Modeling the potential distribution of Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw. under future climate scenarios in the Caatinga biome.

The climate change projections for the Caatinga biome this century are for an increase in temperature and reduction in rainfall, leading to aridization and plant cover dominated by Cactaceae. The objective of this study was to model the potential distribution of Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw., a cactus that is native to the Caatinga biome, considering two possible future climate scenarios, to assess this species' spatio-temporal response to these climate change, and thus to evaluate the need or not for conservation measures. For this purpose, we obtained biogeographic information on the target species from biodiversity databases, choosing nine environmental variables and applying the MaxEnt algorithm. We considered the time intervals 2041-2060 and 2061-2080, centered on 2050 and 2070, respectively, and the greenhouse gas scenarios RCP4.5 and 8.5. For all the scenarios considered, the models generated for 2050 and 2070 projected drastic contraction (greater than 80%) for the areas of potential occurrence of the species in relation to the present potential. The remaining areas were found to be concentrated in the northern portion of the biome, specifically in the northern part of the state of Ceará, which has particular characteristics.

Physiological changes for drought resistance in different species of Phyllanthus.

The Phyllanthus genus is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of the world and present several pharmacological applications. Drought is a restrictive factor for crop development and production, and is becoming a severe problem in many regions of the world. The species Phyllanthus amarus and Phyllanthus niruri were subjected to drought stress for varying periods of time (0, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days), and afterwards, leaves were collected and evaluated for physiological and biochemical responses, such as oxidative stress markers and drought-associated defense mechanisms. Results show that P. amarus has an endogenously higher level of variables of the oxidative/antioxidant metabolism, and P. niruri presents the most significant changes in those variables when compared to control and stressed plants. For both Phyllanthus species, drought stress induces higher levels of organic acids such as malic, succinic, and citric acids, and amino acids such as proline, GABA, alanine, and valine. Moreover, P. niruri plants respond with greater glucose and corilagin contents. Therefore, considering the evaluated metabolic changes, P. amarus is better adapted to drought-stress, while P. niruri presents an acclimation strategy that increases the corilagin levels induced by short-term drought stress.

Does biological intimacy shape ecological network structure? A test using a brood pollination mutualism on continental and oceanic islands.

Biological intimacy-the degree of physical proximity or integration of partner taxa during their life cycles-is thought to promote the evolution of reciprocal specialization and modularity in the networks formed by co-occurring mutualistic species, but this hypothesis has rarely been tested. Here, we test this "biological intimacy hypothesis" by comparing the network architecture of brood pollination mutualisms, in which specialized insects are simultaneously parasites (as larvae) and pollinators (as adults) of their host plants to that of other mutualisms which vary in their biological intimacy (including ant-myrmecophyte, ant-extrafloral nectary, plant-pollinator and plant-seed disperser assemblages). We use a novel dataset sampled from leafflower trees (Phyllanthaceae: Phyllanthus s. l. [Glochidion]) and their pollinating leafflower moths (Lepidoptera: Epicephala) on three oceanic islands (French Polynesia) and compare it to equivalent published data from congeners on continental islands (Japan). We infer taxonomic diversity of leafflower moths using multilocus molecular phylogenetic analysis and examine several network structural properties: modularity (compartmentalization), reciprocality (symmetry) of specialization and algebraic connectivity. We find that most leafflower-moth networks are reciprocally specialized and modular, as hypothesized. However, we also find that two oceanic island networks differ in their modularity and reciprocal specialization from the others, as a result of a supergeneralist moth taxon which interacts with nine of 10 available hosts. Our results generally support the biological intimacy hypothesis, finding that leafflower-moth networks (usually) share a reciprocally specialized and modular structure with other intimate mutualisms such as ant-myrmecophyte symbioses, but unlike nonintimate mutualisms such as seed dispersal and nonintimate pollination. Additionally, we show that generalists-common in nonintimate mutualisms-can also evolve in intimate mutualisms, and that their effect is similar in both types of assemblages: once generalists emerge they reshape the network organization by connecting otherwise isolated modules.

Ex situ conservation of Phyllanthus fraternus Webster and evaluation of genetic fidelity in regenerates using DNA-based molecular marker.

