Resumo

O Cerrado representa um banco fitoquímico de grande importância para a humanidade. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar através da prospecção fitoquímica, os principais compostos químicos presentes nos extratos foliares de Byrsonima verbascifolia, Cardiopetalum calophyllum, Curatella americana e Qualea grandiflora. Neste estudo, foram coletadas folhas das espécies em área de preservação permanente (APP) no município de Rio Verde, GO. Os extratos foliares etanólicos foram avaliados quanto à presença ou não dos principais fitocompostos: ácidos orgânicos, açúcares redutores, alcalóides, antraquinonas, catequinas, cumarinas, depsídeos, depsidonas, ligações olefínicas, fenóis, flavonóides, glicosídeos cardiotônicos, polissacarídeos, purinas, saponinas e taninos. Exceto para grupos olefínicos, polissacarídicos e purínicos, foram observados resultados positivos para a maioria das classes metabólicas secundárias. A pesquisa preliminar dos extratos foliares etanólicos destas quatro espécies, possibilita uma prévia avaliação sobre suas características fitoquímicas devendo ainda ser avaliadas quanto aos seus teores e compostos majoritários para que se possam ser utilizadas como medicamentos fitoterápicos ou sintetização industrial.

The Cerrado represents a phytochemical bank of great importance for humanity. The objective of this study was to identify through phytochemical prospecting, the main chemical compounds present in the leaf extracts of Byrsonima verbascifolia, Cardiopetalum calophyllum ,Curatella americana and Qualea grandiflora. In this study, leaves of the species were collected in a permanent preservation area (APP) in the city of Rio Verde, State of Goiás. Ethanolic foliar extracts for the presence or absence of the main phytocomponents: organic acids, reducing sugars, alkaloids, anthraquinones, catechins, coumarins, depsidones, olefinic bonds, phenols, flavonoids, cardiotonic glycosides, polysaccharides, purines, saponins and tannins were evaluated. Except for olefin, polysaccharide and purine groups, positive results were observed for most of the secondary metabolic classes. Preliminary research on the ethanolic foliar extracts of these four species makes possible a preliminary evaluation about their phytochemical characteristics and should be evaluated for their contents and major compounds so that they can be used as herbal medicines or industrial synthesis.

Resumo

Abstract High potential, thermotolerant, ethanol-producing yeasts were successfully isolated in this study. Based on molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis, the isolated thermotolerant yeasts were clustered in the genera of Pichia kudriavzevii, Candida tropicalis, Candida orthopsilosis, Candida glabrata and Kodamea ohmeri. A comparative study of ethanol production using 160 g/L glucose as a substrate revealed several yeast strains that could produce high ethanol concentrations at high temperatures. When sugarcane bagasse (SCB) hydrolysate containing 85 g/L glucose was used as a substrate, the yeast strain designated P. kudriavzevii RZ8-1 exhibited the highest ethanol concentrations of 35.51 g/L and 33.84 g/L at 37 °C and 40 °C, respectively. It also exhibited multi-stress tolerance, such as heat, ethanol and acetic acid tolerance. During ethanol fermentation at high temperature (42 °C), genes encoding heat shock proteins (ssq1 and hsp90), alcohol dehydrogenases (adh1, adh2, adh3 and adh4) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (tdh2) were up-regulated, suggesting that these genes might play a crucial role in the thermotolerance ability of P. kudriavzevii RZ8-1 under heat stress. These findings suggest that the growth and ethanol fermentation activities of this organism under heat stress were restricted to the expression of genes involved not only in heat shock response but also in the ethanol production pathway.

Resumo

Abstract Shenqu is a fermented product that is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat indigestion; however, the microbial strains in the fermentation process are still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate microbial diversity in Shenqu using different fermentation time periods. DGGE (polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) profiles indicated that a strain of Pediococcus acidilactici (band 9) is the predominant bacteria during fermentation and that the predominant fungi were uncultured Rhizopus, Aspergillus oryzae, and Rhizopus oryzae. In addition, pathogenic bacteria, such as Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Erwinia billingiae, and Pantoea vagan were detected in Shenqu. DGGE analysis showed that bacterial and fungal diversity declined over the course of fermentation. This determination of the predominant bacterial and fungal strains responsible for fermentation may contribute to further Shenqu research, such as optimization of the fermentation process.

Resumo

The use of compounds with antioxidant properties as a source of phelanoeid compounds is highly recommendable in the poultry industry. Therefore, the effect of Cichorium intybus L. herb on pathobiochemical indexes of chicken under heat stress was studied. After exposure to heat stress (from day 21 to day 42 of growth), hydroalcoholic extraction was provided to 270 broiler chicks randomly divided into six groups and placed in two distinct poultry houses (heat stress and normal conditions). The three groups were recipient group of Cichorium intybus L. (1); recipient group of vitamin C (2) and control group (3). The birds in one of the houses were exposed to heat stress conditions (35 °C for 8 hours) for a time period between 22 to 42 days and the birds in the other house were reared under normal conditions (20-22°C) for the same time period. Blood samples collected from the birds showed that Cichorium intybus L. herb caused significant decrease in uric acid, Triglyceride, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total body clearance factors (CL- factors) and right ventricular failure index (RVF) and significant increase in K+ under heat stress condition (p < 0.05). Vitamin C caused significant decrease in uric acid, ALT, CL- factors and RVF index and significant increase in K+ and Na+ under heat stress condition (p 0.05). A significant decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride in recipient group of Cichorium intybus L was observed compared to the recipient group of vitamin C under heat stress condition (p < 0.05). In a pathologic examination normal observations were in recipient group of Cichorium intybus L and recipient group of vitamin C compared to the control group. According to this study, use of Cichorium intybus L extract and vitamin C in chicken under heat stress induced improvement in liver, kidney activity and fat metabolism.

Resumo

Bacteria from the genus Methylobacterium interact symbiotically (endophytically and epiphytically) with different plant species. These interactions can promote plant growth or induce systemic resistance, increasing plant fitness. The plant colonization is guided by molecular communication between bacteria-bacteria and bacteria-plants, where the bacteria recognize specific exuded compounds by other bacteria (e.g. homoserine molecules) and/or by the plant roots (e.g. flavonoids, ethanol and methanol), respectively. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of quorum sensing molecules (N-acyl-homoserine lactones) and plant exudates (including ethanol) in the expression of a series of bacterial genes involved in Methylobacterium-plant interaction. The selected genes are related to bacterial metabolism (mxaF), adaptation to stressful environment (crtI, phoU and sss), to interactions with plant metabolism compounds (acdS) and pathogenicity (patatin and phoU). Under in vitro conditions, our results showed the differential expression of some important genes related to metabolism, stress and pathogenesis, thereby AHL molecules up-regulate all tested genes, except phoU, while plant exudates induce only mxaF gene expression. In the presence of plant exudates there is a lower bacterial density (due the endophytic and epiphytic colonization), which produce less AHL, leading to down regulation of genes when compared to the control. Therefore, bacterial density, more than plant exudate, influences the expression of genes related to plant-bacteria interaction.