Floristic survey of vascular plants of the Parque Estadual da Pedra Selada, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Background: The Atlantic Forest is one of the most diverse and threatened phytogeographical domains in the world. Despite that, it includes regions with poor floristic knowledge, even in protected areas. Although the importance of protected areas in conserving the Atlantic Forest hotspot is undisputed, it is necessary to recognise the floristic richness of these areas to propose effective conservation actions. In this sense, online databases have proved to be a promising tool for compiling species lists with relevant biodiversity information. This study is based on the list of vascular plants of the "Parque Estadual da Pedra Selada", published in the "Catálogo de Plantas das Unidades de Conservação do Brasil". It summarises the species richness, endemism and conservation status of this protected area. New information: The published list of vascular plants was based on data obtained from herbarium collections available in online databases. A total of 303 species have been recorded for the "Parque Estadual da Pedra Selada," of which 297 are native to Brazil, 78 are endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, and seven are endemic to the State of Rio de Janeiro. More than 60% of the species are woody, and more than 40% are trees. Eight threatened species (Endangered - EN and Vulnerable - VU), of which five are endemic to the State of Rio de Janeiro, are housed in this protected area. One species was classified as Data Deficient (DD). Our results increase the knowledge of the Atlantic Forest flora in the State of Rio de Janeiro and support effective conservation planning for this protected area.

A new species and new records of Solanum (Solanaceae) from Colombia.

We describe a new species of the Geminata clade of Solanum from Colombia and provide new distributional records for two additional Solanum species, recorded here for the first time in Colombia. Solanumbohsii J.D. Tovar, sp. nov. is morphologically similar to S.chlamydogynum Bitter from Venezuela of the Solanumsessile species group (Geminata clade). These two species can be distinguished by trichome morphology, as well as colour and density of the indumentum. In addition, we report new range expansions into Colombia for two species: S.tanysepalum S.Knapp (Geminata clade) known previously only from Venezuela and S.verecundum M.Nee (Brevantherum clade) from Ecuador and Peru.

ResumenDescribimos una nueva especie del clado Geminata de Solanum de Colombia y proveemos nuevos datos de distribución para otras dos especies de Solanum, registradas aqui por primera vez en Colombia. Solanumbohsii J.D. Tovar, sp. nov. es morfológicamente similar con S.chlamydogynum Bitter de Venezuela del grupo de especies de Solanumsessile (Geminata clade). Estas dos especies se diferencian por el tipo de tricomas, color y densidad de su indumento. Además, reportamos nuevos registros de dos especies que expanden sus rangos de distribucion a Colombia: S.tanysepalum S. Knapp (clado Geminata) conocida previamente solo de Venezuela y S.verecundum M. Nee (clado Brevantherum) de Ecuador y Perú.

The Program for Biodiversity Research in Brazil: The role of regional networks for biodiversity knowledge, dissemination, and conservation.

The Program for Biodiversity Research (PPBio) is an innovative program designed to integrate all biodiversity research stakeholders. Operating since 2004, it has installed long-term ecological research sites throughout Brazil and its logic has been applied in some other southern-hemisphere countries. The program supports all aspects of research necessary to understand biodiversity and the processes that affect it. There are presently 161 sampling sites (see some of them at Supplementary Appendix), most of which use a standardized methodology that allows comparisons across biomes and through time. To date, there are about 1200 publications associated with PPBio that cover topics ranging from natural history to genetics and species distributions. Most of the field data and metadata are available through PPBio web sites or DataONE. Metadata is available for researchers that intend to explore the different faces of Brazilian biodiversity spatio-temporal variation, as well as for managers intending to improve conservation strategies. The Program also fostered, directly and indirectly, local technical capacity building, and supported the training of hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students. The main challenge is maintaining the long-term funding necessary to understand biodiversity patterns and processes under pressure from global environmental changes.

Solanum hydroides (Solanaceae): a prickly novelty from the land of the sugar loaves, central Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Solanum hydroides Gouvêa & Giacomin, sp. nov., is described from central Brazilian Atlantic Forest. It is known from only three localities in Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais states, where granitic/gneissic outcrops (inselbergs or sugar loaves) are ubiquitous. The new species, here described, belongs to Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum (or the Leptostemonum clade; i.e. the spiny solanums) and is morphologically related to S. hexandrum Vell. and S. sublentum Hiern, with which it shares the shrubby habit, decurrent leaf bases and well-developed calyces that become accrescent, covering glabrous fruits. Solanum hydroides is unique in its combination of comparatively more delicate habit, indumentum of exclusively stellate eglandular trichomes, accrescent but never inflated fruiting calyces that only partially cover the fruits and comparatively shortly lobed and strictly white corollas. The species is threatened with extinction and assessed as Vulnerable (VU), based on the IUCN criteria.

