O. A. Lameira

Ethnoveterinary knowledge of the inhabitants of Marajó Island, Eastern Amazonia, Brazil

Em varias partes do mundo existem relatos etnoveterinarios sobre a utilizacao de plantas em protocolos terapeuticos, entretanto nao existem informacoes disponiveis sobre a etnoveterinaria praticada na Amazonia brasileira. Desta forma, objetivou-se documentar o conhecimento etnoveterinario de habitantes da Ilha do Marajo, Amazonia Oriental. Foram realizadas 50 entrevistas individuais com aplicacao de questionarios semi-estruturados que foram analisados quantitativamente atraves de estatistica descritiva utilizando frequencia de distribuicao. O valor de uso foi calculado para determinar as especies mais importantes. Amostras de plantas com relatos de uso medicinal foram coletadas e identificadas botanicamente. Cinquenta plantas, distribuidas em 48 generos e 34 familias, foram indicadas para 21 diferentes usos medicinais. A familia Asteraceae foi a que teve maior numero de especies citadas e Carapa guianensis Aubl, Crescentia cujete L., Copaifera martii Hayne, Caesalpinia ferrea Mart., Chenopodium ambrosioides L., Jatropha curcas L. e Momordica charantia L. foram as especies com maiores valor de uso. As partes das plantas mais utilizadas para preparo dos medicamentos etnoveterinarios foram folhas (56%), cascas (18%), raizes (14%), sementes (14%) e frutos (8%). Quanto a forma de uso o cha foi citado por 56% dos entrevistados e a maioria das preparacoes (90,9%) utiliza uma so planta. Alem das plantas medicinais, os entrevistados relataram o uso de produtos de origem animal e mineral. Esse trabalho contribui para realizacao de um inventario das plantas utilizadas na etnoveterinaria marajoara que pode servir de base de dados para futuros estudos de validacao cientifica.

Copaiba Oil-Resin Treatment Is Neuroprotective and Reduces Neutrophil Recruitment and Microglia Activation after Motor Cortex Excitotoxic Injury

The oil-resin of Copaifera reticulata Ducke is used in the Brazilian folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory and healing agent. However, there are no investigations on the possible anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective roles of copaiba oil-resin (COR) after neural disorders. We have investigated the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of COR following an acute damage to the motor cortex of adult rats. Animals were injected with the neurotoxin N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) (n = 10) and treated with a single dose of COR (400 mg/kg, i.p.) soon after surgery (Group 1) or with two daily doses (200 mg/kg, i.p.) during 3 days (Group 2) alter injury. Control animals were treated with vehicle only. COR treatment induced tissue preservation and decreased the recruitment of neutrophils and microglial activation in the injury site compared to vehicle animals. The results suggest that COR treatment induces neuroprotection by modulating inflammatory response following an acute damage to the central nervous system.

Explantes de cupuaçuzeiro submetidos a diferentes condições de cultura in vitro

This study aimed to evaluate morphogenetic responses of different cupuassu explants (Theobroma grandiflorum Schum.) under diverse conditions of in vitro culture. 2,4-D (4,52; 6,78 and 9,05 µM) promoted the formation of friable calluses in embryonic axes and TDZ (2,0 and 3,0 µM) induced a high frequency of friable calluses and smaller oxidation in segments of young leaves. 2,4-D combined with KIN promoted the initiation of friable calluses while NAA combined with KIN promoted the rhizogenesis in cotyledon segments. In the presence of 2,26 µM 2,4-D and 13,94 µM KIN it was noticed the growth of friable calluses in stem segments. The addition of coconut water, 2iP and NAA stimulated the fast growth of calluses in embryonic axis, stem segments, and chlorophyllous young leaf segments.

