occur in the epidermis of all the analyzed organs. Translucent droplets occur in abundance in cells of the chlorenchyma of the leaves and stems. The content of the glandular trichomes is mixed, complex and diverse, including essential oils, steroids, phenolic compounds and proteins and the chlorenchyma droplets contain oleoresins. These results indicate a great therapeutic potential of the species.O uso de plantas medicinais, associado às práticas e concepções simbólicas que o permeiam tem sido mundialmente valorizado. Os habitantes da várzea amazônica possuem importantes acervos de plantas utilizadas com fins terapêuticos. Este trabalho teve como objetivo realizar um estudo etnobotânico sobre as plantas medicinais utilizadas em comunidades ribeirinhas no rio Solimões, em duas localidades do município de Manacapuru/AM e contribuir com a caracterização farmacognóstica de uma das espécies de maior consenso de uso nas comunidades, Justicia pectoralis forma mutuquinha (Acanthaceae) (mutuquinha). No estudo etnobotânico, os informantes foram selecionados através da técnica ―Bola de neve‖. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas e observação participante. Foi calculada a concordância de uso principal (CUP) e foram construídas curvas de acumulação de citações para comparação do número de espécies medicinais e categorias nosológicas citadas em cada localidade. Foi realizada a caracterização anatômica e histoquímica das folhas e caules de J. pectoralis forma mutuquinha, segundo metodologias usuais de laboratório. Os informantes são em sua maioria mulheres idosas. Foram repertoriadas nas comunidades 157 espécies medicinais identificadas, distribuídas em 59 famílias, além de 19 espécies ainda não identificadas, sendo as famílias mais representadas Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae e Euphorbiaceae. 40% das espécies são exóticas, caracterizando uma farmacopeia dinâmica. A concepção nosológica local é peculiar, com doenças ―culturais‖ típicas. A classificação humoral e a teoria das assinaturas estão presentes nas concepções dos ribeirinhos. A saúde da mulher e de recém nascidos têm destaque no sistema médico local. A maioria das plantas medicinais usadas é herbácea, o que corrobora a ideia da importância de plantas ―daninhas‖ em farmacopeias populares, e encontrada nos quintais, o que reflete a importância da domesticação das plantas apropriadas com fins terapêuticos. Plantas alimentícias têm grande representatividade nas farmacopeias das comunidades estudadas. Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) e Mentha cf. piperita L. (Lamiaceae) são plantas com CUP elevada em ambas as localidades. As folhas são as partes vegetais mais usadas na preparação dos remédios, sendo a decocção o método mais comum. As inundações periódicas características da várzea amazônica ditam o ritmo de cultivo e disponibilidade de remédios caseiros. A chegada de novas crenças religiosas nas comunidades tradicionalmente católicas parece ser um fator de influência no acervo de categorias nosológicas locais e no número de espécies medicinais utilizadas. As folhas de J. pectoralis forma mutuquinha apresentam epiderme unisseriada, mesofilo dorsiventral, são hipoestomáticas com estômatos diacíticos. Hidatódios foram descritos na base da lâmina foliar. O pecíolo é côncavo-convexo com feixe central colateral em forma de arco. O caule tem organização eustélica típica de eudicotiledôneas, com feixes colaterais. Tricomas tectores, tricomas secretores e litocistos contendo cistólitos ocorrem na epiderme de todos os órgãos analisados. Gotas translúcidas ocorrem em abundância nas células do parênquima clorofiliano das folhas e caules. O conteúdo dos tricomas secretores é misto, complexo e diverso, incluindo óleos essenciais, esteroides, compostos fenólicos e proteínas, e as gotas do parênquima clorofiliano contêm oleorresinas. Tais resultados indicam o grande potencial terapêutico da espécie

Trichome-like emergences in Croton of Brazilian highland rock outcrops: Evidences for atmospheric water uptake