ResumoSolanum hydroides Gouvêa & Giacomin, sp. nov., é aqui descrita para região central da Floresta Atlântica brasileira. Ela é conhecida apenas para três localidades, nos estados do Espírito Santo e Minas Gerais, em uma região onde afloramentos graníticos/gnáissicos (inselbergues ou pães de açúcar) são onipresentes. A nova espécie pertence a Solanum subgen. Leptostemonum (ou Solanum clado Leptostemonum, i.e. espécies espinhentas com tricomas estrelados) e é morfologicamente semelhante a S. hexandrum Vell. e S. sublentum Hiern, com quem compartilha o hábito arbustivo, a base das lâminas foliares decurrentes e cálices bem desenvolvidos, acrescentes em seus frutos glabros. Solanum hydroides é, contudo, a única espécie que apresenta a seguinte combinação de caracteres: hábito delicado, indumento composto apenas por tricomas estrelados egandulares, cálices frutíferos acrescentes, mas nunca inflados, que cobrem parcialmente os frutos e corolas com lóbulos curtos e estritamente brancas. A espécie é considerada como ameaçada de extinção, na categoria Vulnerável (VU), segundo os critérios da IUCN.

A sticky and heavily armed new species of Solanum (Solanumsubg.Leptostemonum, Solanaceae) from eastern Brazil.

We describe a new species of spiny Solanum (Solanumsubg.Leptostemonum), endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and associated with granitic outcrops (inselbergs or sugar loaf mountains). Solanumkollastrum Gouvêa & Giacomin, sp. nov. is morphologically similar to the poorly known S.sublentum Hiern, but is a heavily armed, much more robust plant with stellate-glandular indumentum. Together with S.sublentum, it is morphologically related to some species of Solanum such as S.hexandrum Vell., S.robustum H.Wendl., and S.stagnale Moric. that share strongly accrescent calyces, large leaves with the bases decurrent on to the petiole, pendent simple inflorescences and large, robust flowers. The new species is restricted to a few known populations in southern Bahia and north-eastern Minas Gerais states and conservation efforts are needed.

ResumoNeste trabalho descrevemos uma nova espécie aculeada de Solanum (Solanumsubg.Leptostemonum) endêmica da Floresta Atlântica brasileira, associada a afloramentos graníticos (inselbergs ou pães de açúcar). Solanumkollastrum Gouvêa & Giacomin, sp. nov. é morfologicamente semelhante a S.sublentum Hiern, mas difere desta pelo hábito mais robusto e pelos ramos fortemente armados e recobertos por tricomas estrelados glandulares. Juntamente com S.sublentum, S.kollastrum é morfologicamente relacionada com algumas espécies sul-americanas que possuem cálices frutíferos fortemente acrescentes, folhas grandes com a base da lâmina decurrente no pecíolo, inflorescências pendentes simples e flores robustas, como S.hexandrum Vell., S.robustum H.Wendl. e S.stagnale Moric.. A espécie possui distribuição restrita ao sul da Bahia e nordeste de Minas Gerais, com poucas populações conhecidas, e necessita de esforços para conservação.

Avaliação do potencial antioxidante e anti-Helicobacter pylori in vitro de extratos de plantas medicinais utilizadas popularmente na região amazônica / Evaluation of antioxidant and anti-Helicobacter pylori in vitro potential of medicinal plant extracts popularly used in Amazon

Na região amazônica, ainda que não conclusivo, estima-se a existência de aproximadamente 60.000 espécies de plantas contribuindo para uma vasta riqueza natural. Considerando essa estimativa, são necessários investimentos em ciência e tecnologia, proteção e valorização dos recursos naturais e, principalmente, a importância dos conhecimentos tradicionais associados à biodiversidade (Albagli, 2010). O conhecimento tradicional tem fornecido informações valiosas para a descoberta de novos agentes antimicrobianos a partir das plantas (Duraipandiyan, Ayyanar e Ignacimuthu, 2006), destacando a importância da medicina popular na busca por moléculas eficazes contra micro-organismos cada vez mais resistentes (Lopez, Hudson e Towers, 2001), como por exemplo Helicobacter pylori.(AU)

The Amazon region has an enormous diversity of plant species, which contributes to its known vast natural wealth. In this context, the aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-Helicobacter pylori and antiurease potentials of medicinal plant extracts popularly used in the western Pará, northern Brazil. Antimicrobial assays were carried out using spectrophotometric broth microdilution technique, the antioxidant potential by the DPPH and ABTS•+ assays and anti-urease activity by inhibition of the enzyme urease. The ethanolic extract of leaves of Schnella sp. showed the best antioxidant potential in both methods, with IC50= 6.35 µg/mL (DPPH) and 1.81 µg/mL (ABTS•+) and the highest percentage of inhibition of urease (45%) at 1024 µg/ml. The ethanolic extract of the resin of "breu-branco" inhibited 82.8% (512 µg/mL) of the bacterial growth. These results together show the potential of the plant species used in the western Pará, in the search for molecules with antioxidant and antimicrobial action.(AU)