Trichoderma strains accelerate maturation and increase available phosphorus during vermicomposting enriched with rock phosphate.

AIMS: To suggest microbial inoculation as a tool to shorten organic residues stabilization and increase rock phosphate (RP) solubilization through vermicomposting, thus increasing nutrient content in plants and making it more appealing to farmers. Two Trichoderma strains were inoculated alone or combined in a RP apatite-enriched vermicompost. Stability and plant-available phosphorus levels were monitored for 120 days. METHODS AND RESULTS: Observable higher total organic carbon reduction in the treatment with the combined Trichoderma strains, followed by the inoculation with T. asperellum and T. virens. Combined Trichoderma and inoculation with T. virens increased humic acids (HA) content in 38·2 and 25·0%, respectively; non-inoculated vermicompost with T. asperellum increased it by 15·0%. The combined Trichoderma strains and T. virens achieved the stability index based on the humic/fulvic acids (HA/FA) ratio after 120 days. T. asperellum, combined Trichoderma and T. virens increased the citric acid soluble-P content in 83·2, 62·2 and 49·5%, respectively, compared to the non-inoculated vermicompost. CONCLUSIONS: Inoculation with combined T. asperellum and T. virens efficiently accelerated vermicompost stabilization; T. asperellum increased the citric acid soluble-P in the final product. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Combined Trichoderma inoculation and RP enrichment improves the vermicompost quality, increasing HA and citric acid soluble-P, recycling organic waste nutrients and reducing agricultural dependence on phosphate fertilizers.

Teor e composição do óleo essencial de quatro acessos e duas cultivares de manjericão (Ocimum basilicum L. ) / Essential oil composition and content of different accessions and cultivars of basil (Ocimum basilicum L. )

O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar o teor e a composição química dos óleos essenciais de quatro acessos silvestres de manjericão (Ocimum basilicum L.), provenientes de diferentes regiões geográficas, e duas cultivares comerciais cultivados sob as mesmas condições edafoclimáticas. As sementes dos acessos foram coletadas nos município de Gurupi-TO (GUR) e de Monte Alegre-GO (MAL, MVE e FPS) e as sementes da cultivar comercial manjericão roxo (MR) foram adquiridas no comércio de Gurupi e da cultivar Maria Bonita (MB) foram fornecidas pelo Horto de Plantas Medicinais da Universidade Federal de Lavras. O plantio foi realizado em vasos com capacidade de dez litros utilizando-se como substrato: solo de barranco e esterco bovino na proporção 2:1. O óleo essencial foi obtido por hidrodestilação em aparelho tipo Clevenger e a identificação e a porcentagem relativa dos compostos do óleo essencial foi realizada por Cromatografia à Gás acoplada a Detector de Espectrometria de Massas. Foram identificados trinta e nove substâncias nos óleos essenciais obtidos, abrangendo monoterpenos, sesquiterpenos e fenilpropanoides. Nas cultivares MB e MR o composto majoritário foi o linalol, enquanto nos acessos silvestres (MAL, GUR, FPS e MVE) o composto em maior quantidade foi o (E)-cinamato de metila. O maior teor de óleo essencial foi obtido na cultivar Maria Bonita (3,77%).

The objective of this study was to evaluate the essential oil chemical composition and content of four wild accessions of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), from different geographical regions, and two commercial cultivars grown under the same edaphoclimatic conditions. The seeds of the accessions were collected in the municipality of Gurupi, state of Tocantins (GUR), and Monte Alegre, state ofGoiás (MAL, MVE and FPS), and the seeds of the commercial cultivar of purple basil (MR) were acquired in the Gurupi market and the seeds of the commercial cultivar Maria Bonita (MB) were provided by the Garden of Medicinal Plants of the Federal University of Lavras. The seeds were planted in pots with a capacity of ten liters using as substrate soil from earth works and cattle manure in the proportion of 2:1. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus, and the identification and the relative percentage of the compounds of the essential oil were performed by Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry Detector. Thirty-nine compounds were identified in the essential oils obtained, which were divided into monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and phenylpropanoids. In the cultivars MB and MR, the major compound was linalool, and in the wild accessions (MAL, GUR, FPS and MVE) it was the (E)-methyl cinnamate. The highest content of essential oil was obtained from the cultivar Maria Bonita (3.77%).

