Abstract The total cost of processes that use lipases can be reduced by using the mycelium or not purified crude extract with lipolytic activity. These catalysts can be used without complex purification and can show desirable properties to emerging applications like hydrolysis and biotransformation of vegetable oils. To explore the potential of multiple forms of lipases (produced by the same filamentous fungus species), this work investigated intracellular and extracellular lipases produced by Trichoderma koningii (intracellular lipases were never studied), Penicillium spp. F02 (isolated from industrial grease trap) and Aspergillus niger. For this, batch fermentations were conducted for 96h using olive oil as a carbon source. The submerged culture was interrupted with vacuum filtration to isolate the mycelium and crude extract. The lipolytic activities were determined by the hydrolysis method of olive oil. The best results were obtained for intracellular activity with T. koningii (81.5 U/g of dry biomass) and for extracellular activity with A. niger (10.6 U/mL of crude extract). Both were attained in 96h of fermentation. T. koningii showed an accumulation of intracellular lipases and a depreciated extracellular activity in the initial 24 hours, which can be reasonable indications that there is strong retention of lipases in the mycelium. Statistical analysis within the range of 37°C to 44°C associated with pH from 7.8 to 8.0 favored the activity of lipases from T. koningii. All these findings are promising for future studies in the enzymatic synthesis of biodiesel with lipases (intracellular and extracellular) from T. koningii.

Abstract Airborne fungi are dispersed through the air. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of airborne fungi in Brazil and understand the relationship between fungal growth and respiratory diseases and infections. We conducted an integrative literature review of studies conducted in Brazil based on searches of the PubMed, MEDLINE-BIREME, SciELO, and LILACS databases for full-text articles published between 2000 and 2022. The searches returned 147 studies, of which only 25 met the inclusion criteria. The most prevalent genera of airborne fungi in Brazil are Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Curvularia, and Fusarium. The studies were conducted in the states of Maranhão, Ceará, Piauí, Sergipe, Mato Grosso, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais. The findings also show the relationship between fungi and meteorological factors and seasonality, the sensitivity of atopic individuals to fungi, and the main nosocomial mycoses reported in the literature. This work demonstrates the importance of maintaining good microbiological air quality to prevent potential airborne diseases.

Resumo Fungos anemófilos se dispersam na natureza através do ar atmosférico. O presente estudo objetivou caracterizar a prevalência da microbiota fúngica anemófila no Brasil e correlacionar o crescimento fúngico com doenças respiratórias e quadros infecciosos. Este trabalho é uma revisão integrativa de literatura construída a partir da busca nas bases de dados PubMed, BIREME, SciELO e LILACS, com inclusão de trabalhos brasileiros publicados entre 2000 e 2022, em língua portuguesa ou inglesa com texto online integral. O universo do estudo foi constituído por 147 publicações, das quais 25 compuseram a amostra por atenderem aos critérios de inclusão. Os gêneros de fungos aerotransportados mais prevalentes no Brasil são: Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Cladosporium sp., Curvularia sp. e Fusarium sp. Os locais de origem dos estudos incluem Maranhão, Ceará, Piauí, Sergipe, Mato Grosso, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Além disso, foi possível determinar a relação dos fungos com parâmetros meteorológicos e sazonalidade, a sensibilização de indivíduos atópicos aos fungos e as principais micoses nosocomiais relatadas na literatura. Assim, o trabalho destaca a importância da manutenção da qualidade microbiológica do ar com vistas a se prevenir possíveis doenças transmitidas pelo ar.

