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Abstract Polyploidy, a numerical alteration of the karyotype, is one of the most important mechanisms in plant speciation and diversification, but could also be detected among populations, the cytotypes. For example, Psidium cattleyanum, a polyploid complex, has chromosome numbers ranging from 2n=3x=33 to 2n=12x=132. Polyploidization causes an increase in DNA content, and both modifications may cause alteration in plant growth, physiology, and epigenetics. Based on this possibility, here we aim to verify the influence of the polyploidization on the production of P. cattleyanum essential oil chemotypes. Differences in the DNA contents, as a proxy to different ploidies, were observed and three distinct chemotypes were identified through the chromatographic profile analysis. The Psidium cattleyanum DNA content and qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the essential oils presented a positive relationship. Plants with higher DNA contents presented higher levels of oil production, which was mostly composed of hydrogenated sesquiterpenes, while plants with lower DNA contents produced lower amount of oil, which was mostly composed of hydrogenated monoterpenes. Based on the importance of essential oils, polyploid plants, which present higher DNA content, are recommended as possible matrices for the propagation of new plants with the potential to produce major compounds of agronomic and pharmacological interest.

Abstract The search for more environmental friendly herbicides, aiming at the control of agricultural pests, combinated with less harmfulness to human health and the environment has grown. An alternative used by researchers is the application of products of secondary plant metabolism, which are investigated due to their potential bioactivities. Thus, species belonging to the Myrtaceae family are potential in these studies, since this family is recognized for having high biological activity. A species belonging to this genus is Psidium cattleyanum, which has a medicinal effect and its fruits are used in human food. Thus, the objective of this research was to evaluate and compare the phyto-cyto-genotoxicity of aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of the specie P. cattleyanum, from plant bioassays, as well as to identify the main classes of compounds present in the extracts. For this, the extracts were prepared, characterized and biological tests were carried out by evaluating, in seeds and seedlings of lettuce and sorghum, the variables: percentage of germination, germination speed index, root growth and aerial growth; and in meristematic lettuce cells the variables: mitotic phases, mitotic index, nuclear alterations and chromosomal alterations. Flavones, flavonones, flavonols, flavononols, flavonoids, alkaloids, resins, xanthones and anthraquinone glycoside were characterized in the ethanolic extract. Both evaluated extracts, in the highest concentration, inhibited the initial plant development. All treatments caused alterations in the mitotic phases and inhibited mitotic index. In addition, the treatments promoted an increase in nuclear and chromosomal alterations. The mechanism of action presented was aneugenic, clastogenic and determined in epigenetic alterations. The ethanolic extract was more cytotoxic, since it had a more expressive effect at a lower concentration. Despite the cytotoxicity of the extracts under study, they promoted alterations at lower levels than the glyphosate positive control.

Ginger ( Zingiber officinale ), a globally distributed plant, is widely used in the industry for its flavourings, seasonings, and beverages. However, maintaining its quality and volatile components during processing has posed a challenge. This study, therefore, aimed to assess the impact of drying time (24, 48, and 72h) in a circulation oven at 40 °C on the chemical composition and yield of fresh and dried ginger. The essential oils were extracted using the hydrodistillation method, and their chemical analysis was conducted using gas chromatography. The drying time in the oven directly influenced the essential oil yield, with a longer time resulting in a higher yield. We identified 27 compounds in the essential oils, varying their predominance depending on the drying time. The PCA analysis revealed that the drying time can lead to the formation of different chemotypes for ginger, indicating that altering the drying time can yield significantly different chemical profiles.

Strawberry is a food rich in bioactive compounds with great antioxidant potential. However, due to the high incidence of pests that affect crop cultivation, phytosanitary management still lacks control methods for agroecological cultivation. Thus, the present research aimed to evaluate the chemical composition and the potential of the essential oil of the leaves of Piper macedoi in the control of Cerosipha forbesi in laboratory and semi-field conditions. The concentration of essential oil in the leaves of P. macedoi that showed the highest mortality was 2.0 ml/L of oil, with a mortality above 91% under laboratory conditions. A mortality rate of 80% for all concentrations tested was observed after 24 h in all conditions tested. Thus, using essential oil from the leaf of P. macedoi can be a highly viable strategy in managing the aphid C. forbesi since it showed high mortality rates with small doses of oil.

Among the several terpenes existing in nature, Citronellal, a monoterpene aldehyde, deserves to be highlighted for its biological properties that have been pointed out in numerous studies. This work aimed to conduct a literature review on its biological properties. Citronellal is a prominent compound in the essential oils of Cymbopogon genus plants. Apart from being employed as a fragrance ingredient in aromas, fragrances, and cosmetics, it is also used as an intermediate in synthesising (-)-menthol. Various studies have demonstrated Citronellal's potential as an antibacterial compound, particularly anti- Staphylococcus and Escherichia bacteria. Citronellal also has antifungal properties against several fungi, especially fungi of the genus Candida . The studies found showed that Citronellal also has insecticidal, acaricidal, antiparasitic, anaesthetic, antiviral, antioxidant, antinociceptive, cardioprotective, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties.

