RESUMO. Os compostos fármaco-ativos estudado no trabalho, os flavonoides, de maneira geral, estão localizados na parte aérea das plantas. São pigmentos naturais presentes nos vegetais e protegem o organismo do dano por agentes oxidantes. O experimento foi conduzido na casa de vegetação do Departamento de Fitotecnia da Universidade Federal de Viçosa, MG. O delineamento utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos e cinco repetições. Os tratamentos foram as épocas de colheita: zero, três, seis, nove e doze dias após a antese (DAA). Foram avaliadas a altura da planta (mm), o diâmetro do caule (mm), o número de folhas e o teor total de flavonoides (%, p p-1). Foi realizada a curva de crescimento da calêndula e seu desempenho quanto à altura, diâmetro e número de folhas ao longo do tempo de avaliação. A época de colheita influenciou positivamente no teor total de flavonoides e na produtividade média dos capítulos florais, sendo que aos três DAA foi encontrado maior teor de flavonoides. A resposta foi heterogênea entre as épocas de colheita (0, 3, 6, 9 e 12 dias após a antese) quanto à produtividade média das flores e o acúmulo de flavonoides. Aos três dias após a antese obteve-se a maior produtividade de flavonoides, portanto aconselha-se que a colheita das inflorescências seja feita a cada três dias.

ABSTRACT. Flavonoids, the pharmaco-active compounds studied in this work, in general, are located in the shoots as natural pigments that protect the plants from damage by oxidizing agents. The experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of the Fitotecnia Department, Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais Staty. The experimental design was completely randomized with five treatments and five replications. The treatments were the time of harvest: zero, three, six, nine, and twelve days after anthesis (DAA). The height of the plant (mm), stem diameter (mm), number of leaves and total flavonoid content (%, w w-1) were determined. We developed growth curves for calendula with growth behavior assessed through time for height, stem diameter and number of leaves. The time of the harvest season positively influenced the total flavonoid contents and the average productivity of flowers, and the highest content of flavonoids was found three DAA. The average productivity of the flowers and the accumulation of flavonoids were heterogeneous among harvest times (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days after anthesis). The highest yield of flavonoids was obtained three days after anthesis; therefore, a harvest of the inflorescences is recommended every three days.

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the bark extractBathysa cuspidata on chemically induced preneoplastic colorectal lesions in Wistar rats. Forty male rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10 each): saline (control group, oral administration of saline solution 0.9%); dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO, vehicle control), B200 (treated with 200 mg/kg bark extract ofB. cuspidata), and B400 (treated with 400 mg/kg bark extract ofB. cuspidata). Administration of treatments was carried out by the gavage. The animals received four subcutaneous injections of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH, 40 mg/kg) in the initial two weeks of the experiment to induce preneoplastic colorectal lesions. After 15 weeks, the animals were euthanized and the presence of aberrant crypt foci (ACF), body weight, biochemical analyses, and oxidative stress markers were measured. The extract ofB. cuspidata decreased the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), but did not influence the levels of catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide or protein carbonyl, compared with the saline group. The animals supplemented with a more concentratedB. cuspidata extract (B400) showed a significant reduction in the number of ACF in all the portions of the intestinal mucosa. The study demonstrated that the bark extract ofB. cuspidata at 400 mg/kg reduced the preneoplastic colorectal lesions in an animal model of colon cancer and that the effect could be dose-dependent.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência das épocas de plantio e colheita no teor de polifenóis e capacidade antioxidante de Talinum triangulare cultivadas em duas estações do ano (inverno e verão) e coletadas 30 e 60 dias após plantio. A quantificação dos polifenóis foi realizada pelo método de Folin-Ciocalteu e a atividade antioxidante por DPPH. Níveis elevados de polifenóis foram obtidos na semeadura de inverno e colheita em 30 dias. A atividade antioxidante variou significativamente entre as épocas de plantio e colheita de plantas, chegando a 56,97% nos extratos das plantas produzidas no inverno e colhidas aos 30 dias após a semeadura. Os dados mostraram que a época de plantio e de colheita influenciou o teor de polifenóis e, por conseguinte, a atividade antioxidante de T. triangulare.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of planting and harvesting times on the polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of Talinum triangulare cultivated during two different seasons (winter or summer) and harvested 30 or 60 days after seedling establishment. Polyphenol content was quantified with the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant activity was quantified with free-radical DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhidrazina). The highest levels of polyphenols were obtained from winter planting and from harvesting at 30 days. Antioxidant activity differed significantly in response to variation in planting and harvesting times, reaching 56.97% in extracts of plants produced in the winter and harvested at 30 days after planting. The times of planting and harvesting markedly influenced the content of polyphenols, and thus the antioxidant activity, of T. triangulare.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bark extract Bathysa cuspidata (BCE) in the reconstitution of hepatic parenchyma and stroma after dysfunction induced by the CCl4. Liver lesions were induced by intraperitoneal administration of CCl4 (1 mL/kg) every 48 h for 12 days. The animals were treated with B. cuspidata extract (BCE) administered by gavage for another 12 days. Forty-nine rats were randomized into seven treatment groups with seven animals receiving CCl4, BCE (200, or 400 mg/kg) and the vehicle DMSO alone, or in different combinations. The extract alone showed no evidence of hepatic toxicity. In general, rats acutely exposed to CCl4 without the treatment with BCE presented high ALT and AST serum levels and high tissue content of lipid hydroperoxides, malondialdehyde, and lipid droplets. BCE administration, especially at 400 mg/kg attenuated significantly all these parameters. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of the enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly increased in the groups receiving this extract. These results showed that the extract of B. cuspidata stem bark stimulated the antioxidant defense system and reduced the morphological and functional liver damage in Wistar rats previously exposed to CCl4.