Penicillium meliponae, a recently described and rare species, was isolated as an endophytic fungus from the Amazonian plant Duguetia sthelechantha, and has been proven to be a pigment producer. Considering the high productivity of this species and the lack of data on its chemical composition, the present study aimed to characterize the chemical profile of P. meliponae and evaluate the influence of agitation and the use of different culture media. For this purpose, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and molecular networking were used, allowing the identification of 17 azaphilone molecules with sclerotiorin-like skeletons, becoming the first chemical report of this species. In addition, the different production patterns in the tested culture media were indicative that this species is sensitive to changes in the composition of the carbon source and to the presence of agitation. Furthermore, this work contributes to the fragmentation mechanisms of the different possible structural arrangements for azaphilones of the sclerotiorin type and serves as a repository of information on the gas-phase behavior of this type of metabolite in mass spectrometry experiments and will assist future studies aimed at the discovery of azaphilones.

RESUMO A soja está sujeita à ocorrência de patógenos transmitidos por sementes, necessitando de tratamento fitossanitário, porém, este pode ser tóxico ao homem e ao ambiente. Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito dos óleos essenciais de alecrim (Rosmarinus officinalis) e eucalipto (Corymbia citriodora) no tratamento contra fungos fitopatogênicos em sementes de soja armazenadas. O experimento foi em delineamento inteiramente casualizado em arranjo fatorial 2 × 5, para sementes com e sem inoculação de fungos (Aspergillus flavus e Penicillium rubens) e cinco tratamentos de sementes (três óleos essenciais, controle positivo e controle negativo), com quatro repetições. Os óleos essenciais de alecrim, eucalipto e a combinação destes foram aplicados na dose de 4 mL kg-1 de sementes de soja, na concentração de 700 µL mL-1. Como controle negativo (testemunha) utilizou-se água destilada com Tween® 80 a 2% e como controle positivo o fungicida comercial Vitavax-Thiram® 200SC, conforme dosagem do fabricante. O óleo essencial de R. officinalis foi eficiente no controle de Penicillium sp. nas sementes de soja armazenadas e apresentou efeito semelhante ao controle positivo. O óleo essencial de C. citriodora reduziu a incidência de Aspergillus sp. Portanto, estes óleos essenciais têm potencial para serem utilizados no controle alternativo de patógenos de sementes de soja.

ABSTRACT Soybean is subject to occurrences of pathogens transmitted by seeds, requiring phytosanitary treatment, however, it can be toxic to humans and the environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of essential oils of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and eucalyptus (Corymbia citriodora) on the control of phytopathogenic fungi in stored soybean seeds. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, using a 2 × 5 factorial arrangement consisted of seeds with and without fungal inoculation (Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium rubens) and five seed treatments (three essential oils, positive control, and negative control), with four replicates. Rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils and their combination were applied to soybean seeds at the rate of 4 mL kg-1, at a concentration of 700 µL mL-1. Distilled water with 2% Tween® 80 was used as negative control, and the commercial fungicide Vitavax-Thiram® 200SC was used as positive control, according to the manufacturers’ recommendations. The R. officinalis essential oil was efficient in the control of Penicillium sp. in stored soybean seeds and showed a similar effect to the positive control. The C. citriodora essential oil reduced the incidence of Aspergillus sp. Therefore, these essential oils have potential to be used as an alternative control of soybean seed pathogens.

ABSTRACT: Potatoes require high phosphate fertilization, which increases production costs and negatively affects the agroecosystem. Soil inoculation with phosphorus solubilizing fungi (PSF) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) become as an altgrnative to achieve productive systems with less environmental impact and that improve plant nutrition. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the inoculation of an AMF (Claroideoglomus claroideum, Cc) alone or in interaction with two PSFs (Talaromyces pinophilus, Tp and / or Penicillium albidum, Pa) on the root architecture and phosphate nutrition of micropropagated plants potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) variety "Desirée". The seedlings obtained from explants were acclimated in a growth chamber and in greenhouse. Four inoculated treatments are used: T1 (Cc), T2 (Cc + Tp), T3 (Cc + Pa), T4 (Cc + Tp + Pa) and a non-inoculated control (T0). At 145 DAE, the plants was harvested, determining morphoagronomic and root geometry parameters. Treatment T2 presented higher plant height with increases of 140% over T0, greater mobilization of P, observing the trend T2> T1 = T3> T4> T0, while with T1 the best root architecture was obtained. It concluded that the inoculation with Cc improved the root geometry and the co-inoculation with Cc + Tp increased the mobilization of P towards the plants. As a projection, it would be interesting to test this HMA-HSP co-inoculation in the field, as a proposal for a possible biofertilizer that improves phosphate nutrition and crop yield.

