Phytosociological survey of weed plants in soybean culture in the Gurguéia Valley

Phytosociology is a set of ecological assessment methods that aim to provide a view of plant species distributions within a plant assemblage. The objective of the current study was to identify and quantify the plants designated as weeds in a glyphosate-resistant soybean crop, using a phytosociological survey of a conventional planting system on the Fazenda Agrosantos (09°27’4124.4” S and 45º01’00.4” O), Vale do Gurguéia, Monte Alegre municipality Piauí state, Brazil. The site lies at a mean altitude of 652 m. Field collections were made 15 days after initial soya planting. For sampling, a 0.40 x 0.40 m quadrat was used, thrown randomly twenty times within the experimental area. Weeds were identified and quantified using the sum of the samples obtained from the quadrat samples. Plants that lay within the quadrat were identified, counted and collected for identification, which was carried out by comparison with specialist bibliographies and weed identification manuals. Evaluated variables were: frequency, density, abundance, relative frequency, relative density, relative abundance and species importance value index. In the soybean cultivation area, 60% of the sampled species were Eudicotyledons, and a total of 8 botanical families and 10 weed species were identified. The species Cenchrus echinatus, Ipomoea asarifolia (Desr.) Roem. & Schult, Amaranthus retroflexus L. and Zea mays L showed the highest values for the analyzed variables, and should therefore be of special attention to soybean producers in the region of Vale da Gurguéia, Piauí, Brazil.

Antiulcerogenic activity of methanol extract from Ipomoea asarifolia leaves in Wistar rats

The phytochemical constituents and the antiulcerogenic activity of methanolic extract from Ipomoea asarifolia leaf were investigated to ascertain its medicinal potentials. The study revealed that the leaf contained saponins, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids and eugenols. The methanolic extract was used as a protective agent against gastric ulcer in Wistar rats, using the experimental model of gastric ulcer (lesion) induced by ethanol. The ulcer count for the methanol extract ranged from 0.00 to 2.00, while the ulcer index ranged between 0.33 to 2.00 for all concentrations (100, 200 and 400mg/kg). Percentage inhibition at 100, 200 and 400mg/kg were respectively 25.09%, 12.73% and 87.64%. The extract prevented acute gastric mucosal injury induced by absolute ethanol in a non dose-dependent manner. This is because the protective action was observed at the lowest and highest doses, but not an intermediate dose of the extract. The results obtained indicate that the leaf extract has antiulcerogenic importance and may be utilized for the treatment of gastric ulcers.

Convolvulaceae na APA Jenipabu, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Resumo Esse estudo teve como objetivo realizar o levantamento florístico das espécies de Convolvulaceae ocorrentes na Área de Proteção Ambiental Jenipabu - APAJ. Os dados foram obtidos a partir de expedições de campo aleatórias, no período de agosto de 2010 a julho de 2011. Foram registradas nove espécies, distribuídas em cinco gêneros: Daustinia montana, Distimake aegyptius, Evolvulus frankenioides, E. ovatus, Ipomoea asarifolia, I. brasiliana, I. pes-caprae, I. rosea, e Jacquemontia bahiensis. Destaca-se que D. montana, I. asarifolia e I. pes-caprae ocorreram preferencialmente em áreas úmidas, e as demais foram encontradas em áreas secas. Daustinia montana, I. brasiliana, e J. bahiensis são endêmicas do Brasil e I. rosea é endêmica do nordeste brasileiro. A morfologia das folhas, sépalas e gineceu foram os principais caracteres para diagnosticar as espécies. O tratamento possui chave de identificação, descrições, pranchas ilustrativas e comentários sobre a distribuição dos táxons.

Productive Performance and Blood Profile of Weaner Rabbit Fed Different Inclusion Levels of Ipomoea asarifolia Leaf Meal in Replacement of Soybean Meal

In an experiment to determine the effect of feeding graded levels of Ipomoea asarifolia Leaf Meal (IALM) on the growth, heamatology and serum chemistry of rabbits in the tropics, twenty-four (24) weaned male rabbits, 6-8 weeks old, were randomly allotted to four (4) dietary treatments in which IALM was used to replaced soybean meal (SBM) at 0% (control), 10%, 20%, and 30% with six (6) rabbits per treatment in a completely randomized design experiment. Each rabbit constituted a replicate. Feed and water were offer ad libitum while other standard management practices were meticulously observed. The Proximate analysis of the diets and leaf was determined according to the AOAC [1] for crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract (fat) and ash while haematological analysis was done using Sysmex KX-21N automated analyzer and while serum parameters were analyzed following standard procedure. The data obtained were subjected to one-way analysis of variance in a completely randomized design experiment. The IALM had average crude fibre percentage of 7.15%, while crude protein, ash, ether extract and metabolisable energy were 28.40%, 11.00%, 7.10%, 3236.15 KcalKg) respectively. All growth parameters were affected by IALM except weight gained and FCR. Haematological and serological parameters measured at the end of 8 weeks of feeding indicated significant (P<0.05) variations in, mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, globulin, platelet, white blood cell count (WBC) and total serum proteins with variations in the level of dietary IALM. The aspartate amino acid, alanine amino acid, red blood cell count, mean cell volume (MCV), and intermediate cell count were, however, unaffected (P>0.05) by variations in the level of dietary IALM.

Phytotoxins eliminated by milk: a review

ABSTRACT: Milk is a complex emulsion of lipids suspended in aqueous protein solution that can be a carrier of various contaminants, but generally it is not an important route of toxic excretion. The main problem is chronic repetitive exposure, as it occurs with ingestion of toxic plants and its potential danger to animals that consume the milk. Previously reported hazardous phytotoxins eliminated by milk include: indolizidine alkaloids, causing oligosaccharide storage disease; piperidine alkaloids, causing acute poisoning or malformations; pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which cause hepatic lesions; quinolizidine alkaloids, as a cause of skeletal defects; glucosinolates, which cause changes in the thyroid; tremetol (or tremetone), which causes a disease characterized by tremors in animals and milk sickness in humans; sodium monofluoracetate, which causes the death of kids after ingestion of colostrum from goats that have ingested Amorimia septentrionalis during gestation; ptaquiloside, which induces carcinogenesis in animals that ingest milk or derivatives produced by animals that have ingested Pteridium spp. Ipomoea asarifolia, which contains indole diterpenes causing tremors in suckling pups. Chrysocoma ciliata causes alopecia in suckling pups, but its toxic compound is still unknown. Knowledge about the risk of exposure to these substances via milk and its dissemination are important for veterinary and human health.