The pequi pulp oil (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) provides protection against aging-related anemia, inflammation and oxidative stress in Swiss mice, especially in females.

Continued exposure to reactive oxygen species and inflammation are the rationale behind aging theories and associated diseases. Scientific evidence corroborates the ethnomedicinal use of the oil of pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.), a typical Brazilian Cerrado fruit, against oxidative damage to biomolecules and inflammation. We aimed to investigate in vivo the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of pequi oil on hemogram and DNA damage in healthy young adult and older middle-aged Swiss mice of both genders. Animals, aged 6-7 and 11-12 months, were orally treated for 15 days with pequi oil at 30 mg/day. Blood samples were used for hemogram and comet assay, and bone marrow for micronucleus test. Female controls of 11-12 months had significantly lower haemoglobin and hematocrit than those of 6-7 months. Treatment with pequi oil improved this state, removing the differences. Pequi oil had no genotoxic or clastogenic effects and significantly increased lymphocytes and decreased neutrophils+monocytes in females of 11-12 months, removing the significant differences observed between controls of 6-7 and 11-12 months. The results suggest that dietary supplementation with pequi oil could protect against anemia, inflammation and oxidative stress related to aging, helping to prevent aging-related chronic degenerative diseases, mainly for females.

Effect of Accessions and Environment Conditions on Coumarin, O-Coumaric and Kaurenoic Acids Levels of Mikania laevigata.

Coumarin, o-coumaric, and kaurenoic acid are bioactive compounds usually found in the leaves of Mikania laevigata. Genetic and environmental variations in the secondary metabolites of plants may have implications for their biological effects. Three different accessions of M. laevigata cultivated in four sites between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn in Brazil were evaluated aiming to present potential raw materials and discuss relationships among these three bioactive compounds. The results revealed effects of plant accessions and environmental factors and suggested two contrasting chemical phenotypes of M. laevigata. The first phenotype presented the highest levels of kaurenoic acid (2283 ± 316 mg/100 g) besides lower levels of coumarin (716 ± 61 mg/100 g), which was also stimulated by the environment and mild climate at the site nearest to the Tropic of Capricorn. The other phenotype presented the lowest levels of kaurenoic acid (137 ± 17 mg/100 g) besides higher levels of coumarin (1362 ± 108 mg/100 g), which was also stimulated by the environment and tropical climate at the site nearest to the Equatorial beach.

Bioactive compounds and health benefits of some palm species traditionally used in Africa and the Americas - A review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: According to previous ethno-medicinal reviews, Cocos nucifera, Elaeis guineensis and Phoenix dactylifera are among the main palms which are often used on the American and African continents to treat infections, infestations and disorders in the digestive, respiratory, genito-urinary, dermal, endocrine, cardiovascular, muscular-skeletal, mental and neural systems, as well as neoplasms, dental issues and metabolic and nutritional disorders. In addition, one or more species of the wild genera Acrocomia, Areca, Astrocaryum, Attalea, Bactris, Borassus, Calamus, Chamaedorea, Chamaerops, Euterpe, Hyphaene, Mauritia, Oenocarpus and Syagrus have a high number of records of these ethno-medicinal uses. The most used parts of the palm tree are the fruits, followed by roots, seeds, leaves and flower sap. AIM OF THE STUDY: This review discusses the phytochemical composition and the pharmacological properties of these important ethno-medicinal palms, aiming to provide a contribution to future research prospects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Significant information was compiled from an electronic search in widely used international scientific databases (Google Scholar, Science Direct, SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, Wiley on line Library, Scielo, ACS Publications), and additional information was obtained from dissertations, theses, books and other relevant websites. RESULTS: Palms, in general, are rich in oils, terpenoids and phenolic compounds. Fruits of many species are notable for their high content of healthy oils and fat-soluble bioactive compounds, mainly terpenoids, such as pigment carotenoids (and provitamin A), phytosterols, triterpene pentacyclics and tocols (and vitamin E), while other species stood out for their phenolic compounds derived from benzoic and cinnamic acids, along with flavan-3-ol, flavone, flavonol, and stilbene compounds or anthocyanin pigments. In addition to fruits, other parts of the plant such as seeds, leaves, palm heart, flowers and roots are also sources of many bioactive compounds. These compounds are linked to the ethno-medicinal use of many palms that improve human health against infections, infestations and disorders of human systems. CONCLUSIONS: Palms have provided bioactive samples that validate their effectiveness in traditional medicine. However, the intensive study of all palm species related to ethno-medicinal use is needed, along with selection of the most appropriate palm accessions, ripe stage of the fruit and /or part of the plant. Furthermore, the complete profiles of all phytochemicals, their effects on animal models and human subjects, and toxicological and clinical trials are suggested, which, added to the incorporation of improved technological processes, should represent a significant advance for the implementation of new opportunities with wide benefits for human health.

Bayesian Multi-Trait Analysis Reveals a Useful Tool to Increase Oil Concentration and to Decrease Toxicity in Jatropha curcas L.

