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This study o evaluated growth, leaf gas exchange and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi root colonization in three medicinal plant species under different irradiance intensities. Fridericia chica (Bonpl.) L.G.Lohmann, Mikania laevigata Sch.Bip. ex Baker and Varronia curassavica Jacq. were propagated by cutting and cultivated for 120 days in artificially shaded environments using black shade-type screens, obtaining four irradiance levels: 100%, 70%, 50% and 30%. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme (three plant species and four irradiation levels) with seven replicates. The three medicinal species showed higher liquid assimilation, mass growth and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi root colonization rates when exposed to environments with 70% light availability. In relation to physiological responses, V. curassavica presented higher photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration when submitted to 70% irradiance, being able to be cultivated in more open environments with higher irradiation levels. Conversely F. chica and M. laevigata presented shade tolerance characteristics. At the initial growth phase, the results obtained can be used as indicators to recommend the ideal cultivation environment for these species in agroforestry systems. RESUMO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o crescimento, as trocas gasosas foliares e a colonização por fungos micorrízicos arbusculares em três espécies de plantas medicinais, sob diferentes intensidades de irradiância. Fridericia chica (Bonpl.) L.G. Ohmmann, Mikania laevigata Sch.Bip. ex Baker e Varronia curassavica Jacq. foram propagadas por estaquia e cultivadas por 120 dias em ambientes artificialmente sombreados, utilizando telas do tipo sombrite, em quatro níveis de irradiância, 100%, 70%, 50% e 30%. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 3 x 4 (três espécies de plantas e quatro níveis de irradiação) com sete repetições. As três espécies medicinais avaliadas apresentaram maiores taxas de assimilação líquida, crescimento em massa e colonização radicular por fungos micorrízicos arbusculares quando expostas a ambientes com 70% de disponibilidade de luz. Em relação às respostas fisiológicas, V. curassavica apresentou maior taxa fotossintética, condutância estomática e transpiração quando submetidas a 70% de irradiância, podendo ser cultivada em ambientes mais abertos e com maiores níveis de radiação. Por outro lado, F. chica e M. laevigata apresentaram características de plantas tolerantes à sombra. Os resultados obtidos na fase inicial de crescimento podem ser utilizados como um indicador para recomendar o ambiente de plantio dessas três espécies medicinais em sistemas agroflorestais.

The objective of this study was to optimize the enzymatic pretreatment process of extracting menthol, a major component of the essential oil stored in the trichomes of fresh leaves of Mentha arvens...

Colleters are structures functionally active in the secretion of sticky substances, occurring in 67 angiosperm families, which not includes Rutaceae, a diverse family with pharmacological and ecological importance but poorly characterized structurally and histochemically. The main purpose of this study was to characterize the leaf colleters observed for the first time for Rutaceae species. Leaves at several developmental stages were obtained from naturally growing specimens of Zanthoxylum minutiflorum Tul. and Z. nemorale Mart. Fresh and fixed samples were structurally studied using both light, and scanning electron microscopes. The main chemical compounds of the colleter were recognized using specific tests and their controls. In both Zanthoxylum species, the colleters were exclusively epidermal in origin. They were composed of a non-secretory stalk and a lobed secretory head which contains a mixture of hydrophilic and lipophilic substances, mainly pectin and oleoresin. Their secretory phase was restricted to the early developmental stages of the leaves and leaflets, after which they became senescent and shrink. Besides the structural and histochemical characterization of a secretory structure new to Rutaceae, our findings emphasize the importance of an integrative interpretation of ontogenetic and chemical data for both structural and functional aspects of the species-rich plant families.

