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The prevalence of anti-lentiviruses antibodies of small ruminants was investigated in goat herds in the city of Teresina, PI, Brazil. A seroepidemiological survey was conducted involving 480 animals, apparently healthy, belonging to six rural properties. The diagnostic test was the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID), using antigens produced from cellular cultures infected with caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV Cork). Prevalences by gender and age were estimated considering sampling fractions for each farm. A general prevalence of 4.2%, was observerved, being 4.2% for females and 3.6% for males. Prevalences were higher among older goats. Regarding the breed standard, 23.5% were of the Anglo Nubian, 5.9% of the Boer, 35.3% Anglo Nubian x Boer crossbred, and 35.3% of undefined breed. It is concluded that small ruminant lentiviruses are endemic among goat herds of Teresina.

A espinheira-santa (Maytenus muelleri - Celastraceae) é a planta medicinal nativa do Sul do Brasil, cujas folhas são tradicionalmente utilizadas pela medicina popular para o tratamento de úlceras e outros problemas gástricos. Existem poucos trabalhos publicados sobre a produção de mudas e técnicas de propagação vegetativa da espécie. A propagação de espinheira-santa por estaquia poderia ser um método eficiente para obtenção de material homogêneo, com características genéticas desejáveis, produzido a partir de plantas matrizes selecionadas. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar os efeitos da aplicação de ácido indol butírico (AIB), em solução e em pó, no enraizamento de estacas de espinheira-santa coletadas nas quatro estações do ano (abril/2005 a janeiro/2006), bem como averiguar, por meio de análises anatômicas e histoquímicas das estacas, a presença de possíveis impedimentos à iniciação do enraizamento adventício. Estacas provenientes de ramos de plantas matrizes de seis anos cultivadas da Estação Experimental do Canguiri, Pinhais, PR, foram coletadas e tratadas com AIB (0, 1500, 3000 mg L-1 ou mg kg-1), em solução alcoólica (50% v/v) e em talco. Aos 365 dias foram avaliadas as porcentagens de estacas enraizadas e mortas, número e comprimento médio de raízes formadas por estaca. Análises anatômicas e histoquímicas com lugol e cloreto férrico foram realizadas. A estação mais promissora para o enraizamento foi o verão/2006 com 62,50% para o tratamento controle, devido à menor lignficação dos ramos no período de intenso crescimento vegetativo. O número médio de raízes formadas por estaca foi de 6,94 (solução) e o comprimento médio de raízes formadas/estaca chegou a 4,82 cm nesta mesma estação. As concentrações de AIB aplicadas não foram eficientes na indução radicial, independentemente do modo de aplicação. Foi detectada a presença de uma camada quase contínua de fibras e braquiesclereídes, a qual constitui barreira anatômica à indução radicial. Os testes histoquímicos revelaram a presença de amido e de compostos fenólicos nas estacas, em todas as estações do ano. A dificuldade ou demora no enraizamento não pode ser justificada pela falta de reservas de amido nos tecidos das estacas, mas pode ser justificada pela presença de compostos fenólicos, possivelmente do grupo dos monofenóis, que causam a degradação do AIA, interferindo negativamente na indução do enraizamento."Espinheira-santa" (Maytenus muelleri - Celastraceae) is a medicinal plant native to Southern Brazil, the leaves of which are traditionally used in popular medicine for the treatment of stomach ulcers and other gastric problems. There are few published studies about seedling production and vegetative propagation techniques for this species. The propagation of "espinheira-santa" by cuttings could be an efficient method to obtain homogeneous material, with desirable genetic characteristics, produced from selected mother plants. This paper aimed to study the effects of indolebutyric acid (IBA) application, in solution and in powder, on the rooting of "espinheira-santa" cuttings, collected in four seasons (April/2005 to January/2006), as well as to investigate, by means of cutting anatomical and histochemical analyses, the presence of possible impediments to adventitious rooting initiation. Cuttings from branches of six-year mother plants grown at "Estação Experimental do Canguiri", Pinhais, Paraná State, Brazil, were collected and treated with IBA (0, 1500, 3000 mg L-1 or mg kg-1) in alcoholic solution (50% v/v) and in powder. After 365 days, the percentages of rooted and dead cuttings, the number and mean length of roots/cutting were evaluated. Anatomical and histochemical analyses were performed with lugol and ferric chloride. The most promising season for rooting was Summer/2006, with 62.50% of rooting for the control treatment, due to the lesser lignification degree of branches in intense vegetative growth period. The mean number of roots/cutting was 6.94 (solution) and the mean length of roots/cutting was 4.82 cm in that same season. The applied IBA concentrations were not efficient in inducing root growth, regardless of the application method. An almost continuous layer of fibers and stone cells was detected, constituting an anatomical barrier for rooting induction. The histochemical tests revealed the presence of starch and phenolic compounds in cuttings, in all seasons. The difficulty or delay in rooting cannot be justified by the absence of starch reserve in the cutting tissues but by the presence of phenolic compounds, possibly of the group of monophenols, which cause IAA degradation, negatively affecting rooting induction.

