Resumo: A ramulose do algodão (Gossypium hirsutum), causada por Colletotrichum gossypii var. cephalosporioides (Cgc), é uma doença importante que afeta as plantações de algodão no Brasil. De acordo com as autoridades fitossanitárias brasileiras, esse organismo tem sido considerado uma praga quarentenária não regulamentada, o que faz com que ela seja objeto de padronização em programas de certificação de sementes. Neste trabalho, um par de primer foi selecionado com base na análise de um alinhamento múltiplo de sequências do gene que codifica a gliceraldeído-3-fosfato desidrogenase a partir de Cgc, C. gossypii e isolados de referência representantes de outras espécies do complexo C. gloeosporioides. Uma única região conservada de Cgc foi utilizada para desenhar um par de primer específico de 140 pb. A especificidade dos primers foi confirmada pela utilização de outros fungos isolados de semente algodão. Os primers produziram uma banda detectável de DNA de Cgc em todos os potenciais de inóculo artificialmente inoculados pela técnica de restrição hídrica. Os primers desenvolvidos representam, portanto, um meio confiável e rápido para diagnosticar Cgc em amostras de sementes de algodão.

Abstract: Cotton Ramulosis (Gossypium hirsutum) is an important disease affecting cotton plantations in Brazil, and its causal agent, Colletotrichum gossypiivar.cephalosporioides(Cgc), according to the Brazilian phytosanitary authority, was considered a regulated non quarantine pest. It makes this microorganism subject to standardization in seed certification programs. The current seed health testing for detecting that pathogen in seed samples does not provide reliable results for routine analysis. On this paper, attempts were made to design specific primers for detection of Cgc associated with cotton seed. Two primer sets were selected based on the analysis of a multiple alignment of gene’s sequence encoding the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Cgc, C. gossypii and reference strains of the C. gloeosporioides species complex. The conserved sites unique to Cgc strains were used to design specific fragment of 140 bp. The primer specificity was confirmed by using other fungi. The primers produced a detectable band of target DNA of Cgc in all inoculum potentials of the pathogen artificially inoculated by the water restriction technique. The developed primer pair represents, therefore, a reliable and rapid mean to diagnose the Ramulosis agent in cotton seed.

A associação do fungo Stenocarpella maydis com sementes de milho pode comprometer a germinação de sementes e o vigor das plântulas. Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar os efeitos causados por S. maydis sobre a qualidade das sementes de milho bem como no seu desenvolvimento inicial. Para avaliar tais efeitos, sementes de milho cultivares RB9308YG (C1) e RB9108 (C2), foram inoculadas com dois isolados de S. maydis, pelo método de condicionamento osmótico por 24(P1), 48(P2), 72(P3) e 96 horas (P4). O cultivo foi realizado em câmara de crescimento vegetal, sob temperaturas de 20 °C e 25 °C e avaliadas diariamente até 28 dias após a emergência. Avaliou-se a germinação, incidência do fungo, condutividade elétrica, índice de velocidade de emergência (IVE), estande inicial e final e peso de matéria seca. Foi observado que, quanto maior o tempo de exposição das sementes à colônia fúngica, maiores foram os efeitos negativos destes organismos em sementes e plântulas. S. maydis causou redução no vigor das sementes, na velocidade de emergência das plântulas, no estande final e no desenvolvimento inicial das plântulas de milho.

The association of the fungus Stenocarpella maydis with corn seed may cause a reduction of seed germination and vigor of the emerged seedlings. This work was carried out in order to evaluate the effects of S. maydis on corn seed quality as well as on its early development. To evaluate such effects, seeds of cultivars RB9308YG (C1) and RB9108 (C2) were inoculated by the osmotic conditioner technique with two S. maydis isolates for 24(P1), 48(P2), 72(P3) and 96 hours (P4). Plants were grown in a room chamber at 20 °C and 25 °C and daily assessed until 28 days after emergence. Seed germination, incidence of S maydis, electrical conductivity, speed of emergence index (SEI), initial and final seedling population and dry weight of emerged plants, were assessed. The longer the exposition times of the seeds to the fungal colony, the more severe negative effects of the pathogens on seed vigor were observed. S. maydis caused reduced seed vigor in the speed of seedling emergence in the final stand and early development of corn seedlings.

The essential oils of seven Myrtaceae species were investigated for its chemical composition and antibacterial activity. The volatile oils were characterized by a high content of monoterpenoids of which 1,8-cineole (88.0, 65.0 and 77.0% for Melaleuca hypericifolia, Callistemon viminalis and Callistemon citrinus respectively), terpinen-4-ol (47.0 and 49.8% for Melaleuca thymifolia and Callistemon polandii respectively) and α-pinene (54.5% for Kunzea ericoides) were the major components. The oil from M. linariifolia was characterized by a high concentration of methyleugenol (87.2%). The oil from Melaleuca thymifolia was the most active, exhibiting high antimicrobial activity against all tested bacteria.

This paper provides a review on the latest advances and applications of the luminescence spectroscopy for the development of pharmaceuticals analyses methods, basically based on the photo- and chemiluminescence. The different forms of the drugs determination on pharmaceuticals through the fluorescence and chemiluminescence are discussed. The analyses include the drugs native fluorescence (liquid and solid-phases); the fluorescence from the oxidizing or reducing forms of the drug; the fluorescence from the chemical derivatization and their photochemistry and hydrolysis reactions. The quenching of luminescence and chemiluminescence generation for the pharmaceutical quantification are also shown. Finally, the trends and future perspectives of the luminescence spectroscopy in the field of the pharmaceutical research are discussed.