The genus Fridericia belongs to the family Bignoniaceae and comprises 60 species that occur in humid to dry forests, cerrado, and caatinga vegetation. It may be found from Mexico to Argentina and southern Brazil. This article reviews studies conducted on this genus, primarily focusing on its chemical composition and biological activities. Of the 60 known Fridericia species, only 14 have been the object of chemical and biological studies, accounting for 23% of the researched species. Eighty-four compounds, mainly flavonoids, terpenes, xanthones, and phenylethanoids, have been isolated from these species. The biological properties described in this review include antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antiviral, healing, antiproliferative, trypanocidal, and antileishmania activities. Notably, the species F. chica has been the most studied, as it is listed in the National List of Medicinal Plants of Interest to the Brazilian Unified Health System (RENISUS).

Abstract Adenocalymma axillarum (K.Schum.) L.G. Lohmann is a liana belonging to the family Bignoniaceae. In traditional medicine, the genus Adenocalymma is used to treat fever, skin ailments, and body, joint, and facial muscle pains, and it is also applied as cosmetic. Biological assays conducted with the A. axillarum crude leaf ethanol extract have indicated leishmanicidal activity and absence of cytotoxicity. This study aimed to analyze the A. axillarum leaf ethanol crude extract by high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry- diode array detector (HPLC-HRMS-DAD) and to evaluate the leishmanicidal and cytotoxic activities of this crude extract, its fractions, and isolated compounds. HPLC-HRMS-DAD analysis of this extract revealed that it consisted mainly of flavonoids, with nine major compounds. Extract purification yielded 4-hydroxy-N-methylproline, 6-β-hydroxyipolamiide, quercetin-3-O-robinobioside, hyperin, isorhamnetin-3-O-robinobioside, and 3’-O-methylhyperin, which were identified by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The isolated compounds were inactive against Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes and human lung fibroblast cells.

Lipoxygenase (LOX) plays an important role in inflammatory processes and Arrabidaea brachypoda (DC.) Bureau (Bignoniaceae) has been described as presenting anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedure to directly recognize LOX inhibitor compounds in A. brachypoda crude extract, facilitating the isolation, characterization of bioactive compounds, evaluation of natural compounds using an in vitro 15-LOX assay and prediction of the most probable binding modes of their main constituent through molecular docking simulations. The chemical analysis was performed by ethanol crude extract microfractionation using HPLC-DAD (diode array detector) associated to a fraction collector. The bioactive chromatogram displayed a peak with 50.9% LOX inhibition at 13.6 min retention time. The extract was purified and conandroside was isolated, presenting a LOX inhibitory activity with an inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 7.8 ± 1.1 µM, close to standard quercetin (IC50 7.6 ± 0.3 µM). Additionally, conandroside was not cytotoxic to normal cells (GM07492A). The LOX-conandroside complex displayed a slightly higher docking score (92.7) than quercetin (71.5). These results together suggest that conandroside could be explored as lipoxygenase inhibitor.

Vochysia divergens (Vochysiaceae) is considered an invasive species in the wetlands of the Brazilian Pantanal, which hinders the cultivation of agricultural species. In this study, we evaluated the chemical profile by HPLC-DAD (high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector) of leaves extracts from V. divergens seedlings inoculated with endophytic fungi isolated from V. divergens roots. These fungi were collected on dry (D) and wet (W) seasons in the Pantanal. The presence of tannin hexahydroxydiphenoyl (HHDP)-galloyl-glucose and flavone 3',5'-dimethoxy-luteolin were predominant in the seedlings inoculated with endophytic fungi W experiments at 100 and 80%, respectively. Likewise, flavone 3',5-dimethoxy-luteolin-7-O-β-glucoside showed a similar representation in the two evaluated periods, compared with 5-methoxy-luteolin, which was detected only in seedlings inoculated with W endophytic fungi. This approach is new to V. divergens, which has no scientific data on its in vitro elicitation, in the search for a better understanding of the ecological relationships of this species.

