ABSTRACT The milk and meat from animals with a pasture-based diet have higher proportions of CLA and C18:3 and lower omega-6:omega-3 ratios than products from animals with diets based on corn silage and concentrate. However, most of the published studies have evaluated fatty acid profiles in temperate climate grasses and the literature with tropical grasses is scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological and fatty acid compositions in the vertical strata of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) swards subjected to grazing heights (90 or 120 cm pre-grazing heights) and levels of defoliation (50% or 70% removal of the initial pre-grazing height). There were no interactions among pre-grazing height, the level of defoliation and grazing stratum. However, higher proportion of C18:3 (58% and 63%) was found in the 90-cm swards and in the half upper stratum. A higher proportion of C18:3 was associated with a higher leaf proportion and crude protein content. Thus, the upper stratum of sward or a grazing management scheme (e.g. first-last stocking) resulting in a higher proportion of leaves and crude protein both provide higher proportions of C18:3 to animals grazing in elephant grass swards.

The main objective of the present work was to validate a chromatographic method to determine herbicides commonly applied in the irrigated rice farming. For this, matrix-matched calibration was employed along with the extraction and clean-up of the samples by quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method and determination of the analytes by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with electrospray ionization in the positive mode. By this method, it was possible to achieve the ionization and detection of a total of 18 herbicides, with quantification of 12 of them. The method presented adequate precision and accuracy according to the European Commission and the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) guidelines for analytes in low concentrations. The limits of quantification ranged from 0.015 μg g-1 for oxadiazon to 0.165 μg g-1 for imazapyr. The method showed good linearity with R2> 0.99 and recovery values from 92 to 103%. The proposed protocol is adequate for monitoring bispyribac-sodium, cyclosulfamuron, cycloxydim, clomazone, ethoxysulfuron, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, imazapic, imazapyr, imazethapyr, metsulfuron-methyl, oxadiazon and thiobencarb in rice grains in concentrations up to 109 times lower than the maximum residue limits established by the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) for these compounds in rice samples.

O chá dos frutos maduros de Bromelia antiacantha (banana-de-bugre; banana-do-mato) é usado tradicionalmente para tratar desordens respiratórias, como antitussígeno e também para tratar ulceras de pele e boca. Neste trabalho pesquisou-se o potencial de captação de radicais livres do extrato aquoso e extrato metanólico através da reação de redução do DPPH e do fosfomolibdenio, sendo encontrada baixa atividade nos dois modelos (abaixo de 5 mg/ml nenhuma atividade foi detectada em ambos extratos). Os compostos fenólicos totais foram determinados através de Folin-Ciocalteau, sendo encontrados 500 µg/g de fruto maduro fresco, e foi desenvolvido fingerprint dos compostos fenólicos através de CLAE-DAD. Nenhuma citotoxicidade foi observada em fibroblastos L929 para extratos aquoso, metanólico e lipídico entre 500 e 0,01 µg/ml, assim como baixa genotoxicidade (1000 µg/mL) quando comparados aos controles negativo e positivo (MMS). Abundantes cristais de oxalato de cálcio e de sacarose foram observados e caracterizados por RMN e difração de Raios-X respectivamente, e a composição centesimal do fruto indicou abundantes carboidratos (45%) e lipídeos (18%). A analise de carboidratos encontrou componentes monosacarídicos ácidos e foram encontrados acido palmítico e linoléico em quantidades similares (30% cada) e 20% de acido oléico, entre outros ácidos graxos através de CG-DIC. A viscosidade da sub-fração polissacarídica solúvel em água (5 g/L) foi semelhante a da água.

Bromelia antiacantha (known as wild banana) is traditionally used to treat coughs, as an emollient and antitussive, and to treat mouth and skin ulcers. To investigate the radical scavenger properties, DPPH and phosphomolybdenium were used, with low antioxidant activity being observed for both (below 5 mg/ml of extract presented no activity for both techniques). An HPLC fingerprint of phenolic compounds was developed and total phenolics through Folin-Ciocalteau method was an average of 500 µg/g of fresh fruits. Any cytotoxicity was observed on L929 fibroblasts cells for aqueous, methanol and lipid extracts between 500 and 0.01 µg/ ml. The wild banana extract (1000 µg/mL) shown a lower genotoxicity when compared to the negative and positive (MMS) controls. Abundant calcium oxalate crystals and sucrose were found and characterized through NMR and X-ray diffraction respectively. Its centesimal composition indicated abundant carbohydrates (45%) and lipids (18%). The carbohydrate analysis showed acidic monosaccharides, and the lipid analysis shown palmitic and linoleic acids in similar quantities (30% each) and oleic acid 20%, among others, through GC-FID. The viscosity of the water-soluble polysaccharide sub-fraction (5 g/L) was similar to that of water.