CULTURA IN VITRO DE EMBRIÕES ZIGÓTICOS DE AÇAIZEIRO

This work had as objective to establish protocol for the production of seedlings in vitro from of the conversion of assai palm zygotic embryos (Euterpe oleracea Mart.). The mature zygotic embryos obtained of seeds of mature fruits were excised under aseptic conditions, and cultivated in rehearsal tubes with 10 mL of a MS medium modified by the presence of 0,17 g.L-1 of NaH2PO4, with agar 0,6%, 0,25% activated charcoal and 3% sucrose. Different combinations of NAA were tested (0,54; 2,68 and 5,37 mM) and BAP (0,44; 1,11; 1,55 and 2,22 mM) and a treatment without growth regulator. On the average, the constituted treatments of ANA and BAP were superiors the to a treatment without growth regulator to all the parameters. The concentrations of 0,54 and 2,68 mM of NAA promoted, on the average, larger formation of normal seedlings when compared with 5,37 mM NAA. The presence of 2,68 mM NAA plus 1,11; 1,55 and 2,22 mM BAP was induced largest shoot length. Significant differences were not verified between NAA and BAP concentrations for the number of roots/seedlings. The obtained results allowed verifying that an addition of NAA and BAP in the culture medium was necessary to the conversion of mature zygotic embryos in both vigorous and normal seedlings.

Propagacao in vivo e in vitro de Cissus sicyoides, uma planta medicinal

O estudo da propagacao de especies utilizadas na medicina popular tem sido intensificado nos ultimos anos devido ao crescente investimento em pesquisas para a descoberta de novos farmacos e da utilizacao da fitoterapia como um meio alternativo. O objetivo do trabalho foi a propagacao in vivo e in vitro (estabelecimento e multiplicacao) de Cissus sicyoides. Plantas mantidas em casa de vegetacao forneceram estacas com 10 e 20 cm de comprimento, as quais foram tratadas com 0, 80 ou 160 mg/l de AIB, com ou sem sacarose + acido borico, por duas horas. Para o estabelecimento in vitro, apos desinfestacao, segmentos nodais com 10 mm de comprimento foram inoculados em meio de cultura solido (MS), com diferentes concentracoes de cinetina, BAP e ANA. Para a multiplicacao in vitro, segmentos nodais com 10 mm foram inoculados em meio MS, suplementado com diferentes concentracoes de BAP e ANA, e ANA e cinetina. Na propagacao in vivo as estacas com 10 cm de comprimento apresentaram maior eficiencia no enraizamento quando tratadas com 160 mg/l de AIB. In vitro os explantes foram melhor estabelecidos e multiplicados em meio de cultura suplementado com cinetina e ANA, que proporcionaram maior inducao de gemas, crescimento em altura e ausencia de calos na base das plântulas.

Somatic embryogenesis from zygotic embryos of Euterpe oleracea Mart.

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi estudar as diferentes respostas morfogeneticas de embrioes zigoticos de acaizeiro (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) submetidos a varias condicoes de cultura in vitro. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em laboratorio, com material vegetal coletado de plantas de acai da Embrapa Amazonia Oriental, Belem-PA, Brasil. Foi possivel verificar a expressao de um modelo de embriogenese somatica direto, repetitivo e assincronizado em embrioes zigoticos maduros cultivados em meio primario MS, suplementado com 339,36 mM de 2,4-diclorofenoxiacetico (2,4-D), e transferidos para meio secundario MS na presenca de 0,537 mM de acido 1-naftalenoacetico (ANA) e 12,30 mM de 2-isopenteniladenina (2iP). A conversao de embrioes somaticos em plântulas foi alcancada aos 210 dias da inoculacao com a transferencia das culturas para um terceiro meio com a concentracao de sais e sacarose reduzida pela metade e ausencia de reguladores de crescimento.

Avaliação da toxicidade aguda e potencial neurotóxico do óleo-resina de copaíba (Copaifera reticulata Ducke, Fabaceae)

Copaiba oil-resin obtained from Copaifera L. genus, Fabaceae, is largely used in popular medicine as antinflammatory, antimicrobial and antitumoral. Information concerning the potential toxicity of this oil is limited in the literature. The goal of this study was to investigate the acute toxicity and the possible neurotoxic effects related to the ingestion of Copaifera reticulata Ducke, Fabaceae, oil-resin using female Wistar rats. Fifteen nulliparous rats were used and distributed in the experimental groups orally exposed to doses of 300 e 2000 mg/kg bw of oil-resin (gavage). No overt clinical signs of toxicity or neurotoxicity, alteration of food consumption or body weight were observed in the animals at the tested doses. The lethal oral toxicity was estimated to be higher than 2000 mg/kg bw, classified as category 5 according to OECD Guide 423. These results indicate that there is a certain safety margin associated with the use of copaiba as therapeutic agent, although additional toxicological studies are still necessary, mainly using repeated low doses.

