Mara Rejane Ritter

Plants used as antidiabetics in popular medicine in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Plants are widely as antidiabetics. The study of these plants is essential because many of them may have undesirable effects, such as acute or chronic toxicity; or their use may even delay or discourage the adoption of the proper and effective treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study surveyed the plant species that are popularly used to treat diabetes mellitus in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. Sixteen ethnobotanical surveys performed in the state were consulted, and the species used to treat diabetes were listed. For species cited in at least two of the studies, scientific data related to antidiabetic activity were searched in the ISI Knowledge database. The scientific binomial of each species was used as keywords, and data found in review papers were also included. RESULTS A total of 81 species in 42 families were mentioned; the most important families were Asteraceae and Myrtaceae. Twenty eight species were cited at least twice as being used to treat diabetes in the state. For 11 of these, no scientific data regarding antidiabetic activity could be located. The species most frequently mentioned for use with diabetes were Syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae) and Bauhinia forficata (Fabaceae), in 12 studies each, followed by Sphagneticola trilobata (Asteraceae), in six studies; and Baccharis trimera (Asteraceae), Bidens pilosa (Asteraceae), Cynara scolymus (Asteraceae), and Leandra australis (Melastomataceae) in four studies each. Bauhinia forficata and Syzygium cumini have been studied in more detail for antidiabetic activity. CONCLUSIONS A considerable number of plant species are traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes melitus in the Rio Grande do Sul State. The majority of those plants that have been studied for antidiabetic activity showed promising results, mainly for Bauhinia forficata and Syzygium cumini. However, for most of the plants mentioned, the studies are not sufficient to guarantee the efficacy and safety in the use of these plants in the treatment against diabetes.

Biogeografia do gênero Mikania Willd. (Asteraceae) no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

A distribuicao geografica das 39 especies nativas de Mikania Willd. no Rio Grande do Sul foi estudada em duas escalas: uma escala regional, utilizando regioes fisiograficas como unidades, e uma escala continental, considerando regioes politico-geograficas como unidades. A riqueza especifica e a amplitude de distribuicaoforam obtidas diretamente de matrizes de presenca e ausencia, relacionando especies e regioes. A matriz regional foi analisada por dois metodos multivariados, uma analise de agrupamentos e uma analise de coordenadas principais, utilizando o complemento do coeficiente de Jaccard como elemento de comparacao (dissimilaridade). Na escala regional as regioes mais ricas foram o Litoral e a Depressao Central, enquanto na escala continental, a maioria das especies sul-rio-grandenses foram tambem encontradas no Sudeste do Brasil e no Sul da America do Sul. A analise multivariada evidenciou dois grupos principais no Estado, um oriental e outro ocidental. Em cada um desses grupos foram evidenciados dois subgrupos relacionados a caracteristicas climaticas e geologicas do Estado.Os padroes de distribuicao de Mikania confirmam o carater tropical do genero e as principais rotas de migracao descritas para a flora do Sul do Brasil.

Traditional botanical knowledge of artisanal fishers in southern Brazil

BackgroundThis study characterized the botanical knowledge of artisanal fishers of the Lami community, Porto Alegre, southern Brazil based on answers to the following question: Is the local botanical knowledge of the artisanal fishers of the rural-urban district of Lami still active, even since the district’s insertion into the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre?MethodsThis region, which contains a mosaic of urban and rural areas, hosts the Lami Biological Reserve (LBR) and a community of 13 artisanal fisher families. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 fishers, complemented by participatory observation techniques and free-lists; in these interviews, the species of plants used by the community and their indicated uses were identified.ResultsA total of 111 species belonging to 50 families were identified. No significant differences between the diversities of native and exotic species were found. Seven use categories were reported: medicinal (49%), human food (23.2%), fishing (12.3%), condiments (8%), firewood (5%), mystical purposes (1.45%), and animal food (0.72%). The medicinal species with the highest level of agreement regarding their main uses (AMUs) were Aloe arborescens Mill., Plectranthus barbatus Andrews, Dodonaea viscosa Jacq., Plectranthus ornatus Codd, Eugenia uniflora L., and Foeniculum vulgare Mill. For illness and diseases, most plants were used for problems with the digestive system (20 species), followed by the respiratory system (16 species). This community possesses a wide botanical knowledge, especially of medicinal plants, comparable to observations made in other studies with fishing communities in coastal areas of the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.ConclusionsEthnobotanical studies in rural-urban areas contribute to preserving local knowledge and provide information that aids in conserving the remaining ecosystems in the region.

