Maria do Carmo Bassols Raseira

Behavioral and genoprotective effects of Vaccinium berries intake in mice

Studies have shown that supplementation with berries rich in anthocyanins are effective in reducing oxidative stress associated with aging, and are beneficial in reversing age-related neuronal and behavioral changes. However, there are few reports on other biological activities of these polyphenols, such as genoprotective effects. The present experiments were performed to study the possible effects of 30-day administration of a lyophilized extract of Vaccinium ashei berries on cognitive performance using step-down inhibitory avoidance, open-field habituation and elevated plus-maze tasks, as well as on DNA damage in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. The present study showed that the extract significantly enhanced long-term memory in the inhibitory avoidance task, induced an increase in the number of crossings during open-field habituation and had an anxiolytic effect in the elevated plus-maze task. Moreover, the extract reduced oxidative DNA damage in brain tissue in vitro. These results suggest that supplementation with V. ashei berries to mice improves performance on memory tasks and has a protective effect on DNA damage, possibly due to the antioxidant activity of polyphenols, including anthocyanins.

Comparison among methods for testing pollen viability

It is important that the pollen used in controlled hibridization has a high germination percentage. There are different ways to test pollen viability: 1. by staining 2-in vitro pollen germination; 3- in vivo germination test; 4-fruit set, obtained by using the pollen to be tested. In the present work, performed in 2004, a comparison was made among the three first methods above. Pollen samples of five cultivars , Esmeralda, Eldorado, Granada, Maciel and Vanguarda ,collected in 2003, were used in the experiment. The culture medium for in vitro germination tests was constituted by 10g of sucrose and 1g of agar dissolved in 100ml of distilled water. Twigs with flowers on balloon stage were collected and taken to the laboratory where they were placed in recipients containing water. The procedure used was the one described for light microscopy using differential dye, in order to observe the pollen tubes on the stigma or in the pistil. Propionic carmin was used as a dye for the staining method of pollen viability evaluation. Variance analysis showed differences among cultivars, among methods and a highly significant interaction between cultivar and method. The staining method using propionic carmin as a dye gave higher percentage of viability than in vivo germination for all the tested cultivars. In vitro germination was statistically equal to in vivo germination , except for cultivars Esmeralda and Granada for which gave higher germination percentages. However, the largest differences between the two methods was 10.03% in cv. Esmeralda, which in spite of being statistically significant, practically would be acceptable for routine tests. It was concluded that in vitro tests using the culture medium is representative of the in vivo situation while the staining procedure was not reliable.

Antioxidant potential of peels and fleshes of peaches from different cultivars.

Increasing recent interest in nutraceuticals and functional foods has led researchers to investigate the antioxidant potential of several fruits. This article evaluates the antioxidant potential and reactivity based on luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence capacity of peach extracts (peels and fleshes) and the contribution of a major compound present in these extracts to antioxidant potential and reactivity. The results obtained showed that the extracts of peels and fleshes of Maciel, Leonense, and Eldorado peach cultivars present free radical scavenging activity in all concentrations tested, with a concentration-dependent action. The immediate inhibition of chemiluminescence and the duration of this inhibition were significantly higher with the extracts than with the major compound (chlorogenic acid) alone, and it can be due to a synergistic or additive effect of other antioxidants present in the extracts. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) values for peach extract and chlorogenic acid were 1.19 microg/mL and 8.43 microg/mL, respectively, when total radical-trapping antioxidant potential was evaluated, whereas IC(50) values of 0.41 microg/mL and 1.89 microg/mL was found when total antioxidant reactivity was evaluated in peach extract and chlorogenic acid, respectively. Chlorogenic acid presented a good contribution to antioxidant reactivity and potential, but the fruit extracts provide better antioxidant action. Peach could be of great interest as an important antioxidant source including chlorogenic acid, and it may provide health-promoting advantages to consumers by intake of this fruit or by utilization of its peels as antioxidant sources in industry.

