RESUMO
ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the acaricidal activity of the volatile oils of three species of Croton, Euphorbiaceae, against the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus. The volatile oils were obtained by hydrodistillation, analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID and their acaricidal activity was evaluated by the larval packet test and adult immersion test. The volatile oils from Croton conduplicatus Kunth, Croton pulegiodorus Baill., and two different collections of Croton grewioides Baill. (CG1 and CG2) showed eucalyptol (24.09%), p-cymene (23.13%) and methyl chavicol (83.59% and 95.38%) as the major compounds, respectively. All the volatile oils tested in this study showed efficacy against larvae and engorged females of Rhipicephalus microplus. Therefore, Croton pulegiodorus volatile oil is promising for a potential acaricidal formulation because of the best activity against both stages of the cattle tick.
RESUMO
Pilocarpus microphyllus Stapf ex Wardleworth (jaborandi, Rutaceae) is one of the most important Brazilian medicinal species owing to its content of pilocarpine (PIL), an alkaloid used for treating glaucoma and xerostomia. This species contains another alkaloid, epiisopiloturine (EPI), which has demonstrated effectiveness against schistosomiasis. The aim of this work was to assess seasonal changes of PIL and EPI in three populations of cultivated P. microphyllus from northeastern Brazil over one year, including the dry and rainy seasons. Alkaloid profiles were correlated to phenotypic and genetic patterns in the morphological and molecular characterizations. PIL was the primary alkaloid and its levels differed among populations in all months except September. The S01 population (green line) showed an especially high PIL content compared to populations S02 and S03 (traditional line), which had similar alkaloid contents. PIL content gradually decreased in the three populations in the rainy season.EPI content was significantly different between the green line (S01) and the traditional line (S02 and S03).S01 had a significantly lower EPI content in all months, demonstrating that it was not the best source for EPI extraction. Inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers and morphological analyses clearly separated S01 from S02 and S03, in agreement with the alkaloid results. This study shows the first correlation between the chemical, morphological, and molecular markers of P. microphyllus and highlights the potential benefits of a multidisciplinary research approach aimed at supporting both industry and conservation of natural resources.
