The Regulation of Floral Colour Change in Pleroma raddianum (DC.) Gardner.

Floral colour change is a widespread phenomenon in angiosperms, but poorly understood from the genetic and chemical point of view. This article investigates this phenomenon in Pleroma raddianum, a Brazilian endemic species whose flowers change from white to purple. To this end, flavonoid compounds and their biosynthetic gene expression were profiled. By using accurate techniques (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS)), thirty phenolic compounds were quantified. Five key genes of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway were partially cloned, sequenced, and the mRNA levels were analysed (RT-qPCR) during flower development. Primary metabolism was also investigated by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-EIMS), where carbohydrates and organic acids were identified. Collectively, the obtained results suggest that the flower colour change in P. raddianum is determined by petunidin and malvidin whose accumulation coincides with the transcriptional upregulation of early and late biosynthetic genes of the flavonoid pathway, mainly CHS and ANS, respectively. An alteration in sugars, organic acids and phenolic co-pigments is observed together with the colour change. Additionally, an increment in the content of Fe3+ ions in the petals, from the pink to purple stage, seemed to influence the saturation of the colour.

Acylated Flavonoid Glycosides are the Main Pigments that Determine the Flower Colour of the Brazilian Native Tree Tibouchina pulchra (Cham.) Cogn.

Tibouchina pulchra (Cham.) Cogn. is a plant native to Brazil whose genus and family (Melastomataceae) are poorly studied with regards to its metabolite profile. Phenolic pigments of pink flowers were studied by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector and electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Therein, twenty-three flavonoids were identified with eight flavonols isolated by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and analysed by one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. Kaempferol derivatives were the main flavonols, encompassing almost half of the detected compounds with different substitution patterns, such as glucoside, pentosides, galloyl-glucoside, p-coumaroyl-glucoside, and glucuronide. Concerning the anthocyanins, petunidin p-coumaroyl-hexoside acetylpentoside and malvidin p-coumaroyl-hexoside acetylpentoside were identified and agreed with previous reports on acylated anthocyanins from Melastomataceae. A new kaempferol glucoside was identified as kaempferol-(2''-O-methyl)-4'-O-α-d-glucopyranoside. Moreover, twelve compounds were described for the first time in the genus with five being new to the family, contributing to the chemical characterisation of these taxa.

Antioxidant activity and total phenols from the methanolic extract of Miconia albicans (Sw.) Triana leaves.

Miconia is one of the largest genus of the Melastomataceae, with approximately 1,000 species. Studies aiming to describe the diverse biological activities of the Miconia species have shown promising results, such as analgesic, antimicrobial and trypanocidal properties. M. albicans leaves were dried, powdered and extracted to afford chloroformic and methanolic extracts. Total phenolic contents in the methanolic extract were determined according to modified Folin-Ciocalteu method. The antioxidant activity was measured using AAPH and DPPH radical assays. Chemical analysis was performed with the n-butanol fraction of the methanolic extract and the chloroformic extract, using different chromatographic techniques (CC, HPLC). The structural elucidation of compounds was performed using 500 MHz NMR and HPLC methods. The methanolic extract showed a high level of total phenolic contents; the results with antioxidant assays showed that the methanolic extract, the n-butanolic fraction and the isolated flavonoids from M. albicans had a significant scavenging capacity against AAPH and DPPH. Quercetin, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, rutin, 3-(E)-p-coumaroyl-α-amyrin was isolated from the n-butanolic fraction and α-amyrin, epi-betulinic acid, ursolic acid, epi-ursolic acid from the chloroformic extract. The results presented in this study demonstrate that M. albicans is a promising species in the search for biologically active compounds.

Anthocyanins and tannins in ozone-fumigated guava trees.

