Ubiratan F. da Silva

A simple solid injection device for the analyses of Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae) volatiles

Abstract The volatile components of three orchid species ( Bulbophyllum weddellii , B. ipanemense and B. involutum ) were detected using GC/MS. Due to the minute dimension and amount of flowers, special traps and extraction methods were applied and the analyses were finally successful using a special solid sample injector which was constructed in our own laboratory. The chemical composition comparison revealed the high similarity between the volatiles present in B. weddellii and B. involutum , which is coherent with the pollinator sharing. On the other hand, the volatiles of B. ipanemense , a species pollinated by other pollinator species, are different from the two previous species.

Antimicrobial activity of Schinus lentiscifolius (Anacardiaceae).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Schinus lentiscifolius Marchand (syn. Schinus weinmannifolius Engl) is a plant native to Rio Grande do Sul (Southern Brazil) and has been used in Brazilian traditional medicine as antiseptic and antimicrobial for the treatment of many different health problems as well as to treat leucorrhea and to assist in ulcer and wound healing. Although it is a plant widely used by the population, there are no studies proving this popular use. MATERIAL AND METHODS The crude aqueous extract, the crude neutral methanol extract, fractions prepared from this extract (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol), pure compounds isolated from these fractions, and derivatives were investigated in vitro for antimicrobial activities against five Gram positive bacteria: Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Streptococcus pyogenes, three Gram negative bacteria: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Shigella sonnei, and four yeasts: Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The isolated compound moronic acid, which is the most active, was tested against a range of other bacteria such as two Gram positive bacteria, namely, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus spp, and six Gram negative bacteria, namely, Burkholderia cepacia, Providencia stuartii, Morganella morganii, Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Proteus mirabilis. RESULTS The leaf aqueous extract (decoction) of Schinus lentiscifolius showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, ranging from 125 to 250 μg/ml (MIC) against the tested bacteria and fungi. The n-hexane extract, despite being very little active against bacteria, showed an excellent antifungal activity, especially against Candida albicans (MIC=25 μg/ml), Candida tropicalis (MIC=15.5 μg/ml), and Cryptococcus neoformans, (MIC=15.5 μg/ml). From the acetate fraction (the most active against bacteria), compounds 1-6 were isolated: nonadecanol (1), moronic acid (2), gallic acid methyl ester (3), gallic acid (4), quercetin (5) and quercitrin (6). The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of moronic acid between 1.5 and 3 μg/ml against most of the tested bacteria shows that it is one of the metabolites responsible for the antibacterial activity of Schinus lentiscifolius. CONCLUSION The antimicrobial activity and some constituents of Schinus lentiscifolius are reported for the first time. The results of the present study provide scientific basis for the popular use of Schinus lentiscifolius for a number of different health problems.

Composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from Aloysia sellowii

The essential oils obtained from aerial parts of Aloysia sellowii from two different collection locations Southern Brazil (A and B), were analyzed by GC, GC/MS, and chiral phase gas chromatography (CPGC). It was identified 48 compounds representing ca 93% and 91% of the oils of samples A and B, respectively. Besides them 1,8-Cineole, b-pinene, sabinene, and b-(Z)-santalol were the major components. In a preliminary biological screening the samples of essential oils of A. sellowii displayed strong activity in the brine shrimp lethality assay (LC50 = 2.85 µg mL-1) as well as antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms and two yeasts (MIC 1.7-16 mg mL-1).

(R)-(-)-carvone and (1R, 4R)-trans-(+)-dihydrocarvone from poiretia latifolia vogel

The essential oils of Poiretia latifolia Vogel, native and cultivated leaves (Samples A and B, respectively) and native flowers (sample C), were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC, GC/MS and chiral phase gas chromatography (CPGC). Twenty-four compounds were identified, representing 99.25, 99.26 and 99.23% of the oils, respectively. The major constituents of the oils were the monoterpenes (S)-(-)-limonene (16.05, 27.60, 15.60%, respectively), (1R, 4R)-trans-(+)-dihydrocarvone (18.05, 0.66 and 77.80%, respectively) and (R)-(-)-carvone (61.05, 64.20 and 4.50%, respectively). The essential oils were evaluated against some strains of Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria, and yeast, but displayed only modest antimicrobial activity.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from Aeolanthus suaveolens Mart. ex Spreng

The essential oils from leaves (sample A) and flowers (sample B) of Aeolanthus suaveolens Mart. ex Spreng were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC, GC-MS, and chiral phase gas chromatography (CPGC). Six compounds have been identified from the essential oils, representing ca 94.3 and 93% of the oils corresponding to samples A and B, respectively. The major constituents of samples A and B essential oils were respectively, linalool (34.2%/34.9%), (-)-massoialactone (25.9%/17.0%) and (E)-b-farnesene (25.4%/29.1%). The enantiomeric distribution of the monoterpene linalool was established by analysis on heptakis- (6-O-methyl-2,3-di-O-pentyl)-b-cyclodextrin capillary column. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from leaves and isolated compounds was also evaluated.

