Cícero Deschamps

Comportamento pós-colheita de frutos de morangueiro após a aplicação pré-colheita de quitosana e acibenzolar-S-metil

ABSTRACT - The use of inductors of resistance in plants represents an alternative and a promising method to control fruit rots at postharvest. The experiment was carried out at Federal Technological University of Parana - Dois Vizinhos - Campus, during 2004 wit h theobjective to evaluate the induction of chitosan resistance and acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) on strawberry plants. The treatmentscompared the effect of chitosan (0.5; 1.0 and 2.0%) and ASM (0.0025%) in relation to control plants (distilled water only) and those withfungicides application. The chitosan treatment in all three evaluated concentrations, delayed the fruit maturation, increased the fleshfirmness and titratable acidity and decreased the mass loss. It was also observed reduction in the ethylene production and in thereduced sugars and increased the total polyphenol in strawberry fruits. The chitosan treatment in all three evaluated concentrationsinduced greater plant resistance to diseases with effect on the reduction of the fruit rots in the post harvest by Botrytis cindered.Although, chitosan treatment in the concentration of 2% caused damage to the fruits in the post harvest increased the respiration rateand the reduced sugar. The ASM had effect on the retention of the titratable acidity and acted efficiently on the rot reduction similar tothe treatment with fungicides. The application of chitosan and ASM pre-harvest did not interfere in the organoleptic quality of the fruitsin the post harvestIndex Terms: elicitor, ASM, chitosan, strawberry, quality, Botrytis cinerea.

Organogenesis and Agrobacterium tumefaciens -mediated transformation of Eucalyptus saligna with P5CS gene

The purpose of this research was Eucalyptus saligna in vitro regeneration and transformation with P5CSF129A gene, which encodes Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), the key enzyme in proline biosynthesis. After selection of the most responsive genotype, shoot organogenesis was induced on leaf explants cultured on a callus induction medium (CI) followed by subculture on a shoot induction medium (SI). Shoots were subsequently cultured on an elongation medium (BE), then transferred to a rooting medium and finally transplanted to pots and acclimatized in a greenhouse. For genetic transformation, a binary vector carrying P5CSF129A and uidA genes, both under control of the 35SCaMV promoter, was used. Leaves were co-cultured with Agrobacterium tumefaciens in the dark on CI medium for 5 d. The explants were transferred to the selective callogenesis inducing medium (SCI) containing kanamycin and cefotaxime. Calli developed shoots that were cultured on an elongation medium for 14 d and finally multiplied. The presence of the transgene in the plant genome was demonstrated by PCR and confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Proline content in the leaves was four times higher in transformed than in untransformed plants while the proline content in the roots was similar in both types of plants.

Avaliação sazonal do rendimento de óleo essencial em espécies de menta

O genero Mentha compreende diversas especies de interesse economico por causa da producao de oleos essenciais. Recentemente, foram introduzidos no Brasil novos materiais geneticos para avaliacao da adaptacao em relacao ao potencial de rendimento e composicao do oleo essencial. No presente trabalho, foram comparadas essas caracteristicas em cultivares das especies Mentha x piperita L. (cv. Grapefruit Mint e cv. Persian Mint Field), M. suaveolens Ehrh. (cv. Hillarys Sweet Lemon Mint), M. spicata L. (cv. Mentol Mint), M. aquatica L. (cv. Common Mint) e M. arvensis L. (cv. Banana Mint), durante o verao e inverno em Curitiba (PR). O rendimento medio das cultivares no verao foi aproximadamente o dobro do rendimento observado no inverno. Duas cultivares de Mentha x piperita L. (cv. Persina Mint Field e cv. Grapefruit Mint) apresentaram maior rendimento de oleo essencial no verao e inverno, sendo que as demais nao diferiram entre si. A analise da composicao do oleo essencial indicou grande variacao nessas cultivares, sendo observada a presenca de linalol, como constituinte majoritario na cv. Grapefruit Mint e a-felandren-8-ol e cis-ocimeno na cv. Persian Mint Field.

