Cell wall polysaccharides from fern leaves: evidence for a mannan-rich Type III cell wall in Adiantum raddianum.

Primary cell walls from plants are composites of cellulose tethered by cross-linking glycans and embedded in a matrix of pectins. Cell wall composition varies between plant species, reflecting in some instances the evolutionary distance between them. In this work the monosaccharide compositions of isolated primary cell walls of nine fern species and one lycophyte were characterized and compared with those from Equisetum and an angiosperm dicot. The relatively high abundance of mannose in these plants suggests that mannans may constitute the major cross-linking glycan in the primary walls of pteridophytes and lycophytes. Pectin-related polysaccharides contained mostly rhamnose and uronic acids, indicating the presence of rhamnogalacturonan I highly substituted with galactose and arabinose. Structural and fine-structural analyses of the hemicellulose fraction of leaves of Adiantum raddianum confirmed this hypothesis. Linkage analysis showed that the mannan contains mostly 4-Man with very little 4,6-Man, indicating a low percentage of branching with galactose. Treatment of the mannan-rich fractions with endo-ß-mannanase produced characteristic mannan oligosaccharides. Minor amounts of xyloglucan and xylans were also detected. These data and those of others suggest that all vascular plants contain xyloglucans, arabinoxylans, and (gluco)mannans, but in different proportions that define cell wall types. Whereas xyloglucan and pectin-rich walls define Type I walls of dicots and many monocots, arabinoxylans and lower proportion of pectin define the Type II walls of commelinoid monocots. The mannan-rich primary walls with low pectins of many ferns and a lycopod indicate a fundamentally different wall type among land plants, the Type III wall.

Avaliação do potencial da planta Adiantum capillus-veneris (L) no controle de fitopatógenos / Evaluation of the potential of the medicinal plant Adiantum capillus veneris (L) for the control of phytopathogens

O uso de compostos secundários de plantas medicinais, com propriedades antimicrobianas, pode ser uma alternativa para o controle de fitopatógenos. Diante disso, este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a atividade antimicrobiana de derivados obtidos da planta Adiantum capillus-veneris (avenca) contra fungos e bactérias fitopatogênicos. Os derivados, obtidos do pó de folhas de avenca secas ao ar, foram preparados por infusão, maceração e decocção, autoclavados ou não, nas concentrações de 0,1%, 0,25%, 0,5%, 1%, 1,25%, 2,5%, 5%, 10% e 20%. Foram avaliadas a germinação de esporos dos fungos Phakopsora euvitis e Pseudocercospora vitis, o crescimento micelial dos fungos Colletotrichum musae e Sclerotium rolfsii e a multiplicação das bactérias Erwinia sp. e Bacillus subtilis. O extrato obtido por maceração não autoclavado foi o que apresentou maior efeito sobre P. euvitis e P. vitis com reduções de 75% e 99% na germinação de esporos na concentração de 20%, respectivamente. O menor crescimento micelial de C. musae e S. rolfsii foi obtido pelo macerado autoclavado, com redução de 39% e 83%, respectivamente. Para Erwinia sp., o maior efeito inibitório foi obtido com o macerado autoclavado que, na concentração de 25%, inibiu 99% a multiplicação bacteriana. Para B. subtilis, não houve inibição significativa. Esses resultados indicam o potencial de derivados de avenca para o controle de fitopatógenos.

The use of secondary compounds of medicinal plants, with antimicrobial properties, can be an alternative for the control of phytopathogens. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of derivatives obtained from the medicinal plant Adiantum capillus-veneris (maidenhair fern) against phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria. The derivatives, obtained from the powder of shadow-dried maidenhair fern leaves, were prepared by infusion, maceration and decoction, autoclaved and non-autoclaved, in the concentration of 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.25%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 20%. The germination of Phakopsora euvitis and Pseudocercospora vitis spores, the mycelial growth of Colletotrichum musae and Sclerotium rolfsii, and the multiplication of Erwinia sp. and Bacillus subtilis bacteria were evaluated. The extract obtained by non-autoclaved maceration presented the best effect against P. euvitis, with reduction of 75% on uredospores germination in the concentration of 20%. Against P. vitis, the derivative obtained by non-autoclaved maceration was more effective, presenting 99% of reduction on conidia germination in the concentration of 20%. The smallest mycelial growth of C. musae and S. rolfsii was obtained by autoclaved maceration with 39% and 83% reduction, respectively. For Erwinia sp., the greatest inhibitory effect was obtained with the 25% autoclaved maceration that inhibited the bacterial growth at 99%. For B. subtilis, there was no significant inhibition. These results indicate the potential of maidenhair fern derivatives for the control of phytopathogens.

Filicene obtained from Adiantum cuneatum interacts with the cholinergic, dopaminergic, glutamatergic, GABAergic, and tachykinergic systems to exert antinociceptive effect in mice.

In the present study, we describe the antinociceptive effect of filicene, a triterpene isolated from Adiantum cuneatum (Adiantaceae) leaves, in several models of pain in mice. When evaluated against acetic acid-induced abdominal constrictions, filicene (10, 30 and 60 mg/kg, i.p.) produced dose-related inhibition of the number of constrictions, being several times more potent [ID(50)=9.17 (6.27-13.18) mg/kg] than acetaminophen [ID(50)=18.8 (15.7-22.6) mg/kg], diclofenac [ID(50)=12.1(9.40-15.6) mg/kg] and acetylsalicylic acid [ID(50)=24.0(13.1-43.8) mg/kg] in the same doses as those used for the standard drugs. Filicene also produced dose-related inhibition of the pain caused by capsaicin and glutamate, with mean ID(50) values of 11.7 (8.51-16.0) mg/kg and <10 mg/kg, respectively. Its antinociceptive action was significantly reversed by atropine, haloperidol, GABA(A) and GABA(B) antagonists (bicuculline and phaclofen, respectively), but was not affected by L-arginine-nitric oxide, serotonin, adrenergic and the opioid systems. Together, these results indicate that the mechanisms involved in its action are not completely understood, but seem to involve interaction with the cholinergic, dopaminergic, glutamatergic, GABAergic and tachykinergic systems.

Pharmacological and phytochemical evaluation of Adiantum ceneatum growing in Brazil.

This work describes the phytochemical analysis and analgesic activity of a non polar fraction obtained from Adiantum cuneatum grown in Brazil. The results showed that the hexane fraction as well as two pure compounds, identified as filicene (1) and filicenal (2), given intraperitoneally, exhibited potent analgesic activity when evaluated in two models of pain in mice, writhing test and formalin-induced pain. Compound 1 presented a calculated ID50 value of 19.5 micromol/kg body weight, when evaluated in writhing test, being about 7-fold more active than some reference drugs, like as acetyl salicylic acid and acetaminophen. It also inhibited both phases (neurogenic and inflammatory) of the formalin test at 10 mg/kg (24 micromol/kg). The chemical composition of the plant grown in Brazil is similar to that grown in other countries. The results confirm and justify the popular use of this plant for the treatment of dolorous processes.