Tetranychus urticae , popularly known as spider mite, is a pest that causes several economic losses to crops. Thus, this work evaluated the effect of essential oils from the leaves of Piper macedoi and Piper arboreum on managing T. urticae . The chemical compounds present in essential oils were identified by gas chromatography. Tests were carried out to evaluate the acaricidal activity by fumigation effect and direct contact with T. urticae . The results showed that LC 50 values for the essential oils of P. macedoi and P. arboreum in the fumigation effect were 16.15 and 50.53 µL L -1 air, respectively. Using the contact application route, the LC 50 values for the essential oil of P. macedoi was 17.16 µL mL -1 , and for P arboreum , it was 15.17 µL mL -1 . So, this work showed that essential oils of Piper macedoi and Piper arboreum could be used as possible alternative to managing T. urticae.

The Croton genus is known for its various biological properties, which inspired this study to investigate the anti-bacterial pro-perties and chemodiversity of the essential oils of three Croton species: Croton blanchetianus , Croton jacobinensis , and Croton nepetifolius . The essential oils were characterised by gas chromatography (GC-MS) and demonstrated anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using the disc diffusion method. The essential oil composition of C. blanchetianus showed bicyclogermacrene (16.04%) and spathulenol (16.44%) as the main compounds. In C. jacobinensis , bicyclogermacrene (22.04%), caryophyllene (17.95%), and β-phellandrene (12.30%) were the most prevalent. Meanwhile, C. nepetifolius's essential oil consisted mainly of bicyclogermacrene (17.69%), caryophyllene (15.15%), and germacrene D (11.78%). The principal component analysis (PCA) results showed three distinct chemotypes for each Croton species, suggesting that they have well-defined and unique chemical profiles. Interestingly, the three Croton species demonstrated activity only against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

Tomato is one of the most produced and consumed fruits in the world. However, it is a crop that faces several phytosanitary problems, such as fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum . Thus, this study aimed to evaluate citronella and melaleuca essential oils in vitro potential in the fungus F. oxysporum management. The chemical identification of the components in the essential oils was performed by gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass spectrometer detectors. The IC 50 and IC 90 were determined by linear regression and the percentage of inhibition of the fungus by analysis of variance. The major compounds in citronella essential oil were citronellal, Geraniol, and citronellol; in melaleuca (tea tree) oil were terpinen-4-ol and α-terpinene. Both oils promoted more significant inhibition at concentrations of 1.5 and 2.5 μL/mL, besides not presenting significant differences with commercial fungicides, confirming the high potential for using this control method in agriculture.

Cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis are public health problems in Africa, Asia, Europe, and America. The treatment has a high cost and toxicity. Thus, this work aims to evaluate the leishmanicidal activity of alpha-bisabolol and its three synthetic derivatives, P1, P2, and P3, on the promastigotes and amastigotes Leishmania infantum and L. amazonensis forms. Alpha-bisabolol showed the lowest IC 50 with 3.43 for L. amazonensis promastigotes, while P1 was the most toxic for L. infantum with an IC 50 of 9.10. The derivative P3 was better for the amastigote form, with an IC 50 of 3.39 for L. amazonensis . All the compounds effectively decreased the intracellular load of amastigote and its ability to turn promastigote again. Thus, alpha-bisabolol and its three synthetic derivatives were effective in their leishmanicidal activity. Therefore, it can be an option for developing new treatments against leishmaniasis.

Two-spotted spider mite causes significant damage to various crops, often requiring synthetic acaricides for their control. However, the frequent use of these products causes several environmental problems. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the acaricidal action, using the application by fumigation on female adults of Tetranychus urticae of essential oil from the leaves of Rosmarinus officinalis L., and its major compound, α -pinene. In addition, the essential oil was characterized by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. α -pinene was the compound with the highest relative area in the oil (29.2%). In fumigation tests, α-pinene showed more significant toxicity than rosemary essential oil on two-spotted spider mite females with LC 50 and LC 90 values of 1.58 and 49.61 µL/L air, showing the impact of the chemical composition of the essential oil on the biological activity.