Essential Oil of Pluchea quitoc Dc. (Asteraceae)

Abstract The essential oils of Pluchea quitoc, which were obtained from aerial parts of two samples (A and B) from two different collection locations from South of Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Forty-two compounds representing ca 98.0% and 90.5% were identified in the oils of samples A and B, respectively. Sesquilavandulyl acetate (7.6—24.1%), sesquilavandulol (8.2—24.3%) and α-gurjunene (20.0–20.5%) were the major components. The antimicrobial activity of the oils, sesquilavandulol acetate and sesquilavandulol is also reported.

Chemical composition and evaluation of prolyl oligopeptidase and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of Leonurus Sibiricus L. from Brazil

Abstract Chemical investigation of the aerial parts of Leonurus sibiricus L. used in Brazilian folk medicine led to the identification of the following constituents: the labdane-type diterpenoid leojaponin, the phytosterols β-sitosterol and β-sitosterol glucoside and the alkaloid leonurine. The crude extracts obtained from methanol and methanol/1% HCl and pure compounds isolated from L. sibirius were investigated as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) inhibitors. Extracts obtained by maceration were active against POP (53–58%), but showed weak activity against AChE. The isolated leojaponin and leonurine were evaluated as POP inhibitors.

Phytochemical analysis of bark from Helietta apiculata Benth and antimicrobial activities

Extraction and characterization of natural products from the bark of the trunk of Helietta apiculata Benth (Rutaceae) afforded nine alkaloids, eight furoquinoline and one quinolone, limonine, three cinnamic acid derivatives, three neolignans, tetracosanoic acid, six coumarins, of which apiculin A and apiculin B (neolignans), and tanizin (coumarin) are previously undescribed compounds. The structures of all compounds were determined by spectroscopic methods, and the crystal structures of two of the newly undescribed compounds, apiculin A and apiculin B, were determined by X-ray analysis. Extracts and pure compounds isolated from Helietta apiculata showed promising antimicrobial activities.

Lanostane-type triterpenes from the fungal endophyte Scleroderma UFSMSc1 (Persoon) Fries.

Two lanostane triterpenoids (sclerodols A and B) were isolated from the culture of the Eucalyptus grandis derived from the endophyte Scleroderma UFSM Sc1(Persoon) Fries together with three known compounds: one related triterpenoid lanosta-8,23-dien-3β,25-diol, the disaccharide α,β-trehalose, and the sugar alcohol mannitol. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 2D NMR, HRME, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. The methanol crude extract and the isolated lanostane triterpenoids showed promising anticandidal activities.

Ultrasound-assisted acid hydrolysis of cellulose to chemical building blocks: Application to furfural synthesis.

In this work, the use of ultrasound energy for the production of furanic platforms from cellulose was investigated and the synthesis of furfural was demonstrated. Several systems were evaluated, as ultrasound bath, cup horn and probe, in order to investigate microcrystalline cellulose conversion using simply a diluted acid solution and ultrasound. Several acid mixtures were evaluated for hydrolysis, as diluted solutions of HNO3, H2SO4, HCl and H2C2O4. The influence of the following parameters in the ultrasound-assisted acid hydrolysis (UAAH) were studied: sonication temperature (30 to 70°C) and ultrasound amplitude (30 to 70% for a cup horn system) for 4 to 8molL-1 HNO3 solutions. For each evaluated condition, the products were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ToF-MS), which provide accurate information regarding the products obtained from biomass conversion. The furfural structure was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C NMR) spectroscopy. In addition, cellulosic residues from hydrolysis reaction were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which contributed for a better understanding of physical-chemical effects caused by ultrasound. After process optimization, a 4molL-1 HNO3 solution, sonicated for 60min at 30°C in a cup horn system at 50% of amplitude, lead to 78% of conversion to furfural. This mild temperature condition combined to the use of a diluted acid solution represents an important contribution for the selective production of chemical building blocks using ultrasound energy.