Germplasm storage of Phyllanthus fraternus by using synseed technology has been optimized. Synseeds were prepared from nodal segments taken from in vitro-grown plantlets. An encapsulation matrix of 3 % sodium alginate and 100 mM calcium chloride with polymerization duration up to 15 min was found most suitable for synseed formation. Maximum plantlet conversion (92.5 ± 2.5 %) was obtained on a growth regulator-free ½-strength solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Multiple shoot proliferation was optimum on a ½ MS medium containing 0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Shoots were subjected to rooting on MS media containing 1 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and acclimatized successfully. Encapsulated nodal segments can be stored for up to 90 days with a survival frequency of 47.33 %. The clonal fidelity of synseed-derived plantlets was also assessed and compared with that of the mother plant using rapid amplified polymorphic DNA and inter-simple sequence repeat analysis. No changes in molecular profiles were observed among the synseed-derived plantlets and mother plant, which confirms the genetic stability of regenerates. This synseed production protocol could be useful for in vitro multiplication, short-term storage, and exchange of germplasm of this important antiviral and hepatoprotective plant.

Propiedades antivirales de plantas del género Phyllanthus / Phyllanthus

El género Phyllanthus (familia Euphorbiaceae) agrupa más de 500 especies de plantas, distribuidas entre 11 subgéneros. Las infusiones de estas especies han sido usadas durante miles de años en la medicina folklórica de muchos países para el tratamiento de enfermedades de posible causa viral. Numerosos grupos de investigación se han propuesto encontrar las razones científicas para el uso milenario de estas plantas, y han desentrañado los fundamentos de la actividad de estas infusiones. El presente trabajo recoge la mayor parte de la evidencia científica disponible en la literatura sobre la actividad inhibidora de los extractos de plantas de este género sobre la multiplicación in vivo o in vitro de virus que se trasmiten fundamentalmente por vía sexual, como el virus de la hepatitis B, el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana y los virus del herpes simple

The genus Phyllanthus (family Euphorbiaceae) groups more than 500 species of plants distributed in 11 subgenera. The infusions from these species have been used for thousands of years in folk medicine of many countries to treat diseases of possible viral cause. Several research groups have proposed themselves to find the scientific reasons for the millenary use of these plants, and have got to the bottom of the foundations of the activity of these infusions. This paper presents most of the scientific evidence available in literature on the inhibitory activity of the extracts from plants of this genus on the in vivo or in vitro multiplication of mainly sexually transmitted viruses, as hepatitis B virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and herpes simplex virus(AU)

Propiedades antivirales de plantas del género Phyllanthus / Phyllanthus

El género Phyllanthus (familia Euphorbiaceae) agrupa más de 500 especies de plantas, distribuidas entre 11 subgéneros. Las infusiones de estas especies han sido usadas durante miles de años en la medicina folklórica de muchos países para el tratamiento de enfermedades de posible causa viral. Numerosos grupos de investigación se han propuesto encontrar las razones científicas para el uso milenario de estas plantas, y han desentrañado los fundamentos de la actividad de estas infusiones. El presente trabajo recoge la mayor parte de la evidencia científica disponible en la literatura sobre la actividad inhibidora de los extractos de plantas de este género sobre la multiplicación in vivo o in vitro de virus que se trasmiten fundamentalmente por vía sexual, como el virus de la hepatitis B, el virus de inmunodeficiencia humana y los virus del herpes simple.

The genus Phyllanthus (family Euphorbiaceae) groups more than 500 species of plants distributed in 11 subgenera. The infusions from these species have been used for thousands of years in folk medicine of many countries to treat diseases of possible viral cause. Several research groups have proposed themselves to find the scientific reasons for the millenary use of these plants, and have got to the bottom of the foundations of the activity of these infusions. This paper presents most of the scientific evidence available in literature on the inhibitory activity of the extracts from plants of this genus on the in vivo or in vitro multiplication of mainly sexually transmitted viruses, as hepatitis B virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and herpes simplex virus.

Chemical basis of plant leaf movement.

Nyctinastic plants open and close leaves with a circadian rhythm. Here we discuss chemical aspects of the mechanism of nyctinastic leaf movement. Nyctinastic plants from five different genera are known to contain species-specific leaf-opening and leaf-closing factors. The relative concentrations of leaf-closing and leaf-opening factors of the nyctinastic plant Phyllanthus urinaria change circadianly, suggesting that nyctinastic movement is regulated by two classes of circadianly regulated factors with opposing functions. A closing and an opening factor of Albizzia, when linked to a fluorescent dye, both specifically labeled motor cells of pluvini. A membrane fraction of pluvini contains proteins of 210 and 180 kDa that bind to a leaf-opening factor of Cassia mimosoides. The molecular identification of these proteins is underway.