Germinação in vitro e armazenamento do pólen de Eugenia involucrata DC (Myrtaceae)

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi o de estabelecer condicoes adequadas para testes de germinacao in vitro do polen de cerejeira-do-rio-grande (Eugenia involucrata DC), bem como verificar a possibilidade de armazena-lo em freezer (-16,5°C). O polen foi coletado de flores em estadio de balao e logo apos a antese. Os meios de cultura testados foram o meio padrao (10% de acucar e 1% de agar em agua destilada) e este acrescido de duas concentracoes de H3BO3 (0,65mM e 1,3mM). Foram testadas as temperaturas de incubacao de 25 e 30oC. O periodo de incubacao foi de tres horas, para todos os tratamentos. A incubacao a 25°C, em meio de cultura-padrao, proporcionou boas medias (61,4%) de germinacao in vitro. Polen coletado de flores apos a antese apresentou maiores porcentagens de germinacao. O boro nao influenciou na germinacao media do polen. O polen de cerejeira-do-rio-grande manteve sua viabilidade (60,0%) apos 90 dias de armazenamento a -16,5°C. Entretanto, apos 220 e 280 dias, esta foi reduzida para 40,6% e 24,2% e, apos 530 dias, houve perda total de viabilidade.

Comparative analysis of the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of red (Psidium cattleianum) and yellow (Psidium cattleianum var. lucidum) strawberry guava fruit.

UNLABELLED Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum Sabine) is a native fruit of Brazil widely consumed fresh and used in the food industry. In this context, the present study deals with the chemical characterization and the antioxidant activity of the red (Psidium cattleianum) and yellow (P. cattleianum var. lucidum Hort.) strawberry guava fruits, cultivars Irapuã and Ya-Cy, respectively. Knowledge of chemical composition is fundamental to human nutrition, contributing to the quality of foods. Phenolic compounds in both fruits were analyzed by HPLC-DAD and the total flavonoid content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by the total reactive antioxidant (TRAP) method. Psidium cattleianum presented a higher content of polyphenolic compounds than P. cattleianum var. lucidum (501.33 and 292.03 mg/100 g, respectively), with hyperoside being one of the major flavonoids identified for both cultivars. In addition to flavonoids, P. cattleianum presented an anthocyanin, identified as cyanidin. The antioxidant activity varied in a concentration-dependent manner for both strawberry guava species. The volatile oils in fruits and fatty acids in seeds were quantified by GC-EM. The analysis of the essential oil of yellow strawberry guava was compared with a previous study on the red cultivar, revealing β-caryophyllene as the main component in both oils. The fatty acid composition was also quite similar and was especially characterized by the presence of unsaturated fatty acids (86.25% and 76%, respectively), among which linoleic acid as the most abundant. PRACTICAL APPLICATION In this study, the chemical characterization and the antioxidant activity of the red (Psidium cattleianum) and yellow (P. cattleianum var. lucidum Hort.) strawberry guava fruits were investigated. This is important for potential application of strawberry guava as functional food. Moreover, it may be the experimental basis for further development and use in food industry.

Repetibilidade de caracteres de fruto em araçazeiro e pitangueira

The aim of this research was to estimate the repeatability traits of strawberry guava and surinam cherry fruits. It was evaluated in four productive cycles, the traits weight, diameter, total soluble solids and fruit production in ten selection of strawberry guava and weight, diameter and total soluble solids in nine selection of surinam cherry from the Germplasm Bank of the Embrapa Clima Temperado, in Pelotas-RS, Brazil. The repeatability coefficient, minimum observations number and determination coefficient were estimated by analysis of variance, principal components analysis and structural analysis. The repeatability coefficient was better estimated by the method of principal components analysis, based on covariance matrix. The fruit weight is adequate to phenotypic selection in strawberry guava and surinam cherry. Its only required a measurement to obtain the value of fruit weight value of strawberry guava selections, with 90% accuracy. With four years of evaluation, its possible to infer the actual value with reliability above 80% for all characters. This facilitates phenotypic selection for these traits in strawberry guava and surinam cherry breeding programs.