RESUMEN: La papa requiere una elevada fertilización fosfatada, lo que incrementa los costos de producción y afecta negativamente al agroecosistema. La inoculación del suelo con hongos solubilizadores de fósforo (HSP) y hongos micorrícicos arbusculares (HMA) surge como una alternativa para alcanzar sistemas productivos de menor impacto ambiental y que mejoran la nutrición vegetal. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el efecto de la inoculación de un HMA (Claroideoglomus claroideum, Cc) solo o en interacción con dos HSP (Talaromyces pinophilus, Tp y/o Penicillium albidum, Pa) en la arquitectura radical y nutrición fosfatada de plantas micropropagadas de papa (Solanum tuberosum L.) variedad Desirée. Las plántulas obtenidas de explantes se aclimataron en cámara de crecimiento y en invernadero. Se usaron cuatro tratamientos inoculados: T1 (Cc), T2 (Cc + Tp), T3 (Cc + Pa), T4 (Cc + Tp + Pa) y un control no inoculado (T0). A los 145 DDE se cosecharon las plantas determinándose parámetros morfoagronómicos y de geometría radical. El tratamiento T2 presentó mayor altura de planta con incrementos de 140% sobre T0 y mayor movilización de P observándose la tendencia T2 > T1 = T3 > T4 > T0, mientras que con T1 se obtuvo la mejor arquitectura radical. Se concluye que la inoculación con Cc mejoró la geometría radical y la co-inoculación con Cc + Tp aumentó la movilización de P hacia las plantas. Como proyección sería interesante ensayar esta co-inoculación HMA-HSP en campo, como propuesta de un posible biofertilizante que mejore la nutrición fosfatada y rendimiento de los cultivos.

Resumo Os morcegos apresentam grande importância na homeostasia dos ecossistemas e são hospedeiros de uma rica diversidade de micro-organismos como bactérias, vírus e fungos com potencial patogênico. Portanto, este estudo visou isolar fungos presentes em amostras biológicas de morcegos na cidade de Sinop - MT, que possui grandes áreas de desmatamento devido à urbanização e agricultura. Foram capturados 48 morcegos de diferentes espécies, em onze fragmentos florestais urbanos definidos de acordo com fluxo de pessoas e animais domésticos, para obtenção de amostras biológicas. Essas amostras foram processadas e submetidas aos cultivos microbiológicos, para isolamento e identificação dos gêneros dos fungos. Dos 48 morcegos, 34 (70,83%) foram positivos para pelos menos um gênero de fungo, sendo 18 (37,5%) fêmeas e 16 (33,33%) machos, e os gêneros isolados a partir das amostras biológicas foram Penicillium sp., Scopulariopsis sp., Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., Alternaria sp., Cryptococcus sp., Trichosporon sp. e Candida sp., que podem ser causadores de infecções oportunistas. Desse total, a espécie que apresentou maior positividade para pelo menos um gênero de fungo foi Molossus molossus com 21 (43,8%). Nossos resultados demonstram que os morcegos capturados nos fragmentos florestais urbanos na cidade de Sinop - MT, podem atuar como agentes veiculadores de fungos com potencial patogênico, aumentando assim o risco de exposição e aquisição de infecções fúngicas oportunistas por pessoas e animais domésticos.

