Previous researches showed that fatty acids analysis might be a useful tool to support the taxonomic investigation. In this approach the fatty acids content of ten Malvoideae species was analyzed and its chemotaxonomic significance has been investigated. The aerial parts of the species were collected in the Northeast of Brazil and their fatty acid methyl esters were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. The chemometric analysis consisted of principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) with the euclidean distance between the samples given by the Ward.D2 algorithm. This is the first report of fatty acids from Wissadula peripocifolia, Herissantia crispa, Bakeridesia pickelii, Sidastrum micranthum, Pavonia cancellata and Pavonia malacophylla. The results showed the predominance of palmitic (C16:0), oleic (C18:1) and linoleic (C18:2) acids in the studied species. By the PCA and HCA analysis, the fatty acid composition was able to distinguish the species Herissantia crispa and Pavonia malacophylla. Our findings showed a chemotaxonomic proximity among species from different genera reflecting the taxonomic and phylogenetic closeness previously demonstrated by molecular investigations on Malvoidae species. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that the fatty acid analysis may be an interesting tool to support the taxonomic investigations on Malvoideae species.

O fracionamento bio-monitorado do extrato alcaloídico dos frutos verdes de Solanum asperum forneceu um novo alcalóide esteroidal, denominado solanandaina, juntamente com a solasonina e a solamargina. Tanto o extrato alcaloídico como os glicoalcalóides isolados apresentaram potente atividade moluscicida.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the alkaloidal extract of the green fruits of Solanum asperum afforded a new compound, solanandaine along with solasonine and solamargine. The total crude alkaloids as well as the isolated pure alkaloids exhibited significant molluscicidal activity.

Solanum megalonyx Sendtn. (Solanaceae) é conhecida popularmente por "jurubeba" no Nordeste do Brasil e se apresenta na forma de arbusto. Várias espécies de Solanum apresentam efeito espasmolítico em órgãos isolados. Assim, objetivou-se investigar e comparar o efeito dos extratos metanólico (SM-MeOH) e acetato de etila (SM-AcOEt), obtidos das partes aéreas de S. megalonyx, em íleo isolado de cobaia. SM-MeOH e SM-AcOEt antagonizaram (n = 5) as contrações fásicas induzidas por 1 mM de acetilcolina (logCI50 = 3,2 ± 0,1 e 1,8 ± 0,6 mg/mL, respectivamente) ou de histamina (logCI50 = 2,8 ± 0,5 e 1,7 ± 0,3 mg/mL, respectivamente). SM-MeOH e SM-AcOEt também relaxaram (n = 5) o íleo pré-contraído por 40 mM de KCl (logCE50 = 1,9 ± 0,09 e 1,9 ± 0,1 mg/mL, respectivamente), por 1 mM de histamina (logCE50 = 1,9 ± 0,07 e 1,7 ± 0,08 mg/mL, respectivamente) ou de acetilcolina (logCE50 = 1,9 ± 0,02 e 1,7 ± 0,09 mg/mL, respectivamente) de maneira dependente de concentração e equipotente. Demonstra-se pela primeira vez que S. megalonyx apresenta efeito espasmolítico não seletivo em íleo isolado de cobaia, sugerindo que os extratos podem estar agindo em um passo comum da via de sinalização dos agentes contráteis testados.

Solanum megalonyx Sendtn. (Solanaceae) is known popularly as "jurubeba" in Northeastern Brazil where it can be found as a shrub. Several species of Solanum present spasmolytic effect in several tissues, thus this study was aimed to investigate and compare the effect of the methanol extract (SMMeOH) and ethyl acetate extract (SM-AcOEt), obtained from aerial parts of Solanum megalonyx Sendtn., in guinea-pig ileum. In this work, both SM-MeOH and SM-AcOEt antagonized the phasic contraction induced by acetylcholine 1 mM (logIC50 = 3.2 ± 0.1 and 1.8 ± 0.6 mg/mL) and histamine 1 mM (logIC50 = 2.8 ± 0.5 and 1.7 ± 0.3 mg/mL, respectively) (n = 5), without statistical differences between these values. In another set of experiments, SM-MeOH and SM-AcOEt also relaxed the isolated guinea-pig ileum pre-contracted by KCl 40 mM (logEC50 = 1.9 ± 0.09 and 1.9 ± 0.1 mg/mL, respectively), histamine 1 mM (logEC50 = 1.9 ± 0.07 mg/mL and 1.7 ± 0.08 mg/mL, respectively) or acetylcholine (logEC50 = 1.9 ± 0.02 mg/mL and 1.7 ± 0.09 mg/mL, respectively) (n = 5) in a concentration-dependent and equipotent manner. This study demonstrates for the first time that aerial parts of S. megalonyx present a non-selective spasmolytic effect in guinea-pig ileum, suggesting that the extracts could be acting in a common step of the pathway signaling that leads to contraction induced by the contractile agents tested.

O fracionamento cromatográfico dos extratos das folhas de Ouratea hexasperma (Ochnaceae) forneceu, além do novo biflavonóide 5-hidróxi-7-metoxiflavona-(4'-O-8")-5",4"'-diidróxi-7" -metoxiflavona, a agathisflavona, 7"-metilagathisflavona, epicatequina, 6-C-glicopiranosil-luteolina e a 3-O-glicopiranosil-quercetina já registradas na literatura. As estruturas desses compostos foram estabelecidas através da análise dos dados espectrométricos de IV, EM e RMN.

Chromatographic fractionation of the extracts from the leaves of Ouratea hexasperma (Ochnaceae) afforded a new flavone dimer 5-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavone-(4'-O-8")-5",4"' -dihydroxy-7"-methoxyflavone besides known agathisflavone, 7"-methylagathisflavone, epicatechin, 6-C-glycopyranosyl-luteolin and 3-O-glycopyranosyl-quercetin. The IR, NMR and mass spectra data analyses were used to establish the structures of these compounds.