Molluscicidal activity of Manilkara subsericea (Mart.) dubard on Biomphalaria glabrata (Say, 1818).

Schistosomiasis is promoted for species from Schistosoma genus affecting over 200 million people worldwide. Molluscicides are an efficient method to control this disease, being able to reduce intermediate host snail Biomphalaria glabrata number. In function of resistance cases using niclosamide, natural products are promisors to discover new drugs. Manilkara subsericea is endemic to Brazilian sandbanks of Rio de Janeiro State and wide ranges of biological activities. However, there is no studies evaluating its effects as molluscicidal agent. We tested crude extract from leaves of M. subsericea molluscicidal action, as well it ethyl-acetate fraction and isolated substances against B. glabrata. M. subsericea leaves crude extract and ethyl acetate fraction induced 80±4.13% and 86.66±4.59% mortality of adult snails at concentrations of 250ppm after 96h, and their LD50 values were 118.7±1.62 and 23.41±1.15ppm respectively. Isolated substances from M. subsericea were also considered active. Quercetin, myricetin and ursolic acid, at concentration of 100ppm (96h), were able to induce mortality levels of 100%, 80% and 53.33%, respectively. Our results suggest that M. subsericea can be considered promising as a molluscicide agent.

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Varronia curassavica: A Medicinal Polyploid Species in a Threatened Ecosystem.

Varronia curassavica is an important medicinal species associated with the restinga, one of the most threatened coastal ecosystems of the Atlantic Forest. These circumstances call for studies aimed at estimating effective population size and gene flow to improve conservation efforts. Hence, the present study aimed to characterize the genetic diversity, ploidy level, and population structure of this species in different areas of restinga using microsatellites. Varronia curassavica was characterized as an autotetraploid, with high genetic variability, low divergence, and no significant fixation indices, indicating the absence of, or reduced, inbreeding and genetic drift in the study area. About 44% of the alleles occurred at low frequency in adults of all populations and 41% in the progenies evaluated. Gene flow was high, consistent with outcrossing species with high dispersal capacity (Nm = 4.87). The results showed no tendency toward isolation by distance. The estimated effective size indicates that the populations studied have the potential to ensure conservation of the species in the long term. The genetic variability and population structure of V. curassavica, as determined in this study, could form the foundation for activities directed toward the sustainable use of this resource and its conservation. Even though the restinga ecosystem has suffered dramatic reductions in area, this study provides evidence that this species is resilient to anthropogenic threats to its genetic integrity, since it is a polyploid with self-incompatibility mechanisms that contribute to maintaining high genetic diversity in an panmictic meta-population along the coast of Santa Catarina.

Useful woody species and its environmental availability: the case of artisanal fishermen in Itaúnas, Brazil / Espécies lenhosas úteis e sua disponibilidade no ambiente: o caso dos pescadores artesanais em Itaúnas, Brasil

Ethnobotanical studies involve research with human societies and their different interaction with plants, and the quantitative approaches from thes estudies are important to select conservation priority of species in natural environment. This research aims to quantify use-values for woody plants mentioned by fishers in Itaúnas, state of Espírito Santo, and evaluate the relationship between use- values and species availability (absolute density and frequency, and importance value) in two distinct resting vegetation formations. It also proposes to identify priority species for conservation. It was selected 30 species cited in individual semi-structured interviews with key-informant in fishers' community and who were also on list of structural survey of two vegetation phytophysiognomies in the restinga regions. The data used was collected in previously published work. It was performed a correlation analysis between use-values and structural parameters of the mentioned woody species. Protium heptaphyllum, P. icicariba and Byrsonima sericea present the highest use-values. It was not observed relation between use-value and species availability in each vegetation formation. It was classified two and eight species as priority for conservation on shrubby and forest formations, respectively.

Estudos etnobotânicos envolvem pesquisas com sociedades humanas e suas diferentes interações com as plantas, e abordagens quantitativas deste estudos são importantes para selecionar prioridades de conservação das espécies nos ambientes naturais. Esta pesquisa objetiva quantificar os valores de uso das plantas citadas por pescadores em Itaúnas, Espírito Santo, e avaliar as relações entre os valores de uso a disponibilidade das espécies (densidade e frequência absoluta e valor de importância) em duas formações vegetais distintas de restinga. É também proposto identificar o índice de prioridade de conservação das espécies. Foram selecionadas 30 espécies citadas em entrevistas individuais semiestruturadas com informantes-chave na comunidade de pescadores e que também estavam em listas de levantamentos estruturais de duas fitofisionomias vegetais de restinga na região. Os dados utilizados foram coletados em trabalhos previamente publicados. Foi feita a análise de correlação entre os valores de uso e os parâmetros estruturais das espécies lenhosas mencionadas. Protium heptaphyllum, P. icicariba e Byrsonima sericea apresentaram o maior valor de uso. Não foi observado relação entre o valor de uso a disponibilidade das espécies em cada formação vegetal. Foram classificadas duas e oito espécies para prioridade de conservação nas formações arbustivas e florestais respectivamente.

Endemic palm species shed light on habitat shifts and the assembly of the Cerrado and Restinga floras.