Developmental toxicity of copaiba tree (Copaifera reticulata Ducke, Fabaceae) oleoresin in rat

The oleoresin of the copaiba tree (Copaifera sp., Fabaceae) is traditionally used in Brazilian herbal medicine to treat a variety of illnesses and symptoms. This study, conducted according to the OECD Guideline 414, provides data on the developmental toxicity of oleoresin from C. reticulata (COPA-R) in rats. Pregnant Wistar rats (25 per dose group) were treated by gavage with COPA-R (0, 500, 1000 and 1250 mg/kg bw/day) on gestation days (GD) 6-19 and Caesarean sections performed on GD20. Implantations, living and dead fetuses and resorptions were recorded. Half of the fetuses from each litter were examined for visceral abnormalities and the remaining were cleared and stained for skeleton evaluation. COPA-R was maternally toxic (reduced food intake and weight gain) and embryotoxic (lower fetal body weight and increased occurrence of fetal skeleton variations) at the two highest doses, but did not cause embryo deaths or fetal malformations at any dose level. The study derived an oral no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for maternal and developmental toxicity induced by COPA-R of 500 mg/kg bw/day. The results suggest that copaiba oleoresin does not pose a health risk to pregnant women when used according to the recommended doses (up to five drops, three times a day).

Seasonal Variation in the Volatiles of Copaifera duckei Dwyer Growing Wild in the State of Pará—Brazil

Abstract The oleoresins of three trees of Copaifera duckei Dwyer were harvested from September 2003 at one-month intervals up to September 2004, and the volatiles examined by GC-FID and GC/MS. The highest oleoresin harvested from Sample A occurred at October 2003 to May 2004 (in the later dry season to early rainy season); the highest oleoresin harvested from Sample B occurred at September and October 2003 (in the later dry season), and from Sample C in June (in the later rainy season). The percentage of the major volatiles of the oleoresin of Samples A and C (Sample A: β-caryophyllene, trans-α-bergamotene, β-selinene and β-bisabolene; Sample C: β-caryophyllene and β-bisabolene) changes in a minor extent during the seasons. However, appreciable changes were observed from the percentage of β-caryophyllene and β-bisabolene in the Sample B. In the same way, appreciable changes were observed on the amount of oleoresin harvested: Sample A: 10 mL to 500 mL, Sample B: zero to 3000 mL, Sample C: zero to 70 mL. In conclusion, for the all samples of C. duckei studied here, we observed considerably changes in the amount of oleoresin harvested. Nevertheless, the percentage of the main components of Samples A and C were not affected in a great extent. Contrary, the Sample B, the percentage of the major compounds changes considerably during seasons.

Seasonal variation of oleoresin and volatiles from Copaifera martii hayne growing wild in the State of Pará, Brazil

Abstract The oleoresins from Copaifera martii were harvested from September 2003 at one-month intervals up to September 2004, from the same individual tree, and examined by GC/FID and GC/MS. The highest oleoresin per harvest occurred at January 2004 in the dry Amazonian season. The major volatiles of the oleoresin, α-copaene and δ-cadinene, changes from 36.4% to 51.2% and 13.7% to 17.3%, respectively. No appreciable changes were observed on the percentage of the volatile compounds during the seasonal observation, but the percentage of essential oils in the oleoresins also changes considerably (1.3% −21.3%). The amount of oleoresin harvested ranged from 0–100mL. In conclusion, for the specimen of C. martii studied, during the seasonal observation, oleoresin per harvested and the percentage of the essential oil changes considerably during seasonal observation, but the chemical composition were not affected. According our knowledge this is the first reported of the volatiles and seasonal observation from C. martii.