Foliar epicuticular wax of Arrabidaea brachypoda: flavonoids and antifungal activity

Abstract The epicuticular wax of the leaves of Arrabidaea brachypoda was analyzed for its flavonoid content and four compounds (1-4) were isolated. They are known flavonoids and showed antifungal activity against Cladosporium sphaerospermum. They were identified by mass spectrometry, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) as 3Ј,4Ј-dihydroxy-5,6,7-trimethoxyflavone (1), cirsiliol (2), cirsimaritin (3) and hispidulin (4). Two major chemical features resulting from this work are the first report of 1 as a natural product and the first finding of cirsiliol in Bignoniaceae. 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. T. Alcerito et al. / Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 30 (2002) 677-68

Ecological phytochemistry of Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) plants

The Cerrado (the Brazilian savanna) is one of the vegetation formations of great biodiversity in Brazil and it has experienced strong deforestation and fragmentation. The Cerrado must contain at least 12,000 higher plant species.We discuss the ecological relevance of phytochemical studies carried out on plants from the Cerrado, including examples of phytotoxicity, antifungal, insecticidal and antibacterial activities. The results have been classified according to activity and plant family. The most active compounds have been highlighted and other activities are discussed. A large number of complex biochemical interactions occur in this system. However, only a small fraction of the species has been studied from the phytochemical viewpoint to identify the metabolites responsible for these interactions