Although trichomes are typical features of the species-rich genus Croton, little is known about their development, anatomical structure and function. This study aims to characterize the anatomy of leaf trichomes of three Croton species restricted to Brazilian rock outcrops, and investigate their functional role in an environment with limited soil water availability.Samples of leaves at different stages of maturity were submitted to standard anatomical light and scanning electron microscopy techniques to perform a structural and developmental study. Atmospheric water uptake was investigated through the absorption of aqueous solutions of berberine hemisulfate and Indian ink.The so-called trichomes actually correspond to emergences because they originate from protodermal and ground meristem activity rather than from epidermal tissue. These emergences show a complex anatomy, are closely associated with the mesophyll sclereids and might be involved in leaf atmospheric water uptake. The outermost cells of the emergences are arranged radially and present non-lignified thick walls. We demonstrate that an aqueous solution can effectively penetrate through the leaf emergences, continuing through sclereids and reaching the vascular bundle or flowing across the mesophyll maximizing water distribution in the leaf tissue.The complex structure and hypothesized function of Croton trichome-like emergences represent a novel finding in Euphorbiaceae. In the three species studied, these leaf emergences might play a role in atmospheric water absorption and they may be one of the clues for the occurrence of Croton in habitats with limited soil water supply where this genus is usually species-rich and abundant

Morpho-anatomy and histochemistry of the seed of sororoca (Phenakospermum Guyannense Rich.) Endl. - Strelitziaceae)

Phenakospermum guyannense, popularly known in the Amazon as sororoca, is usually found along rivers and in ombrophilous environments. The objective of this study was to describe the morpho-anatomy and histochemistry of mature seeds of P. guyannense collected at the Urubuí Waterfall, Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas state, Brazil. Seed anatomy was studied using a light and a scanning electron microscopes (SEM). Histochemical tests were performed to identify phenolic compounds, starch, protein and lipids. The mature seed of P. guyannense is stenospermic, with a black seed coat composed of several layers of different cell types, with most containing phenolic compounds. The hilum is punctiform, surrounded by cells, which form the aryl. The endosperm is solid, formed by tetrahedral cells containing starch and protein. The embryo, which is cylindrical and located in the proximal region, is basal capitate, with cells containing lipids and proteins and is composed of a slightly dilated hypocotyl-radicle axis. The haustorium is flattened and located in the distal region.Phenakospermum guyannense é popularmente conhecida na Amazônia como sororoca, geralmente encontrada próxima a cursos d´água, em ambientes ombrófilos. Objetivou-se com este estudo descrever a morfoanatomia e histoquímica da semente madura de P. guyannense, como contribuição a estudos taxonômicos, fisiológicos e ecológicos. Sementes maduras foram coletadas nas margens da Cachoeira do Urubuí, no Município de Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas. O estudo anatômico foi realizado conforme técnicas usuais para análise em microscopia óptica e eletrônica de varredura. Foram aplicados testes histoquímicos para a detecção de compostos fenólicos, amido, proteína e lipídios. A semente madura de P. guyannense é estenospérmica, com envoltório de cor negra, formado por vários estratos de diferentes tipos celulares, sendo a maioria impregnada de compostos fenólicos. O hilo é punctiforme, circundado por células que constituem o arilo. O endosperma é sólido, constituído por células tetraédricas de conteúdo amiláceo e proteico. O embrião é basal capitado, apresentando células de conteúdo lipídico e proteico, composto por eixo hipocótilo-radícula levemente dilatado de forma cilíndrica e localiza-se na região proximal. O haustório apresenta formato aplanado e situa-se na região distal.280287Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Morfoanatomia e histoquímica da semente de sororoca (Phenakospermum guyannense (Rich.) Endl. - Strelitziaceae)

Phenakospermum guyannense, popularly known in the Amazon as sororoca, is usually found along rivers and in ombrophilous environments. The objective of this study was to describe the morpho-anatomy and histochemistry of mature seeds of P. guyannense collected at the Urubuí Waterfall, Presidente Figueiredo, Amazonas state, Brazil. Seed anatomy was studied using a light and a scanning electron microscopes (SEM). Histochemical tests were performed to identify phenolic compounds, starch, protein and lipids. The mature seed of P. guyannense is stenospermic, with a black seed coat composed of several layers of different cell types, with most containing phenolic compounds. The hilum is punctiform, surrounded by cells, which form the aryl. The endosperm is solid, formed by tetrahedral cells containing starch and protein. The embryo, which is cylindrical and located in the proximal region, is basal capitate, with cells containing lipids and proteins and is composed of a slightly dilated hypocotyl-radicle axis. The haustorium is flattened and located in the distal region