Inflammatory and genetic alterations are related to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer. Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Anacardiaceae, is used in folk medicine to treat inflammation, wounds and tumors. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, chemopreventive, and wound healing potentials of the methanolic extract from the leaves of Schinus terebinthifolius. The chemical composition of the extract was characterized using preliminary analytical LC methods. The results showed that the anti-inflammatory activity of the methanolic extract was similar to that of dexamethasone for edema reduction. Also, it inhibited the leukocyte migration into the air pouch and decreased plasma extravasation. In addition, the methanolic extract showed a healing action similar to that observed with collagenase. The methanolic extract is not genotoxic nor mutagenic, and in contrast it has chemopreventive activity, which elicits a high percentage of damage reduction by comet and micronucleus assay, preferably by bioantimutagenic action. The methanolic extract induced apoptosis and enhanced splenic phagocytosis in animals treated with cyclophosphamide. The methanolic extract contents, resolved by LC, include phenolic acid and flavonoids. Our results suggest a therapeutic potential for the methanolic extract.

Os trabalhos experimentais foram realizados nos anos agrícolas de 2007-2008, 2008-2009 e 2009-2010, com o objetivo de conhecer a produtividade agroeconômica dos clones de taro Chinês e Macaquinho, propagados usando rizomas-filhos graúdos, extras, grandes, médios, pequenos e muito pequenos. A colheita foi realizada em média aos 202 dias após o plantio, nos três anos agrícolas. Com base nas análises de vari ância conjuntas realizadas, observou-se que os clones de taro apresentaram diferenças significativas quanto à produtividade de massas frescas e secas de folhas, rizomas-mãe, rizomas-filho comerciais e rizomas-filho não-comerciais; que existiam diferenças significativas de produtividade de um ano agrícola para o outro; e o tamanho das mudas induziu diferenças significativas na produtividade. Nas condições em que foram conduzidos os experimentos e considerando a maior produtividade média de massa fresca de rizomas-filho comerciais (28,69 t.ha-1) e a maior renda líquida (US $14,741.14) correspondente aos três anos agrícolas recomenda-se cultivar o clone Macaquinho, utilizando mudas pequenas na propagação.

The experimental studies were conducted in 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 crop seasons, in order to know the agro-economic yield of 'Chinês' and "Macaquinho" taro clones, propagated using huge, extra, large, medium, small and tiny cormels. The harvest was done on average on 202 days after planting, in three crop seasons. Based on the joint analysis of variance carried out, it was observed that taro clones showed significant differences in the yield of fresh and dry weight of leaves, cormels, and commercial and non-commercial comels; besides, there were significant differences in yield of a crop season to another and the size of the cuttings induced significant differences in yield. In the conditions that the experiments were conducted, and considering the highest average yield of fresh weight of commercial cormels (28.69 t.ha-1) and highest net income (US $14,741.14) correspondent to the three crop seasons, it is recommended to cultivate 'Macaquinho' clone using small cuttings in propagation.

Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess.) O. Berg, Myrtaceae, é uma espécie nativa. As folhas são utilizadas na medicina popular. Os extratos hexânico e acetato de etila das folhas mostraram pouca variação na sua composição química em diferentes estações do ano associado com o desenvolvimento do vegetal, enquanto o extrato etanólico mostrou alteração significativa em relação à composição química. Todos os extratos etanólicos mostraram alta atividade antioxidante frente ao método DPPH e de moderada a alta para β-caroteno/ácido linoléico.

Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess.) O. Berg, Myrtaceae, is a native species. The extracts of ethyl acetate and hexane showed little variation in their chemical composition at different seasons of the year associated with the development of the plant, while the ethanol extract showed significant change in relationship to chemical composition. All ethanol extracts showed high antioxidant activity against DPPH method and from moderate to high antioxidant activity for β-carotene/linoleic acid.

Achyrocline alata (Kunth.) DC. e Achyrocline satureioides (Lam.) DC., espécies pertencentes à família Asteraceae, são utilizadas na medicina popular de Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, como plantas sucedâneas. O presente trabalho teve com objetivo comparar os extratos obtidos dessas espécies através de ensaios químicos simples destinados a testar as atividades antioxidante e captora de radicais livres, utilizando como modelo β-caroteno e DPPH, respectivamente. Tais ensaios revelaram que os extratos de A. satureioides foram mais ativos como captores de radicais livres do que os extratos obtidos de A. alata. Todos os experimentos foram feitos em triplicata, utilizando quercetina como padrão.

Achyrocline alata (Kunth.) DC. and Achyrocline satureioides (Lam.) DC. are species belonging to the family Asteraceae widely used in the folk medicine of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, being considered substitute plants. The present work aimed to compare the obtained extracts of these species to simple chemical assays, in order to test the antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging, using β-carotene and DPPH as reference, respectively. With these assays it was observed that the obtained extracts of Achyrocline satureioides were more active, as free radical scavenging, than the same obtained extracts of Achyrocline alata. These chemical assays were compared to a known patterned, quercetin, and and they were dealt under triplicate basis.