Species expansions into new habitats are often associated with physiological adaptations, for instance when rain forest lineages colonize dry habitats. Although such shifts have been documented for the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado), little is known about the biogeographic origin of species occupying an extreme South American habitat type, the coastal dunes (Restinga). We examined the formation of this poorly known, endangered habitat by reconstructing the evolutionary history of two endemic species. Due to the proposed recency and uniqueness of this habitat, we hypothesized that Restinga species of the palm genus Allagoptera to be recently evolved and to present derived morphological characters. To detect habit shifts in absolute time, we used one plastid and nine nuclear genes to reconstruct the phylogenetic and biogeographic history of Allagoptera. We used light microscopy and stable isotope analysis to explore whether morphological adaptations occurred concomitantly with habitat shifts. Phylogenetic relationships were well supported and we found ancestral lineages of Allagoptera to be widely distributed throughout habitats that are currently occupied by extant species. Over the last ca. 7Ma Allagoptera has shifted its preference to increasingly dry habitats. Coincident with the colonization of the Cerrado and Restinga, morphological adaptations also evolved, including subterranean stems that are fire-resistant and long underground stem and root systems that facilitate water access. We did not find differences in metabolic pathway or modifications to pollen morphology when compared to other palm lineages. Assuming that the evolutionary history of Allagoptera is indicative of the habitat in which it occurs, our results infer a recent origin for Cerrado species. Although little is known about the formation of the Restinga habitat, our results also suggest a longer history than currently proposed; with an origin of Restinga habitats dating back to the Late Pliocene.

Plantas medicinais e seus usos na comunidade da Barra do Jucu, Vila Velha, ES / Medicinal plants and their uses in Barra do Jucu community, Vila Velha Municipality, Espírito Santo State, Brazil

A Barra do Jucu é um bairro do município de Vila Velha, estado do Espírito Santo, localizado numa área de restinga e habitado por caiçaras que tiram sua renda principalmente da pesca. O objetivo deste estudo foi resgatar e sistematizar as informações populares sobre as plantas medicinais utilizadas na localidade. Ao todo foram citadas 86 espécies pertencentes a 41 famílias, das quais Lamiaceae, Asteraceae e Solanaceae apresentaram o maior número de espécies. As espécies citadas estão relacionadas a 59 usos medicinais, entre os quais predominaram as doenças associadas ao aparelho digestivo. Quantificou-se o número de citações por informante para cada táxon, bem como o número de usos, possibilitando a indicação das espécies mais utilizadas na área, como Plectranthus barbatus Andrews a mais citada, e Anacardium occidentale L. a espécie empregada para o maior número de usos. Os resultados demonstram que a população possui vasto conhecimento das plantas e de suas propriedades de cura.

Barra do Jucu is a community from Vila Velha Municipality, Espírito Santo State, Brazil, located in a restinga area and inhabited by "caiçaras", whose income is mainly from fishing. The aim of this study was to recover and systematize popular information about the medicinal plants used in this locality. In total, 86 species belonging to 41 families were cited, of which Lamiaceae, Asteraceae and Solanaceae had the largest number of species. The mentioned species are related to 59 medicinal uses, mainly to diseases associated with the digestive system. The number of citations per informant for each taxon, as well as the number of uses was quantified, indicating the most used species in this area, including Plectranthus barbatus Andrews, the most cited one, and Anacardium occidentale L., the most used one. The results demonstrated that the population has wide knowledge about the plants and their healing properties.

O abajurú (Chrysobalanus icaco L. e Eugenia rotundifolia Casar.) comercializado na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil / Abajurú (Chrysobalanus icaco L. and Eugenia rotundifolia Casar.) commercialized in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Este artigo analisa as prováveis razões de introdução e comercialização de uma espécie de uso medicinal em um mercado popular urbano na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil - o Mercado de Madureira. Durante os anos de 2005 e 2006 aplicaram-se entrevistas semi-estruturadas a 15 erveiros obtendo-se o freelist das espécies consideradas como mais comercializadas (97) a partir do qual se calculou o índice de saliência, que para o abajurú (Eugenia rotundifolia Casar), foi elevado. A espécie conhecida na literatura e comercializada como abajurú é Chysobalanus icaco L., que apresenta propriedades hipoglicemiantes comprovadas por pesquisas farmacológicas e é utilizada pela população para este fim; no entanto, verificou-se, nesse mercado, a venda quase exclusiva de E. rotundifolia, com esse nome popular e mesma propriedade. Até o momento não existem dados farmacológicos para essa espécie. Ambas são nativas e ocorrem, predominantemente, nas restingas litorâneas do estado do Rio de Janeiro. A atribuição da atividade hipoglicemiante a E. rotundifolia pode indicar uma correlação, por parte dos erveiros, com a farmacologia de outras espécies de Myrtaceae. Questões relacionadas à fiscalização ambiental bem como desconhecimento e coleta equivocada podem também estar envolvidos nesse processo.

The present paper analyzes the commercialization of a new medicinal specie in a public market in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During the years 2005-2006 semi-structured interviews were made with 15 herbalists. A free list of the most commercialized species (97) was made, and calculated the salience index in witch Eugenia rotundifolia presented a high value. Chrysobalanus icaco is known in the literature as sold as abajurú, and has hipoglicemient properties, proven by pharmacological research. The local population uses this species for these properties, however in the market in question, E. rotundifolia is almost exclusively sold with the same popular name and medicinal property. Until the present time, no pharmacological data exists for this specie. Both species are native and predominantly present in the coastal formations (restinga) of Rio de Janeiro. The attribution of the hipoglicemient property of E. rotundifolia may indicate a correlation, made by the herbalists, with the pharmacology of other Myrtaceae species. The lack of knowledge, erroneous field surveys and problems related with environmental monitoring may be involved with this process.