Vochysia divergens Pohl, known as "Cambara" in Brazil, is an invasive species that is expanding throughout Pantanal in Brazil, to form mono-dominant communities. This expansion is affecting the agricultural areas that support the typical seasonal flood and drought conditions of this biome. This article describes the development and validation of an HPLC-DAD analytical method to quantify 5-methoxyflavones in methanolic extracts of greenhouse-grown V. divergens associated with one of two endophytic fungal species Zopfiella tetraspora (Zt) or Melanconiella elegans (Me) and later subjected to water stress. The developed method gave good validation parameters and was successfully applied to quantify the flavones 3',5-dimethoxy luteolin-7-O-β-glucopyranoside (1), 5-methoxy luteolin (2), and 3',5-dimethoxy luteolin (3) in the target extracts. Inoculation of the plant with Zt decreased the concentration of flavone 1 in the extract by 2.69-fold as compared to the control. Inoculation of the plant with Zt or Me did not significantly alter the contents of flavones 2 and 3 in the extracts as compared to the control. Therefore, the aerial parts of germinated V. divergens plants inoculated with either Zt or Me responded differently in terms of the production of flavones. These results can cast light on the symbiosis between fungal microorganisms and V. divergens, which most likely influences the response of V. divergens to changes in the availability of water in Pantanal.

As atividades antimicrobianas das substâncias egonol (1) e homoegonol (2), do extrato etanólico das partes aéreas de Styrax pohlii (Styracaceae) (EE), bem como das frações n-hexano (HF), AcOEt (EF), n-BuOH (BF) e hidrometanólica (HMF) foram avaliadas frente aos seguintes microorganismos: Streptococcus pneumoniae (ATCC 6305), S. pyogenes (ATCC 19615), Haemophilus influenzae (ATCC 10211), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) e Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 10031). O método de microdiluição em caldo foi utilizado para a determinação da concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) na avaliação preliminar da atividade antimicrobiana. EE mostrou valores de CIM de 400 µg/mL para S. pneumoniae e P. aeruginosa, e 300 µg/mL para H. influenzae. As frações HF e EF apresentaram melhora na atividade antimicrobiana, com valores de CIM de 200 µg/mL frente S. pneumoniae, mas apenas EF apresentou ação contra H. influenzae (200 µg/mL). Em relação às substâncias 1 e 2, o melhor valor de CIM (400 µg/mL) foi obtido por 1 frente a S. pneumoniae e P. aeruginosa, que exibiu fraca atividade antimicrobiana contra estas cepas padrões.

The antibacterial activity of the compounds egonol (1) and homoegonol (2), of the crude ethanolic extract of Styrax pohlii (Styracaceae) aerial parts (EE), and of its n-hexane (HF), EtOAc (EF), n-BuOH (BF), and hydromethanolic (HMF) fractions was evaluated against the following microorganisms: Streptococcus pneumoniae (ATCC 6305), S. pyogenes (ATCC 19615), Haemophilus influenzae (ATCC 10211), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 10031). The broth microdilution method was used for determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) during preliminary evaluation of antibacterial activity. The EE yielded MIC values of 400 µg/mL for S. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa and 300 µg/mL for H. influenzae. The HF and EF fractions exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity, with MIC values of 200 µg/mL against S. pneumoniae, but only EF displayed activity against H. influenzae (MIC 200 µg/mL). The best MIC value with compounds 1 and 2 (400 µg/mL) was obtained for (1) against S. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. Therefore, 1 exhibited weak antibacterial activity against these standard strains.

Hyptis marrubioides Epling is a native plant from Brazilian Cerrado. In this paper, the response of in vitro microplants of this species to inoculation with bacterial and fungal endophytic isolates is evaluated. HPLC-DAD analysis showed the presence of 3,4-O-(Z)-dicaffeoylquinic acid and quercetin-7-O-glucoside as the main components. GC/MS analysis demonstrated that the sesquiterpenes τ-cadinol and caryophyllene oxide were only produced in microplants inoculated with endophytic bacteria, while methyl hexadecanoate, methyl heptadecanoate and methyl (Z,Z,Z) 9,12,15-octadecatrienoate and the triterpene methyl 3β-hydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oate were overexpressed only when the microplant was treated with endophytic fungi.

Várias hipóteses e constantes estudos são realizados com o intuito de elucidar o envelhecimento cutâneo. Para prevenir e contornar este processo torna-se necessário reforçar nossas defesas naturais antioxidantes endógenas. Diversas substâncias antioxidantes exógenas, como vitaminas, extratos vegetais, dentre outras, são utilizadas pela Cosmetologia nos produtos antienvelhecimento. O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar de que forma a Modelagem Molecular pode ser uma ferramenta útil na pesquisa por novas substâncias cosméticas antioxidantes para combater o envelhecimento cutâneo.

Some hypotheses and constants studies are made with intention to elucidate the aging process. To prevent and to attenuate the cutaneous aging it becomes necessary to strengthen our endogenous antioxidant natural defenses. Diverse exogenous antioxidant substances, as vitamins, vegetal extracts and others, have been used by the Cosmetology in antiaging products. The objective of this paper is to show how the Molecular Modeling can be an useful tool in the research for new antioxidant cosmetic substances to face the cutaneous aging.