Prospecção fitoquímica preliminar de plantas nativas do cerrado de uso popular medicinal pela comunidade rural do assentamento vale verde - Tocantins / Preliminary phytochemical screening of native Cerrado plants of medicinal popular use by the rural community of the Vale Verde settlement - Tocantins

Este estudo objetivou caracterizar qualitativamente grupos de metabólitos secundários e alguns constituintes de 9 espécies de plantas medicinais nativas do cerrado utilizadas pela comunidade rural do Assentamento Vale Verde, identificando potencialidades biológicas e farmacológicas. As informações referentes às plantas de uso medicinal foram obtidas por meio de estudos etnobotânicos e etnofarmacológicos, realizados no período de 2010 a 2012. O material botânico coletado foi identificado e depositado no Herbário da Universidade Federal do Tocantins, Porto Nacional (TO). O extrato etanólico e metanólico foi obtido a partir do material seco em estufa, filtrado e concentrado em evaporador rotatório sob pressão reduzida, pesados e novamente colocados em estufa por 24h a 50ºC, obtendo o rendimento (m/m) resultante da relação entre a massa de extrato concentrado e após seco. A análise fitoquímica das plantas selecionadas foi feita usando a metodologia da Prospecção Preliminar, realizando testes para detecção de alguns constituintes importantes e dos principais grupos de metabólitos: saponinas, fenóis e taninos, catequinas, esteróides e triterpenóides, cumarinas, antraquinonas e flavonóides. Os testes foram considerados positivos através de reações de precipitados com colorações, formações de espumas e manchas coloridas. Os testes fitoquímicos realizados nos extratos revelarem a presença de constituintes do metabolismo secundário das plantas que podem contribuir para a identificação de marcadores químicos para as espécies estudadas, sendo estes indispensáveis para os testes de qualidade e integridade de fitoterápicos e uso popular mais seguro das plantas medicinais, possibilitando melhor controle farmacognóstico dessas espécies e direcionamento dos seus usos e aplicações na pesquisa pela bioatividade preliminarmente conhecida. Neste caso, especialmente devido às atividades antimicrobianas, antioxidantes e contra insetos, sugerindo relação com a presença de compostos fenólicos e flavonoídicos, positivos nos extratos da maioria das espécies. Estas informações são inéditas no Tocantins e estratégicas para fortalecimento das políticas de conservação de Áreas de Reserva Legal no âmbito do Cerrado, bioma prioritário para conservação da biodiversidade, melhorando a caracterização dos recursos medicinais ainda disponíveis na flora nativa regional bem como vislumbrando suas aplicações biológicas e farmacológicas.

This qualitative study aimed to characterize the groups of secondary metabolites and some constituents of 9 species of native medicinal plants of the Cerrado region used by the rural community of Vale Verde Settlement, identifying their biological and pharmacological potential. The information on medicinal plants were obtained through ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies performed during the period 2010-2012. The botanical material collected was identified and deposited in the Herbarium of the Federal University of Tocantins, Porto Nacional (TO). The ethanolic and methanolic extracts were obtained from the oven dried material, filtered and concentrated in a rotary evaporator under reduced pressure, then weighed and placed again in an oven for 24h at 50 ° C, obtaining the yield (m / m), resulting from the ratio between the mass of concentrated extract and the mass after drying. Phytochemical analysis of selected plants was done using the methodology of Preliminary Prospecting, with tests for the detection of some important constituents and of the main groups of metabolites: saponins, phenols and tannins, catechins, steroids and triterpenoids, coumarins, anthraquinones and flavonoids. The tests were considered positive by the reactions of precipitates with colorations, the formation of foams and colored stains. Phytochemical tests performed on the extracts revealed the presence of constituents of secondary metabolism of plants, which can help to identify chemical markers of species. These markers are indispensable for testing quality and integrity of phytochemicals and a safer popular use of medicinal plants, enabling a better pharmacognostic control of these species and guidance for their use and applications in research by the preliminarily known bioactivity. In this case, it is especially due to the antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti insect activities, suggesting an association with the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, positive in extracts of most species. These data are novel in Tocantins and strategic for the strengthening of conservation policies of Legal Reserve Areas within the Cerrado, priority biome for the conservation of biodiversity, improving the characterization of medicinal resources still available in the regional native flora, also foreseeing their biological and pharmacological applications.