Phenolic Composition in Different Genotypes of Guabiju Fruits (Myrcianthes pungens) and Their Potential as Antioxidant and Antichemotactic Agents

Fruits of Myrcianthes pungens Berg. Legr. (Myrtaceae), known as guabiju, are widely consumed fresh as well as dried, processed into jam, marmalade, and juices. In this study, chemical composition and antichemotactic and antioxidant activities of fruits from a wild type (GB) and 2 genotypes, PL2 and PL1, of guabiju were investigated. Total anthocyanins for the genotypes ranged from 334 to 531 mg/100 g dry weight (dwt). Total flavonoids and polyphenols ranged from 79.8 to 154 mg/100 g and 2438 to 4613 mg/100 g (dwt), respectively. A reversed phase liquid chromatography method with photodiode array detection was used to determine chemical profiles of the main anthocyanins found in the extracts. An HPLC method for the quantification of flavonoids is proposed, providing a simple procedure with rapid sample preparation. All samples contained 5 identical anthocyanidins, distributed differently, with cyanidin as the main compound. Identified flavonoids were quercitrin, hyperoside, and isoquercitrin; their relative amounts varied among the extracts. The antioxidant activity of guabiju methanolic extract was comparable to that of Trolox, and at a test concentration of 0.25 mg/mL, GB and PL2 activities were higher than those exhibited by Trolox. Total dry extracts of guabiju exhibited greater inhibition of chemotaxis at a concentration of 4 μg/mL, except for GBH (wild-type hydrolyzed extract) which already presented high values at a concentration of 2 μg/mL. These results suggest that the consumption of this fruit, rich in polyphenols, may be beneficial to human health. Practical Application: The paper is the first attempt on the improvement of this native fruit, since it is widely consumed regularly as part of the South American diet. The content of phenolic compounds demonstrates that consumption of guabiju would be beneficial to human health. Differences among samples, originating from open pollination of plants growing on the same site, lead to the conclusion that improvements can be made in the chemical composition and beneficial activity of guabiju fruits by simply selecting genotypes for these characteristics among open-pollinated seedlings.

Onion (Allium cepa L.) pollen storage

Experimentos foram conduzidos no Laboratorio de Melhoramento Genetico da Embrapa Clima Temperado, em Pelotas, RS, com o objetivo de avaliar, in vitro, o potencial de armazenamento dos graos de polen de cebola da cv. Petrolini, em diferentes condicoes por dois anos. Para tanto, avaliou-se a percentagem de germinacao do grao de polen apos um e dois anos de armazenamento em criotubos, acondicionados em nitrogenio liquido (-196oC), e em frascos de vidro acondicionados no interior de dessecador contendo acido sulfurico e mantidos em freezer (-18oC). O polen conservado por um ano em nitrogenio liquido foi entao transferido para um refrigerador, registrando-se a percentagem de germinacao apos 10, 15, 20 e 30 dias de permanencia neste. O armazenamento em nitrogenio liquido foi o melhor ambiente para a conservacao dos graos de polen durante dois anos. As amostras armazenadas, por um ano, em nitrogenio liquido, que foram transferidas para refrigerador, conservaram-se viaveis por ate dez dias.

Propagação da pitangueira através da enxertia de garfagem

The Surinam cherry is a native fruit from Brazil with a great potential for commercial production. However, the common clonal propagation methods have not given a high percentage of success. The present work had the aim to test the use of two types of grafting: cleft graft and wedge graft as well as the best time to use this technique (July, August and September), under Southern Brazil conditions. The experiment was carried out at EMBRAPA Clima Temperado, in Pelotas, RS, in the year of 2005. The experimental design was completely randomized arranged as a 2x3 factorial plan (type of grafting x time), with 5 replications . It was concluded that both types of grafting could be used, during the winter time, for asexual propagation of Surinam cherry. Cleft grafting had the highest percentage of survival (60%) when compared to the wedge grafting (44.2%). The highest percentage of grafting success was obtained in September with 67.5%, followed by the months of August and July, with 51.3% and 37.5%, respectively.

