Polyphenol and Ellagitannin Constituents of Jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) and Chemical Variability at Different Stages of Fruit Development.

A new ellagitannin named cauliflorin (1), seven known hydrolyzable tannins (2-8), and six known phenolics (9-14) were isolated from jabuticaba. Compounds 2-8 had not been previously isolated from M. cauliflora fruits. The jabuticaba fruit was analyzed at four developmental stages for ellagitannins 1, 3, 7, and 8, phenolic acids 11 and 12, anthocyanins, organic acids, and sugars via HPLC-UV-DAD and NMRq. The content of ellagitannins and organic acids declined during fruit development, whereas at full ripeness sugar and anthocyanin levels underwent a sharp increase and were mainly constituted by fructose and cyanidin-3-O-glucose, respectively. Ellagitannins' profile varied considerably among fruit tissues, with pedunculagin (3), castalagin (7), and vescalagin (8) mostly concentrated in jabuticaba seeds, whereas cauliflorin (1) and anthocyanins accumulated in the peels. Changes in jabuticaba's phenolic compound contents were mostly influenced by fruit part (peel, pulp, and seed) rather than by degree of ripeness.

Transcriptional profile of Paracoccidioides induced by oenothein B, a potential antifungal agent from the Brazilian Cerrado plant Eugenia uniflora.

BACKGROUND: The compound oenothein B (OenB), which is isolated from the leaves of Eugenia uniflora, a Brazilian Cerrado plant, interferes with Paracoccidioides yeast cell morphology and inhibits 1,3-ß-D-glucan synthase (PbFKS1) transcript accumulation, which is involved in cell wall synthesis. In this work we examined the gene expression changes in Paracoccidioides yeast cells following OenB treatment in order to investigate the adaptive cellular responses to drug stress. RESULTS: We constructed differential gene expression libraries using Representational Difference Analysis (RDA) of Paracoccidioides yeast cells treated with OenB for 90 and 180 min. Treatment for 90 min resulted in the identification of 463 up-regulated expressed sequences tags (ESTs) and 104 down-regulated ESTs. For the 180 min treatment 301 up-regulated ESTs and 143 down-regulated were identified. Genes involved in the cell wall biosynthesis, such as GLN1, KRE6 and FKS1, were found to be regulated by OenB. Infection experiments in macrophages corroborated the in vitro results. Fluorescence microscopy showed increased levels of chitin in cells treated with OenB. The carbohydrate polymer content of the cell wall of the fungus was also evaluated, and the results corroborated with the transcriptional data. Several other genes, such as those involved in a variety of important cellular processes (i.e., membrane maintenance, stress and virulence) were found to be up-regulated in response to OenB treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The exposure of Paracoccidioides to OenB resulted in a complex altered gene expression profile. Some of the changes may represent specific adaptive responses to this compound in this important pathogenic fungus.

Determination of fluconazole in serum and amniotic fluid of rats by gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)

Rats treated with oral dose of 100 mg/kg of fluconazole during pregnancy had their serum and amniotic fluid quantified for this drug using a GC/MS method. Fluconazole was extracted with ethyl acetate from samples and analysed by a GC-MS Shimadzu QP5050A system using a CBP-5 fused silica capillary column. Tioconazole was used as internal standard. Calibration curve was linear within the range 10.0 - 300.0 µg/mL. The limit of quantification was 0.1 µg/mL and no interference was observed in the blank serum and amniotic liquid. The mean concentrations of the drug in the serum and amniotic fluid were 206.01 ± 105.25 µg/mL and 125.34 ± µg/mL and 125.34 ± 65.24 µg/mL, respectively. This procedure showed to be sensitive and efficient enough for the use in teratogenic studies of fluconazole and other azole drugs

Análise morfométrica do epitélio de revestimento do filamento branquial do guaru (Poecilia vivipara) exposto a frações do extrato da folha e casca do caule de Pequi (Caryocar brasiliensis) / Morphometric analysis of the lining epithelium of the gill filament off Guaru (Poecilia vivipara) exposed to fraction of leaf and bark extracts of Pequi (Caryocar brasiliensis)

O Cerrado brasileiro tem sido um dos domínios ecológicos mais explorado cientificamente nos dias atuais e na última década. Estudos recentes têm proposto o uso de extrato da folha e casca do caule de C. brasiliensis (pequi) como agente moluscicida, no intuito de combater o hospedeiro intermediário (Biomphalaria glabrata) do parasito causador da esquistossomose: Schistosoma mansoni. Como este molusco sempre está próximo a mananciais de água, questiona-se o impacto deste produto sobre a fauna aquática. Neste sentido, utilizamos a brânquia do peixe eurialino Poecilia vivipara (guaru), já bastante utilizado como bioindicador de poluição aquática, para testar a toxicidade de frações de extratos da folha e casca de caule de pequi. Um conjunto de 30 guarus adultos arranjados em 5 grupos experimentais foram expostos a frações aquosa, acetato de etila e etérea da folha e frações aquosa e acetato de etila da casca de caule de pequi, durante 24 horas. Mensurou-se a área e o perímetro dos filamentos branquiais nas regiões: basal, intermediária e apical. As análises estatísticas demonstraram que a área dos grupos experimentais não difere do controle. Porém, o perímetro das regiões basal e intermediária se diferenciaram significativamente do controle o que, todavia, não promoveu o comprometimento das atividades fisiológicas da brânquia. Assim, sugere-se que nas concentrações de 20 ppm, os extratos testados possam ser utilizados como moluscicidas em mananciais aquáticos, excetuando-se a fração aquosa da folha por ser letal nesta concentração

Antifungal properties of Brazilian cerrado plants

Ethanolic extracts from leaves of Hyptis ovalifolia, H. suaveolens, H. saxatilis, Hyptidendrum canum, Eugenia uniflora, E. dysenterica, Caryocar brasiliensis and Lafoensia pacari were investigated for their antifungal activity against dermatophytes. The most effective plants were H. ovalifolia and E. uniflora, while Trichophyton rubrum was the most sensitive among the four dermatophytes species evaluated. This study has demonstrated antifungal properties of Brazilian Cerrado plant extracts in in vitro assays