Developmental Regulation of Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis in Leaves and Glandular Trichomes of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) essential oil phenylpropenes have ecological and economic importance. These compounds are specifically synthesized and accumulate in basil peltate glandular trichomes, and their content and composition depend on plant developmental stage. Studies on gene expression and enzymatic activity indicate that the phenylpropene biosynthetic genes are developmentally regulated. These previous studies, however, did not systematically investigate the levels of gene expression, enzyme activity, and phenylpropene accumulation through plant development. In this study, we systematically investigated methylchavicol accumulation in basil leaves and the enzyme activities and gene expression of both chavicol O‐methyltransferase (CVOMT) and eugenol O‐methyltransferase (EOMT) in all leaves at four plant developmental stages. Methylchavicol accumulation decreased over time as the leaves matured. There was a significant correlation between methylchavicol accumulation and CVOMT and EOMT enzyme activities, suggesting that the levels of biosynthetic enzymes control the essential oil content. CVOMT and EOMT transcript expression levels, which decreased with leaf age, followed the same pattern in both whole leaves and isolated glandular trichomes, providing evidence for the first time that CVOMT transcript levels are developmentally regulated in basil glandular trichomes themselves and that differences in CVOMT expression observed in whole leaves are not solely the result of differences in glandular trichome density.

Organic fertilization in the production, yield and chemical composition of basil chemotype eugenol

Este trabalho foi realizado na UFPR, municipio de Pinhais-PR, de outubro de 2005 a junho de 2006. Avaliou-se a resposta do Ocimum gratissimum a adubacao orgânica com composto de esterco de carneiro, verificando a viabilidade dessa pratica para o aumento no rendimento de biomassa, na quantidade e qualidade de seu oleo essencial. As mudas foram plantadas com espacamento de 0,5 m entre plantas dentro das parcelas e 1 m entre as parcelas. Testaram-se 3 doses de adubacao com composto orgânico (4; 8 e 12 kg m-2) e uma testemunha, com 5 repeticoes e 8 plantas por parcela. As colheitas foram realizadas aos 150 e 226 dias apos o plantio, sendo avaliado o rendimento de massa fresca e massa seca total e de folhas, flores e caule, o teor de oleo essencial das folhas e flores e a sua composicao por cromatografo a gas acoplado a um detector de massas (CG-MS). Houve diferenca entre os tratamentos, quanto ao rendimento de biomassa na primeira colheita, onde o tratamento com 8 kg m-2 de composto orgânico foi superior a testemunha sem adubacao, para a massa fresca de flores por planta e massa seca total e de flores por planta, mas nao diferiu dos outros niveis de adubacao. Na segunda colheita nao houve diferenca entre os tratamentos. Quanto ao rendimento de oleo essencial nao houve diferenca entre os tratamentos nas duas colheitas. Tambem nao foram observadas grandes variacoes nos componentes do oleo essencial decorrente dos tratamentos aplicados. Entretanto, ocorreram variacoes na composicao do oleo essencial quando extraido das folhas e das flores, sendo o teor medio de eugenol de 90,4% nas folhas e 80,8% nas flores, na colheita em marco. Ja na colheita em junho, houve uma reducao do teor de eugenol nas folhas e uma elevacao dos teores, principalmente de alfa trans trans farneseno, beta bisaboleno, beta cariofileno, germacrene D e alfa selineno.

Influence of calcium content of tissue on hyperhydricity and shoot-tip necrosis of in vitro regenerated shoots of Lavandula angustifolia Mill.

In the present study, the effects of two CaCl2.2H2O levels (440 and 1320 mg L-1) and two subcultures were evaluated on in vitro shoots of Lavandula angustifolia cv. Provence Blue. Ca2+ content of the apical, middle and basal portion of shoots was determined. Increasing CaCl2.2H2O level in the culture medium increased tissue Ca2+ content and decreased hyperhydricity. Shoot-tip necrosis also decreased with 1320 mg L-1 CaCl2.2H2O, but it did not occur in the second subculture. The middle and basal portion had higher Ca2+ content than apical portion. In non-hyperhydric tissues, there were smaller and more juxtaposed cells. Scanning electron microscopy of the leaves demonstrated that trichomes from in vitro leaf surface occurred in smaller quantities.

Análise de crescimento de duas cultivares de cevada após tratamentos com elicitores e fungicidas

In order to control barley boun spot, caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana, fungicides and more recently elicitors have been used. The objective of this work was to evaluate the development of two barley cultivars (BRS 195 and 225) in response to treatment with two elicitors xanthan gum and alicin and the fungicide epoxiconazole + pyraclostrobin compared with non treated control plants. The experiment was carried out at Fundacao Agraria de Pesquisa Agropecuaria (FAPA), Guarapuava - PR, in a randomized complete block design. In the growth analysis, they were performed calculating the leaf area index (LAI), relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR). A similar development was observed for both cultivars in all treatments. The cultivar BRS 225 showed higher dry weight accumulation during the evaluation period than cultivar BRS 195 because of its shorter vegetative growth phase. The LAI increased until the boot stage following decrease. The RGR decreased from the first to the last evaluation. The NAR decreased until 57 days after emergency and then increased during all remaining evaluations.