Encounters between flowers and invertebrates are key events for the functioning of tropical forests. Assessing the structure of networks composed of the interactions between those partners leads to a better understanding of ecosystem functioning and the effects of environmental factors on ecological processes. Gathering such data is, however, costly and time-consuming, especially in the highly diverse tropics. We aimed to provide a comprehensive repository of available flower-invertebrate interaction information for the Atlantic Forest, a South American tropical forest domain. Data were obtained from published works and "gray literature," such as theses and dissertations, as well as self-reports by co-authors. The data set has ~18,000 interaction records forming 482 networks, each containing between one and 1061 interaction links. Each network was sampled for about 200 h or less, with few exceptions. A total of 641 plant genera within 136 different families and 39 orders were reported, with the most abundant and rich families being Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Rubiaceae. Invertebrates interacting with these plants were all arthropods from 10 orders, 129 families, and 581 genera, comprising 2419 morphotypes (including 988 named species). Hymenoptera was the most abundant and diverse order, with at least six times more records than the second-ranked order (Lepidoptera). The complete data set shows Hymenoptera interacting with all plant orders and also shows Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera to be important nodes. Among plants, Asterales and Fabales had the highest number of interactions. The best sampled environment was forest (~8000 records), followed by pastures and crops. Savanna, grasslands, and urban environments (among others) were also reported, indicating a wide range of approaches dedicated to collecting flower-invertebrate interaction data in the Atlantic Forest domain. Nevertheless, most reported data were from forest understory or lower strata, indicating a knowledge gap about flower-invertebrate interactions at the canopy. Also, access to remote regions remains a limitation, generating sampling bias across the geographical range of the Atlantic Forest. Future studies in these continuous and hard-to-access forested areas will yield important new information regarding the interactions between flowers and invertebrates in the Atlantic Forest. There are no copyright restrictions on the data set. Please cite this data paper if the data are used in publications and teaching events., (© 2022 The Ecological Society of America.)

Polyploidy, a numerical alteration of the karyotype, is one of the most important mechanisms in plant speciation and diversification, but could also be detected among populations, the cytotypes. For example, Psidium cattleyanum, a polyploid complex, has chromosome numbers ranging from 2n=3x=33 to 2n=12x=132. Polyploidization causes an increase in DNA content, and both modifications may cause alteration in plant growth, physiology, and epigenetics. Based on this possibility, here we aim to verify the influence of the polyploidization on the production of P. cattleyanum essential oil chemotypes. Differences in the DNA contents, as a proxy to different ploidies, were observed and three distinct chemotypes were identified through the chromatographic profile analysis. The Psidium cattleyanum DNA content and qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the essential oils presented a positive relationship. Plants with higher DNA contents presented higher levels of oil production, which was mostly composed of hydrogenated sesquiterpenes, while plants with lower DNA contents produced lower amount of oil, which was mostly composed of hydrogenated monoterpenes. Based on the importance of essential oils, polyploid plants, which present higher DNA content, are recommended as possible matrices for the propagation of new plants with the potential to produce major compounds of agronomic and pharmacological interest.

We investigated whether essential oil and aqueous and ethanolic extracts from M. vittoriana leaves have phytotoxic effects on the germination and initial development, and cytogenotoxic effects on the cell cycle, of model plants. The essential oil and extracts of M. vittoriana were characterized and used as treatments in phytotoxicity and cytotoxicity tests. The results indicated a reduction in germinative parameters and plant growth, with the higher concentrations of extracts and essential oil having the most evident effects. The cell cycle was also affected with a reduction of the mitotic index and the presence of chromosomal and nuclear alterations. All treatments showed clastogenic and aneugenic modes of action. The results can be associated with the synergistic effects of metabolites found in the extracts and essential oil, mainly the presence of the sesquiterpene germacrene D in the essential oil and of catechins, saponins, and tannins in the extracts. These substances inhibit plant germination and growth, confirming the phytotoxic effects of M. vittoriana in plant models, which should now be tested under field conditions.

The search for more environmental friendly herbicides, aiming at the control of agricultural pests, combinated with less harmfulness to human health and the environment has grown. An alternative used by researchers is the application of products of secondary plant metabolism, which are investigated due to their potential bioactivities. Thus, species belonging to the Myrtaceae family are potential in these studies, since this family is recognized for having high biological activity. A species belonging to this genus is Psidium cattleyanum, which has a medicinal effect and its fruits are used in human food. Thus, the objective of this research was to evaluate and compare the phyto-cyto-genotoxicity of aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of the specie P. cattleyanum, from plant bioassays, as well as to identify the main classes of compounds present in the extracts. For this, the extracts were prepared, characterized and biological tests were carried out by evaluating, in seeds and seedlings of lettuce and sorghum, the variables: percentage of germination, germination speed index, root growth and aerial growth; and in meristematic lettuce cells the variables: mitotic phases, mitotic index, nuclear alterations and chromosomal alterations. Flavones, flavonones, flavonols, flavononols, flavonoids, alkaloids, resins, xanthones and anthraquinone glycoside were characterized in the ethanolic extract. Both evaluated extracts, in the highest concentration, inhibited the initial plant development. All treatments caused alterations in the mitotic phases and inhibited mitotic index. In addition, the treatments promoted an increase in nuclear and chromosomal alterations. The mechanism of action presented was aneugenic, clastogenic and determined in epigenetic alterations. The ethanolic extract was more cytotoxic, since it had a more expressive effect at a lower concentration. Despite the cytotoxicity of the extracts under study, they promoted alterations at lower levels than the glyphosate positive control.

