Bioactive Compounds of Fruit Parts of Three Eugenia uniflora Biotypes in Four Ripening Stages.

Variability of secondary metabolites in edible (peel and pulp) and inedible (seeds) parts of three pitanga varieties, red, red-orange and purple, was investigated during the maturation process. Hydrolysable tannins, anthocyanins, and flavonoids were quantified by HPLC/DAD and carotenoids by absorbance. Peel/pulp showed greater complexity of constituents (carotenoids, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and hydrolysable tannins), while only tannins were identified in seeds, but in quantities of 10 to 100 times greater.

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.

Seasonal influence on the essential oil of Eucalyptus microcorys.

The chemical composition of the essential oil, phenolic contents, and foliar nutrients of Eucalyptus microcorys leaves, cultivated in Brazil, was analysed on a monthly basis for one year. Canonical redundancy analysis correlated results with climate conditions (rainfall, humidity, and mean temperature), allowing three groups to be distinguished as regards temperature, flavonoids, and the content of some metals. Strong correlations between Mn, Cu, Zn, Ca, P, and K with some monoterpenes and phenolic compounds were observed.

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-β-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.

Assessment of Duguetia furfuracea genotoxic and cytotoxic activity in bacteria and mice.

Duguetia furfuracea (St. Hil.) Benth & Hook f.

Oenothein B inhibits the expression of PbFKS1 transcript and induces morphological changes in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.

The fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), the most prevalent human systemic mycosis in Latin America. Drug toxicity and the appearance of resistant strains have created the need to search for new therapeutic approaches. Plants with reputed antimicrobial properties represent a rich screening source of potential antifungal compounds.

Environmental factors influence on chemical polymorphism of the essential oils of Lychnophora ericoides.

Lychnophora ericoides is a Brazilian medicinal plant used in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent. The essential oils from leaves of two populations with and without scent, collected at 2-month intervals during an 1-year period, were analysed by GC-MS. The results were submitted to principal component and cluster analysis which allowed two groups of essential oils to be distinguished with respect to sampling site and scent: cluster I (Vianópolis site, with specimens exhibiting an aromatic scent) containing a high percentage of alpha-bisabolol (44.

Tannin composition of barbatimão species.

A comparative study of tannin composition of three species known as barbatimão (Stryphnodendron adstringens, Stryphnodendron polyphyllum and Dimorphandra mollis) was developed by TLC, hydrolysis followed by PC, and colorimetry. Principal component analysis of the data obtained showed strong differentiation between the genus Dimorphandra and Stryphnodendron. Additionally, barks from the two Stryphnodendron sp.