The quality and content of essential oils extracted from medicinal plants can be affected by storage conditions. The present work evaluated the influence of different storage conditions of Ocimum gratissimum leaves on essential oils. The study was conducted in two environments (controlled and natural), in two types of packaging (plastic and paper) during five storage times (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months). Also evaluated was the damage caused to the glandular trichomes and the fungal contamination of the stored leaves. For this data set, the study was done using multivariate exploratory analysis PCA, HCA and K-means. Among the environments, the use of paper storage in a natural environment presented a reduction of up to 74.3% in essential oil content and greater damage to the trichomes. The plastic packaging prevented the proliferation of fungi. The best storage condition proved to be a controlled environment from 6 months to 9 months in plastic packaging.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary Brazilian red pepper ( Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) essential oil and an antimicrobial agent on weanling pig growth performance, diarrhea occurrence, pH of the digestive content, small intestine histology, and intestine microbial counts. Ninety weanling castrated male pigs (5.6±0.78 kg BW and 21-d old) were used in a randomized complete block design experiment with five treatments, six replications per treatment, and three animals per experimental unit (pen). The treatments were a basal diet supplemented with 0 (negative control), 500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg Brazilian red pepper essential oil vs with 120 mg/kg chlorohydroxyquinoline (antibiotic treatment). At the end of the experimental period one animal from each pen was slaughtered to record the pH of digestive contents, small intestine histology, and intestine microbial counts. Treatments had no effect ( P> 0.05) on growth performance, diarrhea occurrence, pH of the digestive content, villus height, crypt depth, and intestinal microbial counts of weanling pigs. However, pigs fed the diet containing 500 mg/kg essential oil had greater villi density ( P 0.05) than those fed diets containing the antibiotic or 1000 and 1500 mg/kg essential oil. Thus, both Brazilian red pepper essential oil and the antibiotic are of limited benefit for enhancing the growth of weanling pigs. However, the effectiveness of growth enhancer additives may be reduced in low challenging situations as demonstrated by the current study.

One feature of the Protium genus is the presence of secretory ducts associated with the phloem. These ducts are characterized by the production of essential oils with different classes of secondary metabolites. In light of this observation, the purpose of this study was to determine which secondary metabolites are present in the secretory ducts of P. aracouchini, P. heptaphyllum, P. icicariba and P. warmingianum using histochemical tests and essential oil chemical analysis. The essential oils are present at different levels and compositions in the four studied species; other metabolites also varied from species to species. Variation was observed among the essential oil classes with oxygenated sesquiterpenes being the most representative class found in the species studied. The major component of all species was caryophyllene oxide; thus, it may be regarded as a genus characteristic. Through the results obtained, characteristics common to all species were defined, enabling the segregation of the spe...

Contamination of medicinal plants with heavy metals as Pb and Cd can affect the growth and the essential oil production of the plants and represent a risk to those who consume as medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of absorption and localization of Pb and Cd on growth, ultrastructural aspects of leaves and essential oil yield and composition of Mentha arvensis, applied on the soil with increasing concentrations (8, 16, 32, 64 and 128mg kg-1). There was a differential absorption of Pb and Cd by M. arvensis mainly concentrated in the roots. Pb was found in small amounts in the leaves while Cd largely exceeded the safety limit without symptoms of toxicity. The ultrastructural analysis revealed the metal accumulation on vesicles surrounding the mitochondria and the presence of electron dense deposits surrounding the mitochondria, nucleus and chloroplasts. Little changes caused by Pb and Cd application were not enough to affect the growth and essential oil yield and composition of M. arvensis

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Acaulospora morrowiae, Rhizophagus clarus and Scutellospora calospora on the growth and essential oil production of Mentha × piperita L. var. citrata plants. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse with a 5 × 2 factorial design with five mycorrhizal treatments (uninoculated control, Acaulospora morrowiae, Rhizophagus clarus and Scutellospora calospora, and mixture of inocula) and two P levels (60 and 120 mg P dm-3 soil) with six replicates. Plants were harvested after 75 days of growth for evaluation of dry biomass, mycorrhizal colonization of roots, number of spores in soil, nutrient content of leaves, and composition, content and yield of essential oil. The mycorrhizal treatments influenced all the characteristics evaluated, except the number of spores in soil. AMF colonization was most evident at the lowest dose of phosphate fertilizer applied, except for R. clarus, and in all treatments mycorrhizal colonization was above 45%. Colonization also influenced the nutrient content of the leaves of M. piperita var citrata and increased leaf dry biomass. The content and yield of essential oils were higher in plants colonized by AMF fungi with the 60 mg P fertilization dose, except those colonized by R. clarus which had higher essential oil production only with the 120 mg dm-3 P treatment. The two major components in the essential oils for the plants in all the treatments were linalool and linalyl acetate. Key words: Acaulospora, Rhizophagus, Scutellospora, linalool, linalyl acetate, phosphorus fertilization.

