Flávio França

Atividade antibacteriana em alguns extratos de vegetais do semi-árido brasileiro

Species native or endemic of the Brazilian semi-arid were investigated with the intention of discovering new antibacterial drugs. The rehearsals were accomplished against standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli through the diffusion method in disk. Of the 137 extracts of appraised vegetables, seven presented significant activity against the Staphylococcus aureus. The active extracts were prepared starting from species belonging to the Leguminosae and Rutaceae families and they will be fractional hereafter with the intention of arriving to the active molecules.

Composição florística e análise fitogeográfica de uma floresta semidecídua na Bahia, Brasil

Resumo (Composicâo floristica e analise fitogeografica de urna floresta semidecidua na Bahia, Brasil) As florestas semideciduas na Bahia mostram-se bastante fragmentadas e tem sido pouco estudadas em relacâo a floristica e a fitogeografia. Estas florestas estâo situadas principalmente no semi-arido e isoladas da Mata Atlantica costeira por extensas areas de caatinga. Este trabalho apresenta o levantamento floristico de um fragmento de floresta semidecidua na Serra da Fazenda Retiro (SFR), localizada no municipio de Feira de Santana, Bahia, com o objetivo principal de avahar a sua posicâo fitogeografica em relacâo as caatingas e a Mata Atlantica. Foram amostradas 173 especies incluidas em 143 generos e 59 familias. Myrtaceae foi a familia que apresentou o maior numero de especies (15 spp.), seguida por Euphorbiaceae (13), Leguminosae (12), Malvaceae (7), Orchidaceae (7) e Rubiaceae (7). Alem disso, foram coletadas tres novas especies dos generos Neomarica (Iridaceae), Pseudobombax (Malvaceae) e Solarium (Solanaceae). As analises de agrupamento pelo metodo UPGMA e de composicâo de especies da SFR mostram que a area, apesar de estar situada dentro do Bioma Caatinga, apresenta urna maior relacâo floristica com as florestas semideciduas do Dominio da Floresta Atlantica. Palavras-chave: fitogeograna, flora, florestas secas, Mata Atlantica, semi-arido. Abstract (Floristic composition andphytogeographical analysis of a semideciduous forest in Bahia State, Brazil) The semideciduous forests of Bahia occur as highly fragmented areas and have only received a little attention from floristic and phytogeographical studies. These areas are mainly situated within the semi-arid region and isolated from the Coastal Atlantic Forest by the surrounding dry vegetation of the caatinga domain. This paper presents a floristic survey of a semideciduous forest fragment at Serra da Fazenda Retiro (SFR), Feira de Santana, Bahia State, in order to assess its phytogeographical relationships in comparison to caatinga vegetation and Atlantic Forest. The survey identified 173 species belonging to 143 genera and 59 families. Myrtaceae presented the highest species number (15 spp.), followed by Euphorbiaceae (13), Leguminosae (12), Malvaceae (7), Orchidaceae (7), and Rubiaceae (7). Additionally, three new species of the genera Neomarica (Iridaceae), Pseudobombax (Malvaceae), and Solarium (Solanaceae) were sampled. In spite of the studied area being located within the circumscription of the Caatinga Biome, analysis of similarity (UPGMA) and of the SFR species composition showed that it is more floristically related to semideciduous forest of the Atlantic Forest domain rather than to caatinga vegetation.

Anatomia de espécies anfíbias de Cyperaceae de lagoas do semi-árido, BA, Brasil

We examined the anatomy of roots, rhizomes, leaves, and scapes of Cyperus odoratus L., Oxycaryum cubense (Poep. & Kunth) Lye, and Pycreus macrostachyos (Lam.) Raynal (Cyperaceae-Poales) from temporary lakes in the semi-arid region of Bahia in order to characterize the anatomy and examine structural adaptations to amphibious lifestyle. All species had roots with uniseriate epidermal cells, cortex with exoderm and air canals. The rhizomes had amphivasal or collateral vascular bundles in the vascular cylinder. The leaves had uniseriate epidermal cells with external periclinal cell walls thicker than the inner walls, stomata on the abaxial leaf surface, chlorenchyma alternating with air canals, and collateral vascular bundles. The scapes had uniseriate epidermal cells, fibrous groups distributed peripherally, alternating with chlorenchyma, air canals, and collateral vascular bundles. Oxycaryum cubense differs from Cyperus odoratus and Pycreus macrostachyos by having roots with long hairs; rhizomes and stolons with collateral vascular bundles; leaf blades with acute margins, and lacking Kranz structures in leaves and scapes. Anatomic characters such as the presence of large air canals principally in the roots, bulliform cells on the adaxial face of the leaf epidermis, hypodermis, reduced numbers of xylem vascular elements and little lignification of the cell walls of the different plant organs are considered important features in the adaptation of these amphibious plants that inhabit temporary lakes in the semi-arid region of Bahia state.