Micromorfologia da superfície do fruto de espécies de Mikania Willd. (Asteraceae) ocorrentes no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

This work presents the surface micromorphology of fruits of 15 taxa of Mikania Willd. studied under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The aim was to find characters to separate close species that occur in Rio Grande do Sul State. Such characters had taxonomic value for some of them. The species were separated into four groups according to the pattern. The pattern with striated periclinal and anticlinal walls with verrucose projections was the most constant in the species of Mikania Willd. analyzed.

Essential Oils from Four Mikania Species (Asteraceae)

Abstract Essential oils from Mikania species (Asteraceae), collected in Southern Brazil were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The species analyzed were M. hurchellii Baker, M. glomerata Sprengel, M. micrantha Kunth and M. paranensis Dusén. Sixty-five compounds were identified, representing 90–98% of the oil contents. All species were rich in sesquiterpenes. M. hurchellii, M. micrantha and M. paranensis oils contained mainly of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (germacrene D and β-caryophyllene), while M. glomerata oil was rich in oxygenated sesquiterpenes (spathulenol and caryophyllene oxide). Monoterpene compounds were detected in large amounts only in M. micrantha (27.8%), as major components β-pinene (16.1%) and (E)-β-ocimene (7.0%).

O gênero Chaptalia (Asteraceae, Mutisieae) no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Resumo O genero Chaptalia compreende cerca de 70 especies, distribuidas desde o norte dos Estados Unidos ate o centro da Argentina, sendo que no Brasil ocorrem 17 especies. Dentre os caracteres diagnosticos do genero podem ser citados as flores trimorficas, o habito herbaceo e a ausencia de estaminodios nas flores. O trabalho teve como objetivo o levantamento das especies de Chaptalia no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Foi possivel confirmar a ocorrencia de 10 especies: C. arechavaletae , C. cordifolia , C. exscapa , C. graminifolia , C. ignota , C. integerrima , C. mandonii , C. nutans , C. piloselloides e C. runcinata . Chaptalia sinuata e colocada em sinonimia de C. integerrima . O trabalho apresenta descricoes das especies, chaves de identificacao, ilustracoes, dados sobre conservacao e informacoes gerais. The genus Chaptalia (Asteraceae, Mutisieae) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Abstract The genus Chaptalia is represented by ca. 70 species, from northern United States to the center of Argentina; in Brazil there are 17 species. Among the recognizable features of the genus are trimorphic florets, herbaceous habit and florets without staminodes. The present work aimed to survey the native species of Chaptalia in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The occurrence of 10 species in the State is confirmed: C. arechavaletae , C. cordifolia , C. exscapa , C. graminifolia , C. ignota , C. integerrima , C. mandonii , C. nutans , C. piloselloides e C. runcinata . Chaptalia sinuata is placed by first time as a synonym of C. integerrima . The study presents species descriptions, an identification key, illustrations, conservation data and general information.

Mikania oreophila (Asteraceae, Eupatorieae), a new species from southern Brazil

Mikania oreophila, a new species of Asteraceae (Eupatorieae) from the southern Brazilian highlands, is described and illustrated. The new species is related to M. paranensis, from which it differs by the thinly chartaceous and somewhat basally attenuate leaves and subinvolucral bracts placed at the base of the peduncles. RESUMEN. Se describe e ilustra Mikania oreophila, una nueva especie de Asteraceae (Eupatorieae) de las montafias del sur de Brasil. La nueva especie estI emparentada con M. paranensis, de la cual se diferencia por sus hojas finamente cartaiceas y algo atenuadas en la base y por las braicteas subinvolucrales dispuestas en la base de los pedtinculos.

Where are the Brazilian ethnobotanical studies in the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga

The Atlantic Forest and Caatinga ecosystems differ in terms of biodiversity and geoclimatic conditions but are similar in their rich socio-diversity and heterogeneity of vegetation types that comprise their floras. The objectives of this work were to map the ethnobotanical studies that have been conducted in these ecosystems and record the most investigated communities, regions, and vegetation formations related to this research. A literature review was made of ethnobotanical articles related to the use and knowledge of medicinal and food plants employed by local populations within the original territories of the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest. The areas with the highest concentrations of studies (Southeast and South regions in the Atlantic Forest and the states of Pernambuco and Paraíba in the Caatinga) reflect the presence of research groups in these regions. Until now, it was thought that ethnobotanical studies had been conducted throughout the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga; however, the results of this work show that both ecosystems contain areas that still need to be studied.