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.

As alterações anatômicas em folhas e danos no DNA de células causadas pelo acúmulo de poluentes atmosféricos podem ser mensuradas por meio de análises de epiderme foliar e ensaio de micronúcleos em Tradescantia com células de pólen jovens. O presente estudo examinou a viabilidade do uso de células somáticas e germinativas de Tradescantia pallida para fins de biomonitoramento na cidade de Dourados, Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Brasil. Análises estomáticas, micronúcleos e células de epiderme foliar foram realizadas utilizando metodologias padronizadas em plantas em crescimento em três locais durante seis períodos de tempo diferentes. Dados de micronúcleos em Tradescantia foram analisados usando SAS 9.2 pacote de software e dados de estômatos foram analisados usando o software SANEST. As análises de características estomáticas e a verificação de micronúcleos em T. pallida foram encontradas para ser um instrumento eficaz no monitoramento da poluição atmosférica. O ensaio de micronúcleo sugeriu que o número de micronúcleos em células de pólen jovens foi relacionado com a intensidade do tráfego veicular. O aumento do número de células epidérmicas e estômatos e o aumento da densidade estomática observada em locais com maior tráfego veicular são prováveis respostas fisiológicas dessas plantas para o aumento da troca de gases em ambientes altamente poluídos.

Anatomical alterations in leaves and DNA damage in cells caused by the accumulation of atmospheric pollutants can be measured by epidermal leaf analyses and Tradescantia micronuclei assay with early pollen tetrad cells. The present study examined the feasibility of using somatic and germ cells of Tradescantia pallida for biomonitoring purposes in the city of Dourados, state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Brazil. Stomatal, micronucleus and epidermal leaf analyses were performed, using standard methodologies, on plants growing at three locations during six different time periods. Tradescantia micronuclei data were analyzed using SAS 9.2 software package and stomatal data were analyzed using SANEST software. Analyses of stomatal characteristics and micronuclei examination in T. pallida were found to be an efficient tool for monitoring atmospheric pollution. The micronucleus assay suggested that the number of micronuclei in early pollen tetrad cells was related to the intensity of vehicular traffic. Increased number of epidermal cells and stomata and increased stomatal density observed at locations with greater vehicular traffic are likely physiological responses of those plants to the increased gas exchange in highly polluted environments.