Two new species of Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae) from the Chapada Diamantina of Bahia, Brazil

Two new species endemic to the Chapada Diamantina (Bahia) are described: Ipomoea ana-mariae and I. serrana. Both are morphologically similar to I. pintoi. Ipomoea ana-mariae may be easily identified by its tubular corolla. Ipomoea serrana may be distinguished by its actinodromous venation, with two basal pairs of veins and three to four pairs along the midrib. We present illustrations of the species, comparisons with similar species, discussions of diagnostic characters, conservation status, and an identification key to the most closely related species.

Plantas vasculares das áreas alagadas dos Marimbus, Chapada Diamantina, BA, Brasil

Swampy vascular plants are important components of tropical ecosystems although barely studied in the Brazilian Northeast. This paper goals at the identification of vascular plants of Marimbus, a swampy area in the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, discussing geographic distribution and biological specter aspects. It also presents a comparison with other floristic surveys in swampy areas. 130 species in 46 families were registered. The family Cyperaceae was the most abundant (15%), followed by Rubiaceae (10%), Poaceae (8%), Myrtaceae (7.6%), Leguminosae (6.8%) and Polygonaceae (3.8%). Amphibious plants are the most common ones (58%), the emergent, floating (fixed or free) and submerged ones make up to 39% of the flora, which presents 25% of nanophanerophytes, 13% of geophytes and 12% of microphanerophyte. Most species present neotropical distribution (34%), many are ruderal (17%) and some are multicontinental (9%). This flora is less dissimilar to that from Pantanal Matogrossense.

Levantamento das espécies de Amasonia (Lamiaceae) para o Brasil

This paper, a survey of Amasonia L.f. from Brazil, was based on field observations and study of herbarium specimens, photographs of the types, besides bibliographic documentation. Amasonia is a neotropical genus, distributed in South America and Antilles. Eight species are recognized here in the genus (A. angustifolia, A. arborea, A. calycina, A. campestris, A. hirta, A. lasiocaulos, A. obovata and A. spruceana) distributed mainly in the Amazon and central-western country. A key to identify the species, illustrations and flowering and fructification periods are provided.

Immunomodulatory and antibacterial activities of extracts from Rutaceae species

Rutaceae is a taxon with species very well distributed in Brazilian semi-arid area, commonly used in folk medicine. Species from this genus have diverse biological activity described in literature. In this work, immunomodulatory and bactericidal activity are described for chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts of three of them (Esenbeckia grandiflora Mart., Pilocarpus spicatus A.St.-Hil. and Galipea simplicifolia Schult.). Initially all the samples had their cytotoxicity evaluated, aiming to determine the LC50. The immunomodulatory potential was evaluated in cultures of murine splenocytes stimulated or not with concanavalin A and in a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) using splenocytes from BALB/c (H-2d) mice immunized with splenocytes from C57Bl/6 (H-2b) mice. Four samples had higher values of lymphoproliferation inhibition in concanavalin A-stimulated cultures and were evaluated in MLR. The antibacterial activity of extracts was also evaluated and the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for two active samples were 1.0 and 5.0 mg/ml for extracts from Esenbeckia grandiflora Mart. and Galipea simplicifolia Schult., respectively. Thus, our results reinforce data of literature relating biological activity for many species of the Rutaceae family and encourage studies with these species aiming to discover active compounds, candidates to new medicines.

Vochysia palmirana (Vochysiaceae), a new species from Goiás and Tocantins, Brazil

Vochysia palmirana is described and illustrated as a new species. It is a member of sect.Vochysiella subsect.Decorticantes. It grows in sandy Cerrados of the Central Brazilian Plateau and is similar toV. sessilifolia. A key to the species ofVochysia sect.Vochysiella subsect.Decorticantes is provided.