Obtaining bioactive compounds depends on the extraction method, with maceration being the most well-known. This method is commonly used with ethanol as an extractor solvent and requires a long period to complete the process. Alternative methods, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction, have been applied to optimize these processes. In this context, to evaluate the effect of extraction time, the ultrasound-assisted and the maceration extraction methods were performed on white bracts and flowers from Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. (Nyctaginaceae). The antioxidant activities and fatty acid content of the different extracts were determined. The amount of phenolic compounds obtained for the maceration technique was greater, however, in the evaluation of the potential antioxidant activity by the DPPH and ABTS+ free radicals scavenging, no significant difference was verified when compared to the extraction by ultrasound for 30 minutes. In the determination of fatty acids by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer it was found that the highest contents were of palmitic, linoleic, and stearic acids for both extraction methods. The 30 minutes of extraction by ultrasound proved to be the time necessary to quickly and efficiently extract the bioactive compounds from B. spectabilis. Thus, the use of ultrasound-assisted extraction, when compared to the maceration method, is an alternative for obtaining plant extracts in a short time, reducing the instability that some compounds.

The search for new compounds of plant origin with antimicrobial activity has been the goal of many research groups, due to the increase in the number of microorganisms resistant to antimicrobials. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of two plant species, Tabebuia aurea (“paratudo”) and Cordia glabrata (“louro branco”), present in the state of Mato Grosso. The plant material (leaves and flowers) was extracted by maceration in 70% ethanol (Et) and polar hexane (Hex) (non-polar solvent). The determination of the antimicrobial activity was carried out by broth microdilution technique, and the antioxidant potential determined by the DPPH free radical method. In the evaluation of the antibacterial activity, the ethanolic extract of C. glabrata leaves presented better antibacterial potential for Staphylococcus aureus, revealing a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 125 μg / mL. However, for strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium, all extracts of C. glabrata showed MICs of 2000 μg / mL or higher. The ethanolic and hexanic extracts of T. aurea flowers and leaves did not show promising antibacterial potential for any of the tested strains. In the evaluation of antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis, the hexanic extract of C. glabrata leaves presented weak to moderate activity only for the C. albicans strain (MIC = 1000 μg / mL). The remaining extracts of C. glabrata and the extracts of T. aurea were not promising against the tested yeasts, showing inhibitory concentrations equal to or greater than 2000 μg / mL. In the determination of the antioxidant potential, the polar extracts (Et 70%) had a higher capacity to sequester the DPPH radical than the capacity obtained for the apolar extracts (Hex). The tests revealed promising antibacterial activity for Staphylococcus aureus and high antioxidant potential of the hydroethanolic extracts of leaves and flowers of C. glabrata, respectively.

Abstract: Brazil has a long tradition in the use of plants, and is the same used in different ways, such as in the form of infusions and decoctions, for therapeutic purposes. Morus nigra species is a plant that has been used in different parts of the world as phytotherapy. This plant is known as mulberry, black, blackberry black or blackberry and various parts of the plant, such as leaves, fruit, bark and roots are used by the population, demonstrating anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antimicrobial, among others. Because of the interest in research on the bioactivity of plant products and use of blackberry tea in the population, present study evaluated the antibacterial activity of teas M. nigra leaves obtained by infusion and decoction against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium, as well as the antioxidant potential of preparations by DPPH technique. Results revealed that the infusions and decoctions prepared with Morus nigra leaves showed no ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria tested. However, all preparations (decoctions and infusions) obtained from the leaves showed antioxidant potential, demonstrated ability to reduce DPPH radical. Despite infusions and decoctions evaluated in this study do not show antimicrobial activity, both had significant antioxidant property. Considering the use of different plants, including mulberry tree, by the people, it is considered always important proof of their biological activities.