Espécies vegetais são capazes de ajustar suas características fisiológicas, anatômicas e ultraestruturais aos fatores ambientais, como, por exemplo, a disponibilidade de radiação luminosa incidente. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência de diferentes níveis de radiação luminosa na anatomia e ultraestrutura foliar de Ocimum gratissimum L. (Lamiaceae). As plantas foram cultivadas por 93 dias em quatro níveis de radiação fotossinteticamente ativa (20, 11, 7 e 4mol m-2 d-1). O incremento da intensidade de luz proporcionou aumento no espessamento dos parênquimas paliçádico e esponjoso e do limbo foliar, entretanto, a espessura da epiderme não foi alterada. Em relação aos aspectos ultraestruturais, verificou-se aumento no tamanho dos cloroplastos e grãos de amido e um aumento do empilhamento dos tilacoides com a redução da intensidade de luz. As variações anatômicas e ultraestruturais verificadas confirmam a plasticidade fenotípica dessa espécie em função da intensidade de radiação luminosa.

Alpinia zerumbet is a medicinal plant from Asian origin used in folk medicine for the treatment of hypertension, which effect is attributed to terpinen-4-ol, the major component of the essential oil. The objective of this work was to identify the essential oil secretory structures in the leaf, flower, root and rhizome of this plant, and analyze the content and the chemical composition of the oil in the different organs of the plant. Sections were subjected to histochemical test with Nadi reagent for in situ localization of secretion. The essential oil extraction was performed by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus and the compounds were identified in CG-EM/FID. The histochemical test was positive for terpenoids, confirming the presence of essential oil stored in secretory structures named oils cells present in all analyzed organs. The higher essential oil content was found on the leaf (0.30%), while the petal and the rhizome presented content of 0.10% and 0.06%, respectively. It was not possible to determine essential oil content of the root due to the low amount of biomass produced. There were qualitative and quantitative differences in the chemical composition of the essential oil in the different plant organs, but the major constituent in all of them was the terpinen-4-ol, followed by 1,8 cineol in the leaf and by the α-terpineol in the flower and rhizome.

Light conditions can promote the growth and development of plants and contribute to increase the essential oil production of commercially cultivated medicinal and aromatic species. In view of the great importance of Ocimum gratissimum L., Lamiaceae, as an aromatic plant, the objective of this work was to determine the effect of light intensities (approximately 4, 7, 11 and 20 mol m−2 d−1) on growth, foliar micromorphology, essential oil content, yield and chemical composition of O. gratissimum. Biomass production of different organs, root:shoot ratio and leaf mass per area were found to linearly increase with increased light availability, whereas stem dry matter fraction, number of leaves, leaf area and plant height have increased up to 10 mol m−2 d−1 and decreased from this value. The tector trichomes density increased with increased light availability, but there was no effect of light treatments on the glandular trichomes density and essential oil content. Regardless of the light level, the major component of the essential oil was eugenol. The essential oil yield per plant increased linearly with light intensity as a direct effect of increased leaf biomass under similar conditions. Keywords: eugenol, medicinal plant, photosynthetically active radiation

The objective of the present work was to determine the effects of colored shading on the density of glandular and tectorial trichomes, and on the yield, productivity and composition of the essential oil of Ocimum selloi Benth. Plants were cultivated for 90 days under full sunlight or under ChromatiNet 50% red or blue netting. The highest density of glandular trichomes was observed in plants that had received full sunlight. None of the light treatments altered the yield of oil, although productivity was higher in plants grown under full sunlight by virtue of the greater leaf biomass that accumulated under such conditions. The compositions of the oils varied according to the quality of light. Although the qualitative profiles of the oils of plants grown under full sunlight or red shading were similar, that obtained from plants grown under blue shading presented a larger number of constituents. The highest level of methyl chavicol (93.2%), the major component of the oil, was observed in plants grown under full sunlight.