The biggest challenge for jatropha breeding is to identify superior genotypes that present high seed yield and seed oil content with reduced toxicity levels. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for three important traits (weight of 100 seed, oil seed content, and phorbol ester concentration), and to select superior genotypes to be used as progenitors in jatropha breeding. Additionally, the genotypic values and the genetic parameters estimated under the Bayesian multi-trait approach were used to evaluate different selection indices scenarios of 179 half-sib families. Three different scenarios and economic weights were considered. It was possible to simultaneously reduce toxicity and increase seed oil content and weight of 100 seed by using index selection based on genotypic value estimated by the Bayesian multi-trait approach. Indeed, we identified two families that present these characteristics by evaluating genetic diversity using the Ward clustering method, which suggested nine homogenous clusters. Future researches must integrate the Bayesian multi-trait methods with realized relationship matrix, aiming to build accurate selection indices models.

Correction: Bayesian Multi-Trait Analysis Reveals a Useful Tool to Increase Oil Concentration and to Decrease Toxicity in Jatropha curcas L.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157038.].

Chemical composition and biological activities of Arachis species.

Arachis hypogaea , known as the peanut, is native to South America. Peanut contains several active components including flavonoids, phenolic acids, phytosterols, alkaloids, and stilbenes. Some therapeutic effects have been reported for peanut seed extracts, such as antioxidative, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activities. This paper aims to give an overview of the chemical composition, focusing on secondary metabolites, and of the biological activity of A. hypogaea, to stimulate new studies about species of the Arachis genus.

Total phenolics, flavonoids, tannins and antioxidant activity of lima beans conserved in a Brazilian Genebank / Fenólicos, flavonoides, taninos totais e atividade antioxidante de fava conservada em banco de germoplasma

The objective of this study was to characterize for the first time polyphenols and DPPH (2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl radical) antioxidant activity in commonly cultivated accessions of Phaseolus lunatus from an ex situ germplasm collection maintained by Embrapa, in Brazil. Furthermore, the study aimed to detect changes in total polyphenols, total flavonoids and condensed tannin for the same accessions after regeneration in a greenhouse. The results showed the diversity of the lima bean collection for phenolic compounds, which were strongly correlated with antioxidant activity. Lima beans accessions with the highest polyphenols and antioxidant activity were those with colored seeds. Conservation through cold storage of P. lunatus seeds in a cold chamber in the germplasm collection did not necessarily affect phenolic compounds. Variations observed in values after regeneration seeds may be mainly results of biotic and abiotic factors, including not only cultivar, but also environmental conditions. This study suggests that polyphenols in the lima beans present antioxidant activity, with possible beneficial effects for human health. It was expected that the potential of this tasty legume can be also used as a functional food crop and/or as a new ingredient in gastronomy.

O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar, pela primeira vez, os polifenois totais e a atividade antioxidante por DPPH (2- difenil-1- picryhydrazyl radical) em acessos cultivados de Phaseolus lunatus L., provenientes de uma coleção de germoplasma mantida pela Embrapa, no Brasil, e detectar mudanças nos teores de polifenóis totais, flavonoides e taninos condensados, após a regeneração dos acessos em casa de vegetação. Os resultados mostraram a diversidade da coleção de fava para compostos fenólicos, que foram fortemente correlacionados com a atividade antioxidante. Os acessos de fava com os teores mais elevados de polifenóis e de atividade antioxidante foram aqueles com sementes coloridas. A conservação das sementes de P. lunatus na câmara fria da coleção de germoplasma não afetou, necessariamente, os polifenois, sendo que as variações após a regeneração das sementes parecem resultar principalmente de fatores bióticos e abióticos, incluindo não apenas cultivar, mas também condições ambientais. Este estudo sugeriu que os polifenóis da fava apresentam atividade antioxidante, com possíveis efeitos benéficos para a saúde humana. Esperamos que o potencial deste apetitoso legume também possa ser aplicado como alimento funcional e/ou como um novo ingrediente na gastronomia.

Teores de ácido anacárdico em pedúnculos de cajueiro Anacardium microcarpum e em oito clones de Anacardium occidentale var. nanum disponíveis no Nordeste do Brasil / Anacardic acid content in cashew apples from Annacardium microcarpum and eight clones of Anacardium occidentale from Northeastern Brazil

O ácido anacárdico, composto fenólico presente em pedúnculos de caju e em algumas plantas medicinais, vem sendo associado a uma série de atividades biológicas específicas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o teor deste composto em pedúnculos de cajueiro A. microcarpum e em oito clones de A. occidentale var. nanum disponíveis na região Nordeste do Brasil, avaliando, também, algumas características físico-químicas e sensoriais destes pedúnculos. Os pedúnculos do clone BRS 189 apresentaram os maiores teores de ácido anacárdico. Pedúnculos da espécie Anacardium microcarpum e pedúnculos de cajueiro anão precoce, clones END 189 e 183, Embrapa 50 e 51 e CCP 09 não diferiram significativamente dos pedúnculos procedentes do clone controle, CCP 076. Pedúnculos do clone CCP 1001 apresentaram os menores teores de ácido anacárdico. As análises físico-químicas e sensoriais confirmaram evidências de que os clones CCP 09 e 1001 não são apropriados para o consumo in natura.