Turmeric or curcuma (Curcuma longa L.) is a Zingiberaceae whose essential oil and coloring pigments obtained from the rhizome have been widely used in the food industry and medicine. This study aimed to extract and identify the chemical compounds found in C. longa essential oil from rhizomes collected in six different locations of Brazil. The oil extraction was carried out by hydrodistillation technique, using a Clevenger- type apparatus. The chemical constituents were identified by Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The principal component analysis (PCA) and the hierarchical cluster analysis (cluster)were done for the obtained data; and the composition of the studied accesses was verified. Three groups of chemotypes were obtained: group I was formed by the accesses of Campo Grande / Indígena-MS, Mara Rosa-GO, Campo Grande-MS and Perobal-PR, and had Ar-turmerone as its main compound; group II, formed by the access of Santa Tereza do Oeste-PR, presented α-costol and α-Phellandrene as the predominant compounds; and group III, the access of Holambra-SP, differed from the others regarding its essential oil chemical composition whose main agents were Curlone, Zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene, Humulene epoxide II, cis-α-trans-Bergamotol. The predominant chemical class in all accesses was hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes (Santa Tereza do Oeste-PR and Holambra-SP) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (the others). This study evidenced the formation of three chemotypes

This study evaluated the effects of salinity on the development, growth and biomass production of two sweet maize genotypes ("Tropical Plus®" and "Doce do Havaí") and compared the oxidative stress marker responses of plant tissues from roots and leaves of different seedlings submitted to different amounts of NaCl in a nutrient solution. The experiment was carried out in a complete random design, in a 2x4 factorial arrangement (two sweet maize genotypes and four salt concentrations: 0, 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl). Previously, the seeds were distributed in Styrofoam trays containing commercial substrate and, 10 days after sowing, the seedlings were transferred to 2-litter plastic pots, containing nutrient solution without NaCl addition, where they were kept for 8 days. NaCl was added to the nutrient solution, according to the treatments. Each treatment consisted of four pots containing six plants each. The plants were kept in B.O.D. at 25°C with 18/6 light for 14 days. The nutrient solution with NaCl addition was changed every 7 days until the end of the experiment. Saline stress reduced root (13% and 29% for Hawaiian and "Tropical Plus®", respectively) and shoot length (36% for "Doce do Havaí" and 48% for "Tropical Plus®"), fresh shoot (29% for "Doce do Havaí" genotype, and 70% for "Tropical Plus®") and root mass (18% and 38% for "Doce do Havaí" and "Tropical Plus®", respectively), shoot diameter (18% and 20% for "Doce do Havaí" and "Tropical Plus®", respectively) and chlorophyll content in both genotypes, with results more significative in "Tropical Plus®" hybrid seedlings. However, the concentrations of proline and malondialdehyde in roots and leaves, as well as conductivity, increased in response to the addition of NaCl, mainly in "Doce do Havaí". These results suggest that the "Doce do Havaí" genotype is more tolerant to salinity compared to "Tropical Plus®" hybrid, and may be indicated for breeding programs aiming to develop saline tolerant plants.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of salinity on growth parameters and oxidative stress markers in leaves and roots of two sweet corn genotypes: BR 427III, obtained from Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, and Tropical Plus®, a commercial hybrid. The genotypes were kept in 15-L pots with typical dystrophic red latosol soil, and irrigated with NaCl solution (0, 25, 50, 100, 150 and 300 mM). At 105 days after planting, the samples were collected, immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at -80 ºC for posterior analyses.  After this period, it was verified that, while NaCl concentration increased, there was a decrease in leaf and root fresh and dry masses as well as in shot and root lengths of both evaluated genotypes. A decrease in the stem diameter of BR427III genotype plants and in the chlorophyll index of both genotypes was observed. Sodium accumulation in the root and leaves increased according to the stress severity; however, potassium content reduced in both roots and leaves. Proline content increased significantly in the leaves of both evaluated genotypes when exposed to higher concentrations of NaCl. On the other hand, malondialdehyde content decreased in leaves and root of Tropical Plus genotype, where an increase in electrolyte overflow from membrane damage caused by stress severity was observed.