Ocimum selloi essential oil (2, 20, and 200 mg/kg; p.o.) reduced, in a dose-dependent way, the abdominal contraction induced by acetic acid (0.6%; i.p.) and the diarrhea episodes induced by castor oil in mice. At the higher dose (200 mg/kg; p.o.), the essential oil significantly reduced intestinal transit (P

A prática da adubação orgânica, além de fornecer nutrientes para as plantas, proporciona a melhoria da estrutura física do solo, aumenta a retenção de água, diminui as perdas por erosão e favorece o controle biológico. O elixir paregórico (Ocimum selloi Benth.) é uma espécie medicinal nativa das regiões Sul e Sudeste do Brasil onde é utilizada popularmente como antidiarréico, antiespasmódico e antiinflamatório. Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar o efeito de diferentes doses de dois adubos orgânicos no crescimento, no rendimento e na composição do óleo essencial de elixir paregórico. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em Lavras, MG, em estufa plástica com os seguintes tratamentos de adubação: ensaio A - esterco bovino: 1) sem adubação (controle); 2) solo + 3kg m-2 de esterco; 3) solo+ 6kg m-2 de esterco; 4) solo+ 9kg m-2 de esterco; 5) solo + 12kg m-2 de esterco; ensaio B - Esterco avícola: 1) sem adubação (controle); 2) solo + 1,5kg m-2 de esterco; 3) solo + 3kg m-2 de esterco; 4) solo + 4,5kg m-2 de esterco e 5) solo + 6kg m-2 de esterco. Foi verificada a influência das doses de adubação com esterco bovino e galinha sobre o crescimento da planta em altura e diâmetro do caule, acúmulo de biomassa seca, AF, AFE, RPF, teor de clorofilas, espessura do limbo foliar, rendimento e composição química do óleo essencial. The organic fertilization provides nutrients for the plants, improves the soil physical structure, increases the water retention, reduces the erosion losses and favors the biological control. Ocimum selloi is a native medicinal plant of south and southeast of Brazil where is used popularly as antidiarrhetic, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory. This research aimed to verify the effect of different doses of two organic fertilizers souces in O. selloi growth, essential oil yield and chemical composition. The experiments were carried out in Lavras, MG, with pots in polyethylene greenhouse with two manuring treatments: Test A - Cattle manure: 1) Soil without manuring (control); 2) Soil + 3kg m-2 cattle manure; 3) Soil + 6kg m-2 cattle manure; 4) Soil + 9kg m-2 cattle manure; 5) Soil + 12kg m-2 cattle manure; Test B - Chicken manure: 1) Soil without manuring (control); 2) Soil + 1.5kg m-2 chicken manure; 3) Soil + 3 kg m-2 chicken manure; 4) Soil + 4.5kg m-2 chicken manure and 5) Soil + 6kg m-2 chicken manure. The influence of cattle and chicken manuring doses was verified on plant height, stem diameter, dry biomass weight, TLA, SLA, LWR, chlorophylls content, leaf thickness, essential oil yield and composition.

Additional index words. arnica, acclimatization, organogenesis, rooting, seed germination, shoots Abstract. Lychnophora pinaster, known as arnica, is a medicinal plant of the Cerrado ecosystem in Brazil. It is widely used in the form of alcoholic extract for its anti- inflammatory and anesthetic and healing effects on sprains, bruises, and inflammation. Owing to the great difficulty of propagation, it is listed by the Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renovaveis in the category of plants vulnerable to extinction. Micropropagation offers a solution to this problem by allowing the preser- vation and expansion of germplasm. The objective of this research was to establish a protocol for in vitro propagation of arnica. The best medium for germination of arnica embryos and plantlet growth was a quarter strength semisolid Murashige and Skoog medium (MS/4) containing 0.75% (w/v) sucrose. For shoot induction, the best results were obtained on MS/4 with 2.76 mM of benzylaminopurine. Maximum shoot elongation before rooting occurred in the presence of 8.67 mM of gibberellic acid for 19 d. Microshoots were successfully rooted in the presence of 10.7 mM of naphthalene acetic acid for 15 d. After rooted plantlets were acclimatized in a greenhouse for 20 d, the survival rate was 100% when planted in a soil from the area of occurrence of the species, whereas 0% survived when planted in Plantmax.