Abstract Bats are important for the homeostasis of ecosystems and serve as hosts of various microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, and fungi with pathogenic potential. This study aimed to isolate fungi from biological samples obtained from bats captured in the city of Sinop (state of Mato Grosso, Brazil), where large areas of deforestation exist due to urbanization and agriculture. On the basis of the flow of people and domestic animals, 48 bats were captured in eleven urban forest fragments. The samples were processed and submitted to microbiological cultures, to isolate and to identify the fungal genera. Thirty-four (70.83%) of the captured bats were positive for fungi; 18 (37.5%) and 16 (33.33%) of these bats were female and male, respectively. Penicillium sp., Scopulariopsis sp., Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp., Alternaria sp., Cryptococcus sp., Trichosporon sp., and Candida sp., which may cause opportunistic infections, were isolated. The bat species with the highest number of fungal isolates was Molossus molossus: 21 isolates (43.8%). According to our results, bats captured in urban forest fragments in Sinop harbor pathogenic fungi, increasing the risk of opportunistic fungal infections in humans and domestic animals.

Resumo Resíduos de agrotóxicos que contaminam o meio ambiente circulam no ciclo hidrológico, podendo se acumular na cadeia alimentar e causar problemas tanto à saúde ambiental quanto humana. Por sua vez, microrganismos são bem conhecidos por sua versatilidade metabólica e capacidade de degradar substâncias quimicamente estáveis, incluindo xenobióticos recalcitrantes. O estudo atual se concentrou na bioprospecção nos solos da floresta amazônica para encontrar novas linhagens de fungos capazes de degradar com eficiência o herbicida onipresente na agricultura e no meio ambiente, o glifosato. Entre os 50 fungos isolados (usando meio de cultura suplementado com glifosato como única fonte de carbono), a maioria eram isolados do gênero Penicillium (60%) e os outros eram isolados de Aspergillus e Trichoderma (26 e 8%, respectivamente). Todos os 50 isolados de fungos foram capazes de usar glifosato como fonte de fósforo. Oito desses isolados cresceram melhor em meio suplementado com glifosato do que em meio Czapek Dox regular. LC-MS revelou que a degradação do glifosato por Penicillium 4A21 resultou nos metabólitos sarcosina e ácido aminometilfosfônico.

Abstract Pesticide residues that contaminate the environment circulate within the hydrological cycle can accumulate within the food chain and cause problems to both environmental and human health. Microbes, however, are well known for their metabolic versatility and the ability to degrade chemically stable substances, including recalcitrant xenobiotics. The current study focused on bio-prospecting within Amazonian rainforest soils to find novel strains fungi capable of efficiently degrading the agriculturally and environmentally ubiquitous herbicide, glyphosate. Of 50 fungal strains isolated (using culture media supplemented with glyphosate as the sole carbon-substrate), the majority were Penicillium strains (60%) and the others were Aspergillus and Trichoderma strains (26 and 8%, respectively). All 50 fungal isolates could use glyphosate as a phosphorous source. Eight of these isolates grew better on glyphosate-supplemented media than on regular Czapek Dox medium. LC-MS revealed that glyphosate degradation by Penicillium 4A21 resulted in sarcosine and aminomethylphosphonic acid.

ABSTRACT: This study describes a biotechnological strategy for producing and applying oxalic acid to solubilize phosphorus (P) from rock phosphate (RP). We evaluated six fungal species (Aspergillus niger FS1, Penicillium islandicum FS41, Pleurotus ostreatus PO1, Rhizoctonia solani Rhiz555, Sclerotium rolfsii Sr25, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Scl134) and three culture media (potato dextrose broth, Tsao and Strasser media) to maximize oxalic acid production. Among the fungal isolates tested and culture media, S. rolfsii Sr25 and Tsao medium showed efficient oxalic acid production. Tsao medium was optimized following a response surface methodology after initial screening of factors affecting RP solubilization. The optimized concentrations were 1 g L–1 NaNO3, 100 g L–1 glucose, 2 g L–1 KH2PO4, 4.5 g L–1 yeast extract, and 25 mg L–1 MgSO4·7H2O used for 20 days of incubation. Under these conditions, 71 mmol L–1 oxalic acid was obtained, representing a three-fold increase over production under non-optimized conditions (20 mmol L–1). Under optimized conditions, oxalic acid produced by S. rolfsii Sr25 reacted with low-solubility RP and solubilized 100 % of the P contained in ore. Thus, using S. rolfsii Sr25 to produce oxalic acid seems a promising biotechnological alternative for P solubilization from RP.