Avaliação da necessidade de frio em pessegueiro

ABSTRACT - Chilling requirement was investigated in six peach [ Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] cultivars observing plants in containers, with one ortwo years, artificially chilled by 150, 300, 450, and 600 hours at 2oC, and in excised shoots that were periodically taken from the orchard during the restperiod. Chilling requirement of ‘Precocinho’ is 300 hours at 2oC (around 150 chilling units - CU - using Utah Model) or around 200 hours under 12oC;‘Riograndense’ and ‘Eldorado’ have 450 chilling hours at 2oC (225 CU) or 365 chilling hours under 12oC; ‘BR-1’ is 450 chilling requirement at 2oC (225CU) or 418 chilling hours under 12 oC; and ‘Planalto’ and ‘Della Nona’ are over 600 chilling hours at 2oC (>300 CU). It was not possible to estimatechilling requirement in ‘Della Nona’ using temperatures under 12 oC. Index terms: Prunus persica , endodormancy, adaptation. INTRODUCAO O desenvolvimento de plantas perenes de folhas caducas eafetado por fatores endogenos e exogenos. Quando as condicoesexogenas sao desfavoraveis, a planta reage, paralisando o crescimento.O mecanismo de controle da paralisacao e retomada de crescimento,apesar de pouco esclarecido, esta relacionado com a genetica e fisiolo-gia das plantas. A temperatura e, sem duvida, o principal fator exogenodesencadeador deste processo. Mauget (1987) cita que o principal efei-to da temperatura se refere a acao positiva das baixas temperaturas deinverno sobre a superacao da endodormencia.Quando as especies de clima temperado sao introduzidas emregioes tropicais ou subtropicais, manifestam diversos disturbios fisio-logicos, como: abertura de gemas de forma escalonada no tempo, redu-cao no numero de gemas brotadas, formacao de rosetas foliares, redu-cao na producao e longevidade e, em casos extremos, a propria sobrevi-vencia da planta e ameacada (Diaz et al., 1987; Herter, 1992). As flutuacoesde temperatura durante o inverno podem afetar negativamente a supera-cao da endodormencia nestas especies. Erez e Lavee (1971) e Erez et al.(1979) relatam o efeito adverso das altas temperaturas ciclicas sobre aendodormencia, podendo temperaturas elevadas, apos um periodo defrio, causar um atraso na brotacao.Um metodo tradicional de prever a necessidade de frio dasespecies e/ou cultivares consiste em submeter ramos inteiros, retiradosde arvores em diferentes epocas, a uma temperatura favoravel ao cresci-mento, computando o percentual de abertura de gemas apos 21 dias ouo numero de dias necessarios ao desenvolvimento de uma certa percen-tagem fixa, porem arbitraria, de gemas. Quanto maior for o porcentual deabertura aos 21 dias ou quanto menor o numero de dias para atingir oporcentual fixo, mais proximo da superacao da endodormencia encon-tra-se a cultivar ou especie estudada. Esta tecnica, ha muito tempo, vemsendo estudada para fixar as datas de fim de dormencia (Weinberger,1950; Erez e Lavee, 1971; Richardson et al., 1974; Kobayashi et al., 1982),porem o principal problema e nao considerar, ou nao permitir isolar, osefeitos das inibicoes correlativas entre as gemas vegetativas e a neces-sidade de calor necessaria para a antese.Outro metodo utilizado e o “teste das estacas de nos isolados”(Balandier, 1992; Herter, 1992). Fragmentos de ramos, contendo apenasum no com gemas, eliminando, assim, grande parte das inibicoescorrelativas, sao submetidos a temperatura e fotoperiodo adequados aocrescimento. O tempo necessario para abertura de uma gema, sob estascondicoes, mede a intensidade da dormencia. Os principais defeitosdeste metodo foram assinalados por Champagnat (1983), Mauget (1987)e Balandier (1992).Outro fator a ser considerado na quantificacao da dormencia ea necessidade de calor, verificado principalmente em gemas florais.Citadin et al. (2001) observaram diferencas entre gemas vegetativas eflorais de pessegueiro quanto a necessidade de calor e tambem entrecultivares. Neste sentido, e importante estabelecer uma metodologiaclara de determinacao da necessidade de frio durante a endodormencia,considerando as possiveis interacoes com a necessidade de calor.O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a necessidade de friode seis cultivares de pessegueiro, atraves de duas diferentes tecnicas.