Psidium guajava "Paluma", a tropical tree species, is known to be an efficient ozone indicator in tropical countries. When exposed to ozone, this species displays a characteristic leaf injury identified by inter-veinal red stippling on adaxial leaf surfaces. Following 30 days of three ozone treatments consisting of carbon filtered air (CF - AOT40=17 ppb h), ambient non-filtered air (NF - AOT40=542 ppb h) and ambient non-filtered air+40 ppb ozone (NF+O(3) - AOT40=7802 ppb h), the amounts of residual anthocyanins and tannins present in 10 P. guajava ("Paluma") saplings were quantified. Higher amounts of anthocyanins were found in the NF+O(3) treatment (1.6%) when compared to the CF (0.97%) and NF (1.30%) (p<0.05), and of total tannins in the NF+O(3) treatment (0.16%) compared to the CF (0.14%). Condensed tannins showed the same tendency as enhanced amounts. Regression analyses using amounts of tannins and anthocyanins, AOT40 and the leaf injury index (LII), showed a correlation between the leaf injury index and quantities of anthocyanins and total tannins. These results are in accordance with the association between the incidence of red-stippled leaves and ozone polluted environments.

A prospective study of dentoalveolar trauma at the Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo University Medical School.

PURPOSE: This prospective study evaluated the profile of patients with dentoalveolar trauma assisted at the emergency room of the Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma and Surgery Service at the Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo University Medical School (Brazil). METHODS: A prospective study by a questionnaire applied during the first attendance of those patients, in a period of eight months. RESULTS: The collected data were statistically analyzed. It was observed that 4.7% of the patients that sought treatment at the Service had sustained dentoalveolar trauma and among these 74% were male. The most affected individuals were children aged 0 to 5 years and fall was the most prevalent etiologic factor. Avulsion and coronal/crown-root fractures were the most common types of dentoalveolar traumatic injures. As the age increases, the most common etiologic factors are traffic accidents and physical assault. CONCLUSION: The incidence of dentoalveolar trauma decreased with age and the main etiologic factors in adult patients were traffic accidents and physical assault.

A prospective study of dentoalveolar trauma at the Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo University Medical School

PURPOSE: This prospective study evaluated the profile of patients with dentoalveolar trauma assisted at the emergency room of the Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma and Surgery Service at the Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo University Medical School (Brazil). METHODS: A prospective study by a questionnaire applied during the first attendance of those patients, in a period of eight months. RESULTS: The collected data were statistically analyzed. It was observed that 4.7 percent of the patients that sought treatment at the Service had sustained dentoalveolar trauma and among these 74 percent were male. The most affected individuals were children aged 0 to 5 years and fall was the most prevalent etiologic factor. Avulsion and coronal/crown-root fractures were the most common types of dentoalveolar traumatic injures. As the age increases, the most common etiologic factors are traffic accidents and physical assault. CONCLUSION: The incidence of dentoalveolar trauma decreased with age and the main etiologic factors in adult patients were traffic accidents and physical assault.

PROPOSIÇÃO: Avaliar o perfil dos pacientes, com traumatismo dento-alveolar, atendidos no Pronto-Socorro do Serviço de Cirurgia e Traumatologia Buco-Maxilo-Facial do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (Brasil). MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um estudo prospectivo, através de um questionário aplicado, durante o primeiro atendimento desses pacientes, em um período de oito meses. RESULTADOS: Os dados obtidos foram analisados estatisticamente e verificou-se que dos pacientes atendidos 4,7 por cento apresentavam traumatismo dento-alveolar, e destes, 74 por cento eram do gênero masculino; as crianças de 0 a 5 anos eram as mais acometidas, a etiologia mais comum foi a queda; e o tipos de traumas mais freqüentes foram a avulsão e fratura dental. A medida que a idade avança os fatores etiológicos mais comuns são os acidentes de trânsito e as agressões físicas. CONCLUSÃO: A incidência de trauma de dentoalveolar diminuiu com a idade e o principal fator etiologico nos pacientes adulto foi acidentes de tráfico e agressão física.