The aim of the present work was to establish appropriate conditions for the in vitro micropropagation of Eremanthus erythropappus (DC.) MacLeish through shoot multiplication on apical and nodal bud explants. Explants were excised from in vitro- grown seedlings and incubated on Murashige and Skoog medium containing different combinations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (for apical buds) and gibberellic acid and NAA (for nodal segments). Proliferation of apical shoots was successfully achieved in the presence of BAP and NAA, each at 1.0 mg L -1 , while the elongation of apical shoots could only be attained on medium containing NAA at 1.0 mg L -1 . Elongation of nodal shoots was induced in the presence of NAA at 2.0 mg L -1 . The most suitable medium for inducing root proliferation on explants of E. erythropappus was NAA at 1.0 mg L -1 . Eremanthus erythropappus (DC.) MacLeish (Asteraceae), known in Brazil by the common name candeia, is an arboreous pioneer species distributed from the northeast of Argentina to the northern and eastern regions of Paraguay and Brazil (Carvalho, 1994). The wood of E. erythropappus is physically strong (hard) and is widely employed in the manufacture of stakes, fence posts, timber supports, and boats. The oil of the plant is also of commercial importance, being rich in the sesquiterpene a-bisabolol, and has a market value in the order of USD 60/kg (Perez, 2001). Candeia oil has anti- inflammatory properties and is also used in the production of a number of pharmaceut- icals employed in dermatology for the treat- ment of fungal and bacterial infections. Moreover, a-bisabolol can replace azulene, a monoterpene found in Chamomilla recu- tita, as a fixing agent in cosmetic products. The efficient multiplication and preserva- tion of valuable plants such as E. erythro- pappus can be achieved through in vitro micropropagation. Micropropagation of wild plants, however, can be labor-intensive and time-consuming owing to the difficulties of removing microbial contamination and of avoiding extensive oxidation of the explants. To overcome such problems, it is preferable to use explants derived from seedlings grown under aseptic conditions (Mantell et al., 1994). Because no reports are available concerning the in vitro micropropagation of E. erythropappus, we have investigated the conditions required for efficient shoot multiplication on apical bud and nodal explants obtained from seedlings cultivated aseptically.

Este estudo foi conduzido com objetivo de determinar o tipo de secagem e a fragmentação das folhas de capim-limão para otimizar o rendimento extrativo do óleo essencial. Foram estabelecidos 6 tratamentos com 2 tipos de secagem (estufa de ventilação forçada a 40ºC e sala com desumidificador) e 3 tamanhos de fragmentos das folhas secas (pulverização em moinho, fragmentos com 1 e com 20 cm de comprimento), com 4 repetições. O óleo essencial foi extraído por hidrodestilação durante 2 horas. O maior rendimento de óleo essencial foi obtido com o material seco na sala com desumidificador, não havendo diferenças significativas para os tamanhos da folha. O componente mais abundante no óleo essencial foi o citral que também apresentou as maiores concentrações nas folhas secas em desumidificador.