Abstract Phenols from wheat bran play an important role in improving the physiological function of human body because of their potential antioxidant capacity. However, most of the phenols in wheat bran exist in the form of insoluble binding, which limits their application in the field of food and medicine. In this paper, the modification of wheat bran by Penicillium solid-state fermentation (SSF) was studied. It was found that the content of free phenolic acids in wheat bran was significantly correlated with the activity of key hydrolytic enzymes in the fermentation process. On the fifth day of Penicillium fermentation, the content of free phenolic acids was the highest, which was 750.98 μg/g, which was 1.78 times higher than that of the control. The release of free phenolic acids was highest when wheat bran was treated with compound enzyme at 300 U/mL. Furthermore, the structure of wheat bran was significantly changed by fermentation with enzyme addition. On the 5th day of fermentation, the content of free phenolic acids was as high as 1500 μg/g, which was twice as much as that of fermented bran and 3.56 times that of unfermented bran.

Abstract Airborne fungi are dispersed through the air. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of airborne fungi in Brazil and understand the relationship between fungal growth and respiratory diseases and infections. We conducted an integrative literature review of studies conducted in Brazil based on searches of the PubMed, MEDLINE-BIREME, SciELO, and LILACS databases for full-text articles published between 2000 and 2022. The searches returned 147 studies, of which only 25 met the inclusion criteria. The most prevalent genera of airborne fungi in Brazil are Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, Curvularia, and Fusarium. The studies were conducted in the states of Maranhão, Ceará, Piauí, Sergipe, Mato Grosso, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais. The findings also show the relationship between fungi and meteorological factors and seasonality, the sensitivity of atopic individuals to fungi, and the main nosocomial mycoses reported in the literature. This work demonstrates the importance of maintaining good microbiological air quality to prevent potential airborne diseases.

Resumo Fungos anemófilos se dispersam na natureza através do ar atmosférico. O presente estudo objetivou caracterizar a prevalência da microbiota fúngica anemófila no Brasil e correlacionar o crescimento fúngico com doenças respiratórias e quadros infecciosos. Este trabalho é uma revisão integrativa de literatura construída a partir da busca nas bases de dados PubMed, BIREME, SciELO e LILACS, com inclusão de trabalhos brasileiros publicados entre 2000 e 2022, em língua portuguesa ou inglesa com texto online integral. O universo do estudo foi constituído por 147 publicações, das quais 25 compuseram a amostra por atenderem aos critérios de inclusão. Os gêneros de fungos aerotransportados mais prevalentes no Brasil são: Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Cladosporium sp., Curvularia sp. e Fusarium sp. Os locais de origem dos estudos incluem Maranhão, Ceará, Piauí, Sergipe, Mato Grosso, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais. Além disso, foi possível determinar a relação dos fungos com parâmetros meteorológicos e sazonalidade, a sensibilização de indivíduos atópicos aos fungos e as principais micoses nosocomiais relatadas na literatura. Assim, o trabalho destaca a importância da manutenção da qualidade microbiológica do ar com vistas a se prevenir possíveis doenças transmitidas pelo ar.