Styracaceae possui 11 gêneros e aproximadamente 160 espécies, sendo árvores e arbustos, distribuídos nas regiões tropicais e subtropicais. Esta família é conhecida principalmente devido ao gênero Styrax, que é notório pela produção de um material resinoso, produto patológico, coletado a partir de incisões realizadas no caule. Esta goma é usada em perfumes, como anti-séptico, expectorante, incenso e material fumegante. Este artigo reúne os estudos fitoquímicos e biológicos realizados em 11 espécies desta família. Foram consultados 92 artigos e levantadas 130 substâncias, que indicaram que Styrax é o maior gênero desta família e o único que foi extensivamente investigado.

The Styracaceae contains 11 genera and approximately 160 species consisting of small trees and shrubs, mostly native to tropical and subtropical regions. This family is well-known by the genus Styrax, which is notorious due to the production of resinous material, a pathological product, harvested by making incisions into the tree’s bark. The gum is used in perfumes, as antiseptic, expectorant, incense, and fumigating material. This paper reviews the phytochemical and biological studies carried out on 11 species of this family. A total of 92 papers were consulted, and 130 compounds were described, thus these data indicate that Styrax is by far the largest genus in the family, and the only which has been extensively investigated.

Objetivou-se identificar diferentes sistemas de manejo relacionados à morbidez e à mortalidade de bezerros de rebanhos leiteiros recém-nascidos, com ênfase naqueles que envolvem o fornecimento de colostro. Foram utilizados 211 rebanhos na região Centro-sul do Estado de Minas Gerais, divididos em três categorias de produção: categoria A, de 200 a 600 L/dia; categoria B, de 601 a 1000 L/dia; e categoria C, >1001 L/dia. Os produtores de leite foram entrevistados e responderam um questionário que abrangia os aspectos de produção, de manejo do rebanho e de desempenho dos recém-nascidos, tendo como pontos principais questões referentes ao procedimento com o colostro, do manejo do bezerro e à mortalidade neonatal. Para a análise estatística do levantamento, foram utilizados análise de variância e testes paramétricos e não-paramétricos. Além da divisão do trabalho em categorias de produção, os dados também foram redistribuídos e analisados considerando-se os índices de mortalidade dos bezerros alto e baixo. Com o resultado das análises procedidas, foram selecionadas as principais variáveis relacionadas à mortalidade: número de animais; número de vacas; número de vacas lactantes; tempo de ocorrência do primeiro aleitamento; quantidade de colostro na primeira refeição; meio de fornecimento de colostro e de aleitamento após o aparte; origem do leite; instalações; idade de acesso dos bezerros ao concentrado e período de desmame.

The present study had the objective of identifying different management systems related to newborn dairy calves morbidity and mortality, with emphasis on colostrum feeding. It was used 211 herds in the South Center Region of Minas Gerais State, separated into three production categories: category A, from 200 to 600 L/day; category B, from 601 to 1000L/day; and category C, >1001 L/day. The dairy farmers were interviewed through a questionnaire that embraced the production aspects, herd management and newborn performance, focusing primarily on the handling of colostrum feeding and neonatal mortality. For the statistical analysis it was used variance analysis, parametric and no parametric tests. Besides the division in milk production categories, the data were also redistributed and analyzed in relation to high and low calf mortality index. Based on the results it was selected the main variables related to mortality: total number of animals; number of cows; number of milking cows; period of time between birth and first milking; amount of colostrum in the first meal; the way colostrum and milk were supplied, milk origin; type of housing; age that calves were fed calf started and the weaning age.

Chemical investigation of Arrabidaea samydoides resulted in the isolation of the flavone chrysin; five triterpenes: lupeol, ursolic acid, 3b,16a-dihydroxy-urs-12-ene, uvaol, and erythrodiol; and two sterols: sitosterol and stigmasterol. The structures of these compounds were established by spectroscopic analysis. This paper deal with the first phytochemical study of Arrabidaea samydoides.

Chemical investigation of the leaves of Styrax camporum (Styracaceae) resulted in the isolation of the lignan lariciresinol and six triterpenes: ursolic acid, 2alpha,3alpha-dihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid and mixtures of uvaol and erythrodiol, as well as 3beta-O-trans-p-coumaroyl-2alpha-hydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid and 3b-O-trans-p-coumaroylmaslinic acid. The structures of these compounds were established by spectroscopic analysis. This paper deals with the first report of these compounds in S. camporum.