The ef ficacy of Ocimum selloi essential oil was evaluated for controlling the growth of mycelia and spores germination Moniliophthora perniciosa. Six compounds (99.89%) of the total oil were identified by GC-MS, of which methyl chavicol, methyl eugenol, �� -caryophyllene, germacrene-D, bicyclogermacrene and spathulenol. Essential oil was tested for anti- fungal activity, which was determined by disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination methods. Application of the oil reduced mycelial growth in a dose dependent manner, with maximum inhibition being observed at concentration of 1,000 ppm. Such antifungal activity could be attributed to methyl chavicol since the pure compound was shown to be similarly effective against Moniliophthora perniciosa at 1,000 ppm. The oil when applied at a concentration of 1,000 ppm, reduced the spore germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and M. perniciosa by 93 and 87%, respectively, but had no effect on the Alternaria alternata. It is concluded that the oil from O. selloi and its major constituent, methyl chavicol, are efficient in inhibiting M. perniciosa, but less effective against C. gloeosporioides and A. alternata. The results obtained from this work may contribute to the development of alternative anti-fungal agents to protect the cacao crop from fungal disease.

Pseudocercospora ocimicola leaf spot on Ocimum selloi Ocimum selloi is reported for the first time as a host of Pseudocercospora ocimicola. Ocimum selloi Benth. e uma especie medicinal da familia Lamiaceae conhecida popularmente como alfavaquinha, atroveran ou elixir-paregorico. Na medicina caseira, e empregada para o controle de gases intestinais, gastrites, vomitos, tosses, bronquites, gripes, febres e resfriados (Lorenzi & Matos, Plantas medicinais no Brasil: nativas e exoticas cultivadas 2002). Resultados preliminares confirmaram a sua atividade antiespasmodica, analgesica, antiinflamatoria (Vanderlinde et al., Simposio de Plantas Medicinais do Brasil, 1�, 1��4) e o seu efeito como repelente contra mosquitos (Paula et al., Journal of Ethnopharmacology 88: 25�. 200�). Folhas amarelas com manchas foliares foram observadas em plantas de O. selloi cultivadas no Horto de Plantas Medicinais da Universidade Federal de Lavras. Os sintomas caracterizaram-se pela presenca de lesoes foliares castanho-claras isoladas ou coalescentes, dispersas, subcirculares, de bordos irregulares com dimensoes variando de � a 5 mm de diâmetro ocorrendo, principalmente, em folhas maduras situadas ate o terco inferior da planta (Figura 1A). Quanto as caracteristicas morfologicas do fungo, observaramse estromas intraestomaticos (Figura 1E), castanhos, cilindraceos, pseudo-parenquimaticos, irrompentes, 1424 μm de diâmetro. Micelio interno escasso formado de hifas inter e intracelulares. Conidios filiformes, hialinos, 5-� septados, �7-�10 x 2-� μm (Figuras 1B, C e D). Conidioforos subhialinos, septados, geniculados, simples ou ramificados na base, 58-178 μm de comprimento e 2,5-5 μm de diâmetro na parte mediana (Figuras 1B -E). Estas caracteristicas conferem com a descricao da especie P. ocimicola (Petr. & Cif.) Deighton que ja foi descrita sobre Ocimum sp. (Brasil), Marsypianthes chamaedrys (Vahl) Kuntze (Brasil), O. americanum L. (Myanmar), O. basilicum L. (China, Taiwan), O. gratissimum L. (Cuba), O. sanctum L. (Cuba, Myanmar) (Braun & Freire, Cryptogamie Mycologie, 2�:2�5. 2002), O. kilimandscharicum Gurke e O. micranthum Willd. em outros paises como Republica Dominicana, Fiji, India, Nova Zelândia, Taiwan e Vanuatu (Crous & Braun, Mycosphaerella and its anamorphs: 1. Names published in Cercospora and Passalora. 200�). O comprimento dos conidios em O. selloi excede aquele apresentado por F.C. Deighton (Mycological Papers 140:1-168. 1�76). Este e o primeiro relato de P. ocimicola em O. selloi. FIG. 1 – A. Folha de Ocimum selloi com sintomas de Pseudocercospora ocimicola a esquerda e sem sintomas a direita; eletromicrografias de varredura: B. superficie foliar evidenciando celula conidiogenica (cabeca de seta) e conidios (seta); C. conidios; fotomicrografias: D. conidios e E. conidioforos.