ABSTRACT Myracrodruon urundeuva is a plant native to Brazil, which is used by the indigenous population for the treatment of candidiasis. The aims of this study were to evaluate the antifungal activity of extract against human vaginal Candida species and evaluate the possible toxicological activities of M. urundeuva. Initially, ethanol extracts, ethyl acetate fractions, and hydroalcoholic fractions of the bark and leaf of M. urundeuva were used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration. The extracts that showed antifungal activity were characterized by liquid chromatography and subjected to toxicity assessment. Toxic, cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic testing were performed using Allium cepa and Ames assays with the ethanol extracts of the bark and leaves. Hemolytic activity was evaluated in erythrocytes and acute toxicity in rats. The ethanol bark extracts showed best activity against Candida albicans, C. krusei, and C. tropicalis ATCC (4-512 µg/mL). Chemical characterization indicated the presence of flavonoids and tannins in the extracts. Hemolytic activity, genotoxicity, and mutagenicity were not observed. The results of the Ames and A. cepa tests were also in agreement, ethanol bark extracts and ethanol leaf extracts of M. urundeuva showed absence of mutagenic activity. Similar results were observed in the A. cepa assay and acute toxicity test in rats. M. urundeuva bark extracts showed potential for the treatment of vaginal infections caused Candida species, as a topical.

Avaliou-se a perda de massa pós-colheita de flores de capuchinha, em experimento conduzido no Laboratório de Bioquímica da UFMS, em setembro de 2004. Flores das cores vermelha e amarela foram imersas durante trinta minutos em água, ácido ascórbico a 2% e 4%, cloreto de cálcio a 2% e 5% e sacarose a 5% e 10%, e armazenadas com e sem o uso de filme de PVC em câmara fria a 5ºC±2ºC. Foi analisada a perda de massa fresca, utilizando-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado em fatorial 2 x 2 x 7, com três repetições (8 flores por bandeja) e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey, a 5% de significância. A longevidade média das flores de capuchinha foi de oito dias para as flores acondicionadas na embalagem de PVC e armazenadas em câmara fria, enquanto as flores não acondicionadas apresentaram-se murchas a partir do segundo dia. Os tratamentos químicos, nas concentrações estudadas, não beneficiaram a conservação pós-colheita das flores da capuchinha.

The post-harvest behavior of nasturtium flowers was evaluated using sucrose, ascorbic acid and calcium chloride which were associated or not with polyethylene pack and stored under refrigeration. This work was carried out in a biochemical laboratory, in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Red and yellow flowers were immersed during thirty minutes in water, ascorbic acid at 2% and 4%, calcium chloride at 2% and 5% and sucrose at 5% and 10%, and then stored with and without package in a refrigerated chamber at 5°C ±2°C. The trial was carried out in a complete randomized experimental design in a 2 x 2 x 7 factorial scheme with three replications (8 flowers/tray). Nasturtium flowers stored with package in refrigerated chamber last for eight days, while flowers kept at environmental conditions withered after the second day. Treatments with ascorbic acid, calcium chloride and sucrose did not benefit post-harvest conservation of nasturtium flowers.

Realizou-se este trabalho com o objetivo de avaliar o crescimento, desenvolvimento e a produção de flores de Tropaeolum majus L., em função do uso de cama de frango e de resíduo orgânico misto, associados ou não ao nitrogênio. O trabalho foi desenvolvido no Horto de Plantas Medicinais - HPM, da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul - UFMS, em Dourados - MS, no período de maio a outubro de 2002. Os tratamentos em estudo foram testemunha (solo normal) - T, nitrogênio (60 kg.ha-1 N, na forma de sulfato de amônio) - N, cama (15000 kg ha-1 de cama de frango semidecomposta) - CF, cama mais nitrogênio - CFN, resíduo misto (15000 kg ha-1) - RM e resíduo misto mais nitrogênio - RMN, dispostos no delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. As características avaliadas foram: altura das plantas, biomassa fresca e seca da parte aérea sem flores, biomassa fresca e seca das flores, número de flores, diâmetro e altura das flores, teor de N e P nas folhas e flores. A maior altura da planta foi de 36,33 cm no tratamento CF. As plantas do tratamento CFN apresentaram as maiores produções de biomassa fresca (52195,69 kg.ha-1) e seca (6281,14 kg ha-1) de parte aérea sem flores, e de biomassa fresca (3150,97 kg.ha-1), seca (232,17 kg ha-1) e de número de flores (50,49 milhões ha-1). Os diâmetros e os comprimentos das flores não variaram com os tratamentos utilizados. Os teores médios de N (33,0 e 32,0 g kg-1) e de P (1,9 e 3,3 g kg-1) nas folhas e nas flores, respectivamente, estiveram dentro daqueles citados para a espécie.

The objective of this work was to evaluate growth, development and yield of Trapaeolum majus L. flowers as a function of the use of chicken manure and mixed organic residue associated or not with Nitrogen. The work was carried out at Medicinal Plant Garden - HPM of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul - UFMS, in Dourados - MS, from May to October, 2002. Studied treatments were control (normal soil) - T, nitrogen (60 kg.ha-1 of N, in ammonia sulfate form) - N, chicken manure (15000 kg ha-1 of semi-decomposed chicken manure) - CF, chicken manure associated with nitrogen - CFN, mixed residue (15000 kg ha-1) - RM and mixed residue associated with nitrogen - RMN, which were established in a randomized experimental design with four replications. Evaluated characteristics were plant height, dried and fresh matter of aerial part without flowers, fresh and dried matter of flowers, flower diameter and height, N and P content in leaves and flowers. The highest plant height was of 36.33 cm in CF treatment. Plants from CFN treatment showed the greatest yield of fresh (52,195.69 kg.ha-1) and dried (6,281.14 kg.ha-1) matters of aerial parts without flowers, and of fresh (3,150.97 kg.ha-1) and dried (232.17 kg.ha-1) matters and number of flowers (50.49 millions.ha-1). Diameters and heights of flowers did not varied with treatments used. The highest contents of N (35.6 g kg-1) and of P (2.5 g kg-1) in leaves were with the use of CF. For flowers, the use of mixed residue associated with nitrogen - RMN resulted in 35.8 g kg-1 of N and the use of nitrogen - N in 3.9 g kg-1 of P.