No abstract

The purpose of the present study was to discover the relative potency of onion, Allium cepa, with respect to its hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects on the diabetic situation, and the association of these effects with the potential against oxidative stress. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups. A normal control (group A), and a non-diabetic group (group B) were treated daily with 1 ml A. cepa solution (0.4 g A. cepa/rat). Groups C and D were made diabetic by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (60 mg/kg body weight) in citrate buffer (pH 6.3). These animals (groups C and D) were the STZ diabetic control and STZ diabetic rats with onion intake, respectively. Onion increased the fasting serum high-density lipoprotein levels, and demonstrated alleviation of hyperglycaemia in STZ diabetic rats. The hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic actions of A. cepa were associated with antioxidant activity, since onion decreased superoxide dismutase activities while no increased lipid hydroperoxide and lipoperoxide concentrations were observed in diabetic rats treated with A. cepa.

No abstract

The effects and interaction of drought and UV-B radiation were studied in sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L. var. Catissol-01), growing in a greenhouse under natural photoperiod conditions. The plants received approximately 1.7 W m(-2) (controls) or 8.6 W m(-2) (+UV-B) of UV-B radiation for 7 h per day. The UV-B and water stress treatments started 18 days after sowing. After a period of 12 days of stress, half of the water-stressed plants (including both UV-B irradiated or non-irradiated) were rehydrated. Both drought and UV-B radiation treatments resulted in lower shoot dry matter per plant, but there was no significant interaction between the two treatments. Water stress and UV-B radiation reduced photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration. However, the amplitude of the effects of both stressors was dependent on the interactions. This resulted in alleviation of the negative effect of drought on photosynthesis and transpiration by UV-B radiation as the water stress intensified. Intercelluar CO(2) concentration was initially reduced in all treatments compared to control plants but it increased with time. Photosynthetic pigments were not affected by UV-B radiation. Water stress reduced photosynthetic pigments only under high UV-B radiation. The decrease was more accentuated for chlorophyll a than for chlorophyll b. As a measure for the maximum efficiency of photosystem II in darkness F (v)/F (m) was used, which was not affected by drought stress but initially reduced by UV-B radiation. Independent of water supply, UV-B radiation increased the activity of pirogalol peroxidase and did not increase the level of malondialdehyde. On the other hand, water stress did not alter the activity of pirogalol peroxidase and caused membrane damage as assessed by lipid peroxidation. The application of UV-B radiation together with drought seemed to have a protective effect by lowering the intensity of lipid peroxidation caused by water stress. The content of proline was not affected by UV-B radiation but was increased by water stress under both low and high UV-B radiation. After 24 h of rehydration, most of the parameters analyzed recovered to the same level as the unstressed plants.

No abstract

O uso de reguladores de crescimento na fase de germinação melhora o desempenho das plântulas, acelerando a velocidade de emergência e realçando o potencial das sementes de várias espécies, mesmo sob condições adversas. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a influência do ácido giberélico na atividade amilolítica e no vigor de sementes armazenadas de milho super doce. O experimento foi conduzido nos Laboratórios de Análise de Sementes do Departamento de Produção Vegetal/FCA e no Laboratório de Bioquímica de Plantas do Departamento de Química e Bioquímica/IB da Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP/Botucatu), entre os meses de julho e setembro de 2001, onde foram feitas as avaliações da qualidade fisiológica, através dos testes de germinação, vigor e bioquímicos. Sementes de milho super doce da cultivar DO-04, foram acondicionadas em sacos de papel e armazenadas por oito meses em câmara seca (40% UR). Após este período, foram colocadas para germinar em rolos de papel toalha, embebidos com GA3 nas concentrações zero; 50; 100; 150 e 200mg.L-1. Foram avaliadas a germinação, vigor e atividade amilolítica das sementes. As sementes submetidas à pré-embebição em solução de 50mg.L-1 de ácido giberélico, apresentaram maior germinação e vigor, menor teor de proteínas totais e maior atividade amilolítica.

ResumoA utilização de bioestimulantes pode alterar o desenvolvimento e o crescimento vegetal, porém, a ação dos mesmos pode ser variável conforme o estádio de desenvolvimento da planta. Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de formas e épocas de aplicação de um bioestimulante (citocinina, ácido indolbutírico e ácido giberélico) na nodulação, alguns aspectos bioquímicos, crescimento e produtividade do feijoeiro cultivar Pérola. Os tratamentos foram: Testemunha (sem aplicação); TS -250 mL ha -1 em tratamento de semente (TS); V 4 -250 mL ha -1 via pulverização foliar em V 4 ; R 5 -250 mL ha -1 via pulverização foliar em R 5 ; TS+V 4 -250 mL ha -1 em TS + 250 mL ha -1 em V 4 ; TS+R 5 -250 mL ha -1 em TS + 250 mL ha -1 em R 5 ; V 4 +R 5 -250 mL ha -1 em V 4 + 250 mL ha -1 em R 5 e TS+V 4 +R 5 -250 mL ha -1 em TS + 250 mL ha -1 em V 4 + 250 mL ha -1 em R 5 . A aplicação do bioestimulante via foliar na fase vegetativa (V 4 ) ou início da reprodutiva (R 5 ) proporciona incrementos na nodulação, no crescimento radicular, no conteúdo de açúcares solúveis e aminoácidos totais e na atividade da nitrato redutase, porém, não interfe no crescimento da parte aérea e na produtividade da cultura do feijão. Palavras-chave: Phaseolus vulgaris, regulador vegetal, nitrato redutase, crescimento radicular AbstractThe use of biostimulants can alter plant growth and development, but the action of they may be varied according to the stage of development of the plant. The aim was to evaluate the effects of forms and times of a biostimulant (cytokinin, indolebutyric acid, and gibberellic acid) application on nodulation, some biochemical aspects, growth and yield of common bean cultivar Pérola. The treatments were: Control (without application); TS -250 mL ha -1 seed treatment; V 4 -250 mL ha -1 foliar spray in V 4 stage; R 5 -250 mL ha -1 foliar spray in R 5 stage; TS+V 4 -250 mL ha -1 in TS + 250 mL ha -1 in V 4 ; TS+R 5 -250 mL ha -1 in TS + 250 mL ha -1 in R 5 ; V 4 +R 5 -250 mL ha -1 in V 4 + 250 mL ha -1 in R 5 , and TS+V 4 +R 5 -250 mL ha -1 in TS + 250 mL ha -1 in V 4 + 250 mL ha -1 in R 5 .The foliar biostimulant application in the vegetative (V 4 ) or early reproductive phase (R 5 ) increases nodulation, root growth, content of soluble sugars, content of total amino acid and nitrate reductase activity, however, does not interfere with shoot growth and grain yield of common bean.

No abstract