Estudo comparativo de diferentes métodos de extração de compostos bioativos de plantas alimentícias não convencionais (PANC)

As Plantas Alimentícias Não Convencionais (PANC) são espécies rústicas, cosmopolitas e normalmente de fácil adaptação edafoclimáticas. Possuem uma ou mais partes comestíveis e não estão normalmente incluídas em nossa dieta cotidiana. Grande parte dessas espécies podem apresentar diferentes atividades biológicas, principalmente como antioxidantes. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a capacidade antioxidante e quantificar os principais compostos fenólicos de frutos da Leandra regnellii Cogn. (pixirica), Solanum americanum Mill (maria-pretinha) e Phytolaca thyrsiflora Hill. (fitolaca), em três diferentes métodos de extração, quais sejam: 1) aquosa por refluxo, 2) aquosa por maceração e 3) hidroetanólica. A maior atividade antioxidante obtida foi para a L. regnellii, sob extrato hidroetanólico e por refluxo. Quanto ao teor de compostos fenólicos, os melhores resultados obtidos foram para a espécie L. regnellii em extrato por maceração, seguida da P. thyrsiflora em extrato utilizando sistema de refluxo. Quanto a quantificação dos compostos majoritários por HPLC, a espécie L. regnellii também apresentou o maior teor de compostos fenólicos no extrato hidroetanólico, destacando-se o ácido ferúlico, ácido gálico, naringina, epicatequina e hesperidina. Na espécie P. thyrsiflora, foram identificados ácido gálico e quercetina em extrato hidroetanólico e apigenina em extrato por maceração. S. americanum no extrato hidroetanólico, apresentou rutina, catequina, epicatequina e vitexina como principais componentes. O presente estudo mostra atividade antioxidante expressiva assim como a presença de compostos fenólicos que apresentam atividade biológica ressaltando a importância da escolha do método de extração para futuros usos destas espécies pela indústria alimentícia e farmacêutica.

Rośliny lecznicze występujące w południowej części Indii

Omówiono i opisano wybrane gatunki znajdujące się zarówno w stanie naturalnym, jak i w uprawie, spośród 7500 roślin leczniczych występujących na terenie Indii – prawdziwego emporium roślin leczniczych i aromatycznych. W codziennym użyciu są tam takie gatunki jak: Azadirachta indica, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Erythrina indica, Gloriosa superba, Jatropha curcas, Moringa oleifera, Phyllanthus amarus, Ssbania grandiflora, Tamarindus indica, Tridax procumbens i Vitex negundo. Najczęściej zaś uprawiane są: Aloe vera, Azadirachta indica, Curcuma longa, Emblica officinalis, Eukaliptus tereticornis, Gloriosa superba, Moringa oleifera, Ricinus communis, Sesamum indicum, Ssbania grandiflora, Solanum americanum, Tamarindus indica i Zingiber officinale. Określono też ich wartość użytkową.

Diverse non-crop vegetation assemblages as banker plants for predatory mites in strawberry crop

Non-crop plant diversity plays a fundamental role in the conservation of predatory mite (PM) and can be proposed as a banker plant system (BPS). BPSs provide plants that host natural enemies in greenhouses or field crops and may improve the efficiency of biological control. The aim of this study was to investigate if a diverse plant composition could be a suitable BPS for PMs in strawberry crops. A plant inventory characterized 22 species of non-crop plants harboring PMs. The most abundant PMs, in decreasing order, were Neoseiulus californicus, Neoseiulus anonymus, Euseius citrifolius, and Euseius concordis. PMs were randomly distributed among plants. We also found specific associations of Phytoseiidae species and phytophagous or generalist mites on plants. Due to this, four species were deemed suitable as banker plants: Capsicum sp., Leonurus sibiricus, Solanum americanum, and Urochloa mutica. Moreover, these plants combined a high PMs density and a low occurrence or absence of pest-mites. This study suggests shifting the traditional view that BPSs are composed of a limited number of species to use plant assemblages. This contributes to both conservation and augmentative biological control.

New species and host plant records for Neotropical Rhagoletis Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Rhagoletis antioquiensis Rodriguez & Norrbom, a new species of fruit fly in the striatella species group of Rhagoletis Loew, is described and illustrated. New distribution records are reported for two other species of the striatella group: R. nicaraguensis Hernández-Ortiz & Frías, 2000 is reported from Costa Rica, and R. solanophaga Hernández-Ortiz & Frías, 2000 from Bolivia. A lectotype is designated for Urophora scutellaris Macquart, 1851 (= R. macquartii (Loew)). New host plant relationships for three species of Rhagoletis, all reared from fruits, are reported: Acnistus arborescens (L.) Schrtdl. and Witheringia solanacea L’Her for R. jamaicensis Foote, 1981 from Colombia; Lycianthes pseudolycioides (Chod. & Hassl.) Bitter for R. solanophaga from Bolivia; and Solanum pseudocapsicum L., Solanum tuberosum L. subsp. andigenum (Juz. & Burkasov) Hawkes, Solanum interandinum Bitter from Colombia and Solanum americanum Mill. in Peru for undetermined species of the psalida group. The key to species of the striatella group of Hernández-Ortiz & Frías (2000) is modified to include R. antioquiensis.

SOLANUM EMULANS RAF. AND SOLANUM SCABRUM MILL. (SOLANACEAE) IN THE UDMURT REPUBLIC

Information about the finds in the Udmurt Republic of two adventive Solanum species is reported. Of these, Solanum emulans is a new species for the flora of Russia. It is brought to the city of Izhevsk with North American grain. In 1993, three of its locations were discovered: at the Izhevsk railway station and in the wastelands in the courtyards of the Izhevsk bakery plant and the Izhevsk bread-receiving enterprise no. 2. Solanum scabrum is occasionally cultivated by amateur gardeners as an exotic plant. In a wild state, it has been known since 2000. To date, eleven of its locations are known in the cities of Izhevsk, Votkinsk, Mozhga, Sarapul, as well as in Zavyalovsky, Uvinsky, Yakshur-Bodinsky and Yarsky districts. Most of its finds are associated with dumps and municipal waste dumping sites. In the conditions of the Udmurt Republic, Solanum emulans and Solanum scabrum are ephemerophytes. The features that distinguish Solanum emulans and Solanum scabrum from morphologically similar species such as Solanum americanum, Solanum nigrum., Solanum retroflexum are given.