Considering the importance of bacterial leaf speck (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato) in reducing tomato yield and difficulties in disease control, this study investigated the effects of fractions of shells extract of Stryphnodendron adstringens (Sa) and fruit extract of Caesalpinia ferrea (Cf) compared to Acibenzolar-S-Methyl (ASM) on reducing bacterial leaf speck symptoms and on the potentiation of the activities of defense enzymes. The number of lesions per plant (NLP) was significantly lower in plants treated with the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of S. adstringens (Sa) and ASM compared to other treatments (EAF of Cf, n-butanol fractions of Sa and Cf, aqueous fractions of Sa and Cf and sterile distilled water). The bacteria were inhibited by the EAF of Sa and EAF of Cf and n-butanol fractions of Sa and Cf according to the bioautography assay. Saponins and tannins were the two major compounds found in these fractions based on the phytochemical analysis. Peroxidase (POX), polyphenoloxidase (PPO), β-1,3-glucanase (GLU) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities were determined on the leaves of plants treated with EAF Sa, ASM and sterile distilled water. Both POX and PAL activities were higher at 3 and 6 days after inoculation (dai), while the PPO and GLU activities were higher from 9 to 12 dai. It is suggested that saponins increased tomato resistance to P. s. pv. tomato because no antimicrobial activity against the bacteria was observed. In conclusion, the EAF Sa was very efficient in reducing bacterial leaf speck symptoms in conditions where the POX, PPO, PAL and GLU activities played a pivotal role in increasing tomato resistance to the disease.

Estudos etnofarmacológicos são importantes no registro e na preservação de conhecimentos de uma cultura tradicional associada ao uso medicinal da biodiversidade. No presente trabalho, foi realizado o levantamento das plantas medicinais utilizadas por conhecedores populares na comunidade de Nova Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil, como ferramenta para auxiliar na seleção de espécies vegetais visando à implantação de um programa de fitoterapia local na comunidade estudada. Participaram 11 conhecedores escolhidos por amostragem Bola de Neve e submetidos a entrevistas semiestruturadas. Amostras dos espécimes foram coletadas, herborizadas e identificadas conforme metodologias usuais e literatura especializada. Foram amostradas 107 espécies medicinais pertencentes a 86 gêneros e 39 famílias botânicas, destacando-se Asteraceae com 16 espécies. Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw., Mentha pulegium L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. e Ruta graveolens L. apresentaram Consenso de Uso Principal corrigido (CUPc) superior a 50%, evidenciando consensos de uso popular entre os entrevistados. Espécies com CUPc igual ou superior a 20%, juntamente com o levantamento de informações em bases científicas, foram utilizadas para selecionar as espécies para o programa de fitoterapia local. A seleção de plantas medicinais, levando-se em consideração o índice de CUPc obtido de uma determinada comunidade aliado ao levantamento científico, mostra-se como estratégia a ser considerada na implantação de programas fitoterápicos.

Ethnopharmacological studies are important for documenting and protecting cultural and traditional knowledge associated with the medical use of biodiversity. In this paper, we present a survey on medicinal plants used by locals in a community of Nova Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil, as a strategy to select medicinal plants for a phytotherapy-based local healthcare program. Eleven knowledgeable local informants were chosen by snowball sampling and interviewed about the use of medicinal plants. Plant samples were collected, herborised and then identified using traditional techniques and specialised literature. We sampled 107 medicinal plant species belonging to 86 genera and 39 families, predominantly Asteraceae with 16 species. Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw, M. pulegium L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Ruta graveolens L. were found to have Consensus of Main Use corrected (CMUc) values above 50%, which were in agreement with the traditional uses described by the informants. However, species with CMUc values equal to or above 20%, combined with the scientific information survey, were also used to select medicinal plants for the phytotherapy-based local healthcare program. The selection of medicinal plants based on the CMUc index from this particular community, in combination with the scientific survey, appears to be an effective strategy for the implementation of phytotherapy programs.