Effects of bioconversion by Battus polydamas on the chemical composition of Aristolochia spp. and evaluation of antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility.

Aristolochia plants are emblematic from an ethnopharmacological viewpoint and are know to possess numerous biological properties, including antiseptic. However, the medicinal potential of these species is debatable because of their representative chemical constituents, aristolochic acids (AAs) and aristolactams (ALs), which are associated, for instance, with nephropathy and cancer. These contrasting issues have stimulated the development of approaches intended to detoxification of aristoloquiaceous biomasses, among which is included the bioconversion method using larvae of the specialist phytophagous insect Battus polydamas, previously shown to be viable for chemical diversification and to reduce toxicity.

Butterflies of the Bodoquena Plateau in Brazil (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea).

Butterflies and moths are found in all terrestrial environments and require efforts for a better understanding of its mega-diversity. These taxa have been the subject of several studies involving phylogeny, ecology and environmental impacts. Nevertheless, several areas in the tropics remain unexplored, resulting in gaps in the taxonomic composition and distribution of butterflies in endemic environments.