Breve revisão sobre uso de fauna medicinal no Brasil: aspectos históricos, farmacológicos e conservacionistas

The treatment of human and animal aliments by using drugs based on extracts obtained from animals, or ultimately derivedfrom them, is known as zootherapy. Although this is a relatively common practice, studies on this subject are relativelyscarce when compared to those that are focused on traditional plant-based medicines. In Brazil, 326 animals are exploitedfor medicinal purposes, most of which are wild species. The number of literature records on the medicinal uses of animalsis much lower than those on the use of medicinal plants and their implications, which suggests the need to develop moreresearch on the topic. Among the many factors that highlight the importance of a greater understanding of zootherapy, are:historical perspectives, aspects related to conservation, the validation of traditional medicines, and the difficulties indeveloping research on the medicinal fauna. In this study, we provide a brief discussion of each topic.O tratamento de doenças em humanos e em animais por meio do uso de remédios obtidos de animais ou departes destes é conhecido como zooterapia. Apesar de constituir uma prática relativamente comum, estudos sobre estetema são relativamente escassos quando comparados àqueles que abordam a temática de remédios tradicionais obtidos deplantas. No Brasil, já foram registrados 326 animais explorados para finalidades medicinais, a maioria das quais é silvestre.A literatura acerca dos usos de animais medicinais é numericamente bastante inferior aos registros da utilização de plantasmedicinais e suas implicações, o que potencializa a necessidade do desenvolvimento de mais pesquisas sobre o tema. Entreos diversos fatores que ressaltam a importância de uma maior compreensão da zooterapia, destacam-se: perspectivashistóricas, aspectos relacionados à conservação e à validação desses medicamentos tradicionais e dificuldades nodesenvolvimento de pesquisas sobre fauna medicinal. No presente trabalho, nós construímos uma breve discussão sobrecada um destes tópicos

Genome of Herbaspirillum seropedicae Strain SmR1, a Specialized Diazotrophic Endophyte of Tropical Grasses

The molecular mechanisms of plant recognition, colonization, and nutrient exchange between diazotrophic endophytes and plants are scarcely known. Herbaspirillum seropedicae is an endophytic bacterium capable of colonizing intercellular spaces of grasses such as rice and sugar cane. The genome of H. seropedicae strain SmR1 was sequenced and annotated by The Paraná State Genome Programme—GENOPAR. The genome is composed of a circular chromosome of 5,513,887 bp and contains a total of 4,804 genes. The genome sequence revealed that H. seropedicae is a highly versatile microorganism with capacity to metabolize a wide range of carbon and nitrogen sources and with possession of four distinct terminal oxidases. The genome contains a multitude of protein secretion systems, including type I, type II, type III, type V, and type VI secretion systems, and type IV pili, suggesting a high potential to interact with host plants. H. seropedicae is able to synthesize indole acetic acid as reflected by the four IAA biosynthetic pathways present. A gene coding for ACC deaminase, which may be involved in modulating the associated plant ethylene-signaling pathway, is also present. Genes for hemagglutinins/hemolysins/adhesins were found and may play a role in plant cell surface adhesion. These features may endow H. seropedicae with the ability to establish an endophytic life-style in a large number of plant species