Evaluation of Chemical Composition and Antileishmanial and Antituberculosis Activities of Essential Oils of Piper Species

Essential oils from fresh Piperaceae leaves were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and a total of 68 components were identified. Principal components analysis results showed a chemical variability between species, with sesquiterpene compounds predominating in the majority of species analyzed. The composition of the essential oil of Piper mosenii was described for the first time. The cytotoxicity of the essential oils was evaluated in peritoneal macrophages and the oils of P. rivinoides, P. arboretum, and P. aduncum exhibited the highest values, with cytotoxic concentration at 50% (CC50) > 200 µg/mL. Both P. diospyrifolium and P. aduncum displayed activity against Leishmania amazonensis, and were more selective for the parasite than for the macrophages, with a selectivity index (SI) of 2.35 and >5.52, respectively. These SI values were greater than the 1 for the standard drug pentamidine. The antileishmanial activity of the essential oils of P. diospyrifolium and P. aduncum was described for the first time. P. rivinoides, P. cernuum, and P. diospyrifolium displayed moderate activity against the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv bacillus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 125 µg/mL. These results are relevant and suggests their potential for therapeutic purposes. Nevertheless, further studies are required to explain the exact mechanism of action of these essential oils.Essential oils from fresh Piperaceae leaves were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and a total of 68 components were identified. Principal components analysis results showed a chemical variability between species, with sesquiterpene compounds predominating in the majority of species analyzed. The composition of the essential oil of Piper mosenii was described for the first time. The cytotoxicity of the essential oils was evaluated in peritoneal macrophages and the oils of P. rivinoides, P. arboretum, and P. aduncum exhibited the highest values, with cytotoxic concentration at 50% (CC50) > 200 µg/mL. Both P. diospyrifolium and P. aduncum displayed activity against Leishmania amazonensis, and were more selective for the parasite than for the macrophages, with a selectivity index (SI) of 2.35 and >5.52, respectively. These SI values were greater than the 1 for the standard drug pentamidine. The antileishmanial activity of the essential oils of P. diospyrifolium and P. aduncum was described for the first time. P. rivinoides, P. cernuum, and P. diospyrifolium displayed moderate activity against the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv bacillus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 125 µg/mL. These results are relevant and suggests their potential for therapeutic purposes. Nevertheless, further studies are required to explain the exact mechanism of action of these essential oils.

Genetic resources of aromatic plants from Brazil

Brazil is an important player in the essential oil world market, being the fourth largest producer, after India, China, and Indonesia. Most of this commercial standing is due to the citrus essential oils, since they are a byproduct of the large Brazilian orange juice industry. A few native aromatic species have been recognized as priority for germplasm conservation, and some of these are described in this paper. Among them, we can mention rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora var. amazonica), sacaca (Croton cajucara), canela de cunha (Croton aff. zehnneri), priprioca (Cyperus articulatus), sassafras (Ocotea odorifera), long pepper (Piper hispidinervum), alecrim pimenta (Lippia sidoides), and candeia (Eremanthus erythropappus). Some exotic and cultivated species are also important, mainly in the south and southeast Brazil, such as chamomile (Chamomila recutita), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinallis), Japanese mint (Mentha arvensis), and ginger (Zingiber officinale). This paper illustrates some of the vast potential of B...

Propagação in vitro e caracterização química do óleo essencial de Lavandula angustifolia cultivada no Sul do Brasil

Lavandula angustifolia Mill. e uma importante planta produtora de oleos essenciais, que apresenta dificuldade de propagacao pelo enraizamento de estacas, sendo a producao de mudas realizada nesse trabalho pela tecnica de micropropagacao, em que foram avaliadas algumas condicoes do cultivo in vitro. As mudas produzidas pela micropropagacao foram cultivadas em Sao Joaquim (SC). O oleo essencial das inflorescencias foi extraido por hidrodestilacao, e analisado quanto a sua composicao por GC/MS, em dois anos de colheita. O meio de cultura LS apresentou melhor resposta no desenvolvimento das brotacoes, nao sendo observadas brotacoes com necrose apical. Meios de cultura mais diluidos como o ½ MS e o WPM, apresentaram altas taxas de hiperidricidade e necrose apical das brotacoes. A citocinina BAP influenciou a multiplicacao das brotacoes, sendo a qualidade mantida com 1,0µM ao longo de quatro subcultivos. A sobrevivencia das plantas na aclimatizacao foi de 80%. Os teores de oleo essencial foram de 4,0% e 5,25%, na primeira e segunda colheita, respectivamente. Os compostos majoritarios foram o linalol (46,88% e 37,25%) e acetato de linalila (10,09% e 12,24%).