Abstract A Penicillium sp. strain was isolated from corroded parts in the Coaracy Nunes hydroelectric power plant in Amapá State, Brazil. Morphological and molecular techniques identified this strain as Penicillium citreosulfuratum Biourge, whose 5.8S-ITS rDNA sequence grouped well in a phylogenetic tree with other Exilicaulis section species of the Penicillium genus. The obtained strain of P. citreosulfuratum ability to form biofilm on the surface of aluminum wires was confirmed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. In plates containing PDA or T&K media, the P. citreosulfuratum strain growth was inhibited around a paper disk containing a highly concentrated solution of copper, iron, or nickel. However, there was no inhibition halo around the paper disk containing aluminum and there was a faint halo around the paper disk containing zinc. This fungus was able to grow in a modified T&K liquid medium containing 50 mM of Al3+ and less efficiently in the same medium but containing 50 mM Zn2+. The essential oils of melaleuca, mint, thyme, and oregano at 100% inhibited the fungus growth. Oregano essential oil inhibited the P. citreosulfuratum strain growth in concentrations as low as 10%. In conclusion, the results show that the obtained strain of P. citreosulfurarum can form a biofilm on aluminum wires, it grows in the presence of a high concentrations of aluminum and zinc, and essential oils can control its growth.

Natural enemies are major challenges in laboratory rearing of grasshoppers, but the identity and virulence of these towards the edible long-horned grasshopper Ruspolia differens (Serville) is scarcely known. In this study, fungi and bacteria were isolated from R. differens collected from Mbarara, Masaka, Hoima, Kampala and Kabale districts in Uganda in 2018, cultured on standard microbial media, identified using molecular techniques and screened for virulence against the insect in laboratory bioassays. Fourteen and nine species of fungi and bacteria were isolated from R. differens, respectively, with the number of isolates varying based on collection site. The most prevalent entomopathogenic fungal species were Aspergillus flavus Link (27.3%), Fusarium equiseti (Corda) (24.2%), Mucorfragilis Fresen (12.1%), Clonostachys rosea (Link) (6.0%) and Aspergillus tamarii Kita (6.0%); whereas the most prevalent bacterial isolates were Serratia marcescens Bizio (38.1(0)%), Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) (14.3%) and Enterobacter cloacae (Jordan) (14.3%). Nine of the fungal species namely Clavispora lusitaniae Rodrigues de Miranda, Lichtheimia corymbifera (Cohn), Trichoderma koningii Oudem, F. equiseti, M. fragilis, Aspergillus niger van Tieghem, Epicoccum sorghinum (Saccardo), C. rosea, Penicillium commune Charles Thorn; and five bacterial species (Proteus penneri Hickman, S. marcescens, B. thuringiensis, Staphylococcus sciuri Kloos and Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes and Horder)) were ~5-7-fold and ~4-5-fold, more lethal to third instars of R. differens than untreated controls, respectively. This study is the first to report C. lusitaniae, Exserohilum mcginnis Padhye and Ajello, E. sorghinum, P. penneri and E. cloacae as insect pathogens. The results suggest a need to quarantine field collected R. differens before introducing them into the insectary, as well as performing antimicrobial practices during rearing of the insect to prevent entomopathogen-based mortality.

Abstract The antibacterial secondary metabolites of the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum associated with the beetle Aspongopus chinensis were investigated through chromatographic fractionation methods of ethyl acetate extracts of the fungal cultures. Five compounds were isolated, and their structures were determined as emodin, 4-(methoxymethyl)benzoic acid, isoochracinic acid, secalonic acid D, and dicerandrol A using mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analyses. Emodin exhibited strong antimicrobial activity, especially against Staphylococcus aureus even when growing on cooked pork, with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 6.3 μg/mL. Dimeric tetrahydroxanthones, such as secalonic acid D and dicerandrol A, also exhibited potent activity, with MIC values ranging from 9.5 to 28.5 μg/mL. In summary, P. chrysogenum was isolated as a symbiotic fungus of the beetle A. chinensis for the first time and this strain could generate antibacterial secondary metabolites, which could potently inhibit gram-positive bacteria growth in vitro.