Este trabalho foi a base primeira para se determinar o transporte de ortofosfato e nitrato no escoamento da microbacia do Ribeirão Fortuna, situada no município de Timbó, SC, como parte do Projeto Microbacias desenvolvido pela EPAGRI, em Santa Catarina. As coletas foram realizadas em quatro seções fluviométricas do curso de água principal e analisadas as concentrações das substâncias de interesse. Utilizou-se o modelo hidrológico IPHS1 para simulação do processo de transformação da precipitação em vazão, enquanto os parâmetros do modelo foram calibrados para uma estação fluviométrica, localizada nas proximidades e que possui série histórica de vazões médias diárias. Calcularam-se as cargas transportadas e se estabeleceram correlações entre as vazões escoadas e as cargas de ortofosfatos e nitratos. Constatou-se que as cargas específicas de ortofosfato são superiores às de nitrato e a área ocupada pelas culturas anuais e campo/pastagem na bacia explica as cargas anuais específicas estimadas de ortofosfato, porém, o uso do solo agrícola nas sub-bacias não está relacionado com o transporte de nitratos na rede de drenagem.

The objective of this work was to determine the orthophosphate and nitrate loads in runoff at the Ribeirão Fortuna micro-basin, located in the municipality of Timbó, in Itajaí basin. This micro-basin was monitored by the Micro-basin Project, developed by EPAGRI, in the state of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil. Samples were collected in four fluviometric sections along the main water course and substance concentrations were analysed. The IPHS1 hydrologic model was used for simulating the transformation process of precipitation in discharge. Model parameters were calibrated for a fluviometric station located nearby, which has a historical series of daily average discharge. The annual loads were calculated and correlations were established between the runoff discharge and orthophosphate and nitrate loads. It was noticed that the orthophosphate specific loads are superior to the nitrate ones and the occupied area for the annual crops and pasture in the basin explains the yearly estimated specific phosphate loads. Nevertheless, the use of the agricultural soil in the sub-basins is not related to the nitrate loads in the drainage network.

A óleo-resina de copaíba pode ser extraída de forma sustentável do tronco de várias espécies de Copaifera. Ela contém principalmente ácidos resinosos e substâncias voláteis, tendo ampla utilização medicinal. A padronização cromatográfica do óleo é a garantia da identidade desta matéria-prima complexa. Neste trabalho analisaram-se por CG três amostras de óleos de copaíba obtidas de Colombo/PR e doze amostras adquiridas no Estado do Amazonas. O óleo de copaiba foi fracionado por cromatografia em sílica gel impregnada com KOH e metilado e as frações obtidas foram avaliadas por CG. Numa segunda etapa, os óleos brutos metilados por meio de diazometano ou transesterificados com KOH/MeOH foram injetados diretamente em CG. Foram utilizados para comparação os ácidos diterpênicos hardwíckiico, copaiferólico e caurenóico além do sesquiterpeno 14-hidroxi-b-cariofileno (cariofilenol). A presença do ácido copaiferólico foi observada em 100% e cariofilenol em 80% das amostras. Os ácidos caurenóico e hardwíckiico ausentes nas amostras do Paraná, foram detectados em 8,3% e 41,7% respectivamente nas amostras do Amazonas. Os resultados obtidos indicam que podem ser analisados diretamente através de CG após metilação com diazometano, sem necessidade de fracionamento prévio. Adicionalmente, a determinação do índice de acidez para óleos de copaíba não demonstrou resultados inequívocos para as amostras analisadas.

Copaiba oil can be extracted from the trunk of some Copaifera species and contains mainly resinous acids and volatile substances, which have wide medicinal use. The chromatographic standardization of the oil characteristics is the guarantee of the identity of raw material. In this work, three copaiba oil samples from Colombo/PR, and twelve from Amazonas State were analyzed. The copaiba oil was fractionated in silica gel impregnated with KOH, esterified and the fractions were evaluated by TLC and GC. In a second stage, the crude oil was esterified with diazomethane or transesterified with KOH/MeOH and injected in GC. The diterpene acids used for comparison were hardwickiic, copaiferolic and caurenoic and the 14-hydroxy-b-caryophyllene (caryophyllenol). The presence of copaiferolic acid was observed in all analyzed samples and caryophyllenol in 80% of the samples. Hardwickiic and caurenoic acids were absent in the samples from Paraná State, and respectively detected in 8.3% and 41.7%, of the samples from Amazonas. The obtained results indicate that the oil can be directly analyzed through GC after methylation with diazomethane, without previous fractionation. Also, an acidity index method proposed for copaiba oil analysis did not show to be reliable for the analyzed samples.