Background: The Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened biomes in the world. Despite that, this biome still includes many areas that are poorly known floristically, including several protected areas, such as the "Floresta Nacional do Rio Preto" ("Flona do Rio Preto"), located in the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo. This study used a published vascular plant species list for this protected area from the "Catálogo de Plantas das Unidades de Conservação do Brasil" as the basis to synthesise the species richness, endemism, conservation and new species occurrences found in the "Flona do Rio Preto"., New Information: The published list of vascular plants was based on field expeditions conducted between 2018 and 2020 and data obtained from herbarium collections available in online databases. Overall, 722 species were documented for the "Flona do Rio Preto", 711 of which are native to Brazil and 349 are endemic to the Atlantic Forest. In addition, 60 species are geographically disjunct between the Atlantic and the Amazon Forests. Most of the documented species are woody and more than 50% of these are trees. Twenty-three species are threatened (CR, EN and VU), while five are Data Deficient (DD). Thirty-two species are new records for the State of Espírito Santo. Our results expand the knowledge of the flora of the Atlantic Forest and provide support for the development of new conservation policies for this protected area., (Anderson Alves-Araújo, Marina M Moreira, Tatiana T Carrijo, Lúcia G Lohmann, Adriana Q Lobão, Alana F Scheidegger, Aline D Firmino, Aline Vieira de Melo Silva, Álvaro Nepomuceno, Amélia C Tuler, André MA Amorim, André LC Moreira, Braz AP Cosenza, Brenno G Sossai, Christian Silva, Claudia R Lopes, Daniele Monteiro, Dayvid R Couto, Duane F Lima, Eduardo C Dalcin, Eliana Ramos, Elton J Lírio, Fatima Salimena, Felipe Alves de Oliveira, Fernanda RM Fraga, Filipe Torres-Leite, Guilherme M Antar, Gustavo H Shimizu, Haroldo C Lima, Herison Medeiros, Jaquelini Luber, Jheniffer A Christ, João Lanna, João Paulo F Zorzanelli, Joelcio Freitas, José FB Pastore, José IM Melo, Juliana Paula-Souza, Juliana RPM Oliveira, Leandro C Pederneiras, Leandro Freitas, Leandro L Giacomin, Leonardo D Meireles, Luis AE Silva, Luiz JS Pinto, Luiz Menini Neto, Marcelo Trovó, Mário L Garbin, Marli P Morim, Michel Ribeiro, Nelson TL Pena, Paulo H Labiak, Pedro H Cardoso, Pedro L Viana, Pedro LR Moraes, Quélita S Moraes, Raquel F Zorzanelli, Renara N Amaral, Renata C Asprino, Renato Goldenberg, Ricardo Magnago, Ricardo S Couto, Sandrine C Dutra, Saúl E Hoyos-Gómez, Tamara AF Vieira, Thiago B Flores, Valquíria F Dutra, Víctor S Miranda, Vitor C Manhães, Rafaela C Forzza.)

The world population growth has raised concerns about food security. Agricultural systems are asked to satisfy a growing demand for food with increasingly limited resources, and simultaneously still must reduce the impacts on the environment. This scenario encourages the search for safe and sustainable production strategies. Reducing losses in the production process can be one of the main ways to guarantee food safety. In fruticulture, it is estimated that more than 50% of the production can be lost between harvest and the final consumer due to postharvest diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi. The fungi of the genus Colletotrichum are opportunistic and are associated with several diseases, being the anthracnose the most relevant in terms of the quality and yield losses in fruit species around worldwide. To control these diseases, the use of synthetic fungicides has been the main instrument utilized, however, because of their phytotoxicity to human health, the environment, and strong selection pressure imposed by continuous applications, the fungicides have caused resistance in the pathogen populations. So reducing the excessive application of these products is indispensable for human health and for sustainable Agriculture. Towards this purpose, research has been carried out to identify the phytopathological potentiality of essential oils (EOs) extracted from plants. Therefore, this review aims to contribute to the formation of knowledge bases, about the discoveries, recent advances, and the use of EOs as a strategy to alternatively control fungal disease caused by Colletotrichum spp. in postharvest fruits. Here, we provide valuable information exploring the application potential of essential oils as commercially useful biorational pesticides for food preservation, contributing to sustainable production and global food security., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)