Abstract The present study was aimed at conducting phytochemical analysis and evaluating the in vitro antifungal and antioxidant activities of the essential oil obtained from the fruits of J. oxycedrus L. Hydro-distillation was used to extract the essential oil from the fruits of Juniper oxycedrus. The essential oil was analyzed using gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The antioxidant activity of the essential oil against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals was determined in vitro using varying concentrations of the essential oil and vitamin C as a standard antioxidant compound. A disc diffusion test was employed to evaluate the antifungal activity of the essential oil against two test fungal strains, Penicillium citrinum, and Aspergillus niger. The results revealed that 49 constituents were identified in fruit oil, representing 91.56% of the total oil and the yield was 1.58%. Juniper fruit oil was characterized by having high contents of β-pinene (42.04%), followed by limonene (15.45%), sabinene (9.52%), α-pinene (5.21%), (E)-caryophyllene (3.77%), ρ-cymene (1.56%), caryophyllene oxide (2.02%), and myrcene (1.02%). The radical scavenging activity (% inhibition) of the essential oil was highest (81.87± 2.83%) at a concentration of 200 µg/mL. The essential oil of J. oxycedrus exhibited antifungal activity against A. niger and P. citrinum with minimum inhibitory concentration values (MIC) ranging from 2.89 to 85.01 µl/mL. The findings of the study reveal that the antioxidant and antifungal properties of J. oxycedrus essential oil and their chemical composition are significantly correlated.

ABSTRACT The fungi presence during seed maturation and dispersion is related to biotic and abiotic factors. These microorganisms can cause loss seeds physiological quality in unfavorable climatic conditions. We hypothesize that sanitary quality of seeds produced is affected by tree and origin climatic condition. The aim was evaluated fungi incidence and seeds quality of Pityrocarpa moniliformis from different trees and two climatic conditions (Aw: rainy tropical; and BSh: warm semiarid). We collected seeds from 28 parent trees, evaluating separately the physiological and sanitary quality of the seeds produced in each tree. Different trees originated seeds with differences in physiological quality and fungi incidence. The climatic condition of the trees' origin affected the amount and fungi species present in the seeds produced, with a predominant incidence of the genera Alternaria spp., Aspergillus spp., Botrytis spp., Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp. and Rhyzopus sp. The Alternaria spp. incidence is correlated with seeds of low physiological quality. Therefore, we conclude that Pityrocarpa moniliformis trees under a tropical rainy climate produce seeds with superior physiological and sanitary quality compared to those located in a warm semiarid climate.

RESUMO A presença de fungos potencialmente prejudiciais durante a maturação e dispersão das sementes tem relação com fatores bióticos e abióticos. Esses microrganismos podem causar perda da qualidade fisiológica de sementes em condições climáticas desfavoráveis. Nesta pesquisa, levantou-se a hipótese de que a qualidade sanitária das sementes produzidas é afetada pela árvore e condição climática de origem. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a incidência de fungos e a qualidade de sementes de Pityrocarpa moniliformis provenientes de diferentes árvores e duas condições climáticas (Aw: tropical chuvoso; e BSh: semiárido quente). Coletaram-se sementes de 28 árvores, avaliando-se separadamente a qualidade fisiológica e sanitária das sementes produzidas em cada árvore. Diferentes árvores originaram sementes com diferenças na qualidade fisiológica e incidência de fungos. A condição climática de origem das árvores afetou a quantidade e a espécie fúngica presente nas sementes produzidas, com incidência predominante dos gêneros Alternaria spp., Aspergillus spp., Botrytis spp., Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp. e Rhyzopus sp, sendo a incidência de Alternaria spp. correlacionada com sementes de baixa qualidade fisiológica. Portanto, conclui-se que árvores de Pityrocarpa moniliformis sob clima tropical chuvoso produzem sementes de qualidade fisiológica e sanitária superior em relação àquelas localizadas em clima semiárido quente.