This study investigates the seasonal variation of three species of Leptospermum (Myrtaceae) grown in Brazil. The chemical composition of the volatile oils of L. flavescens and L. petersonii did not show any significant seasonal variation in the major components, while for Leptospermum madidum subsp. sativum the levels of major constituents of the volatile oils varied with the harvest season. Major fluctuations in the composition of L. madidum subsp. sativum oil included α-pinene (0-15.2%), β-pinene (0.3-18.5%), α-humulene (0.8-30%), 1,8-cineole (0.4-7.1%) and E-caryophyllene (0.4-11.9%). Levels of β-pinene (0.3-5.6%), terpinen-4-ol (4.7-7.2%) and nerolidol (55.1-67.6%) fluctuated seasonally in the L. flavescens oil. In L. petersonii, changes were noted for geranial (29.8-32.8%), citronellal (26.5-33.9%) and neral (22.7-23.5%). The activity of the volatile oils against the tested bacteria differed, depending on season the oils were obtained. In general, the volatile oils were more active against Gram-positive bacteria.

Recebido em 10/2/09; aceito em 24/6/09; publicado na web em 13/11/09The essential oils of seven Myrtaceae species were investigated for its chemical composition and antibacterial activity. The volatile oils were characterized by a high content of monoterpenoids of which 1,8-cineole (88.0, 65.0 and 77.0% for Melaleuca hypericifolia, Callistemon viminalis and Callistemon citrinus respectively), terpinen-4-ol (47.0 and 49.8% for Melaleuca thymifolia and Callistemon polandii respectively) and α-pinene (54.5% for Kunzea ericoides) were the major components. The oil from M. linariifolia was characterized by a high concentration of methyleugenol (87.2%). The oil from Melaleuca thymifolia was the most active, exhibiting high antimicrobial activity against all tested bacteria.

Colleters are secretory structures that occur in vegetative or reproductive shoot apices of many botanical families. However, in the order Myrtales, reports of colleters have considered only external morphology. We therefore evaluated apical meristems of 52 species belonging to 17 genera from seven tribes of subfamily Myrtoideae (Myrtaceae), so as to analyse the incidence and morphological types of colleters. The samples were fixed for light and scanning electron microscopy. Histochemical tests were carried out on fresh and methacrylate-embedded material. Proteins of the colleter secretions were analysed by SDS-PAGE. We have classified and described the following three new colleter types: petaloid, conic and euryform. None of the species contained all three colleter types. The petaloid colleters were present in three tribes (Syzygieae, Melaleuceae and Lophostemoneae). The conic colleters were observed in three tribes (Leptospermeae, Myrteae and Melaleuceae) and the euryform type occurred in five tribes (Leptospermeae, Syncarpieae, Myrteae, Syzygieae and Melaleuceae). In the tribe Eucalypteae, we found no evidence of colleters. The presence of mucilaginous secretion that defines colleters was confirmed by histochemical tests, and no proteins were found in the secretion. The colleters in Myrtoideae may help clarify the phylogenetic relationships of the Myrtaceae family.

The compositions of the essential oils obtained from seven species of Melaleuca grown in the municipal district of Viçosa, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were analysed by both GC and GC-MS. The various Melaleuca species showed differences within their relative essential oil compositions. Each of the oils analysed revealed a dominant component: terpinen-4-ol (53.7 ± ± ± ± ± 0.2%) for M. alternifolia; 1,8-cineole for M. armillaris (80.2 ± ± ± ± ± 0.0%), M. ericifolia (79.5 ± ± ± ± ± 0.4%), M. cajuputi, subspecies cajuputi (43.7 ± ± ± ± ± 0.5%) and M. cajuputi subspecies platyphylla (41.0 ± ± ± ± ± 8.5%); viridiflorol (71.0 ± ± ± ± ± 0.9%) for M. quinquenervia; and methyl eugenol (96.6 ± ± ± ± ± 0.7%) for M. leucadendra.

Volatile oils from the leaves of Verbenaceae species Aloysia virgata, Lantana camara, Lantana trifolia, Lantana montevidensis, Lippia brasiliensis and Lippia sericea were investigated for its chemical composition and antibacterial activity. The volatile oils were characterized by a high content of sesquiterpenes of which (E)-caryophyllene (10-35%), germacrene-D (5-46%) and bicyclogermacrene (7-17%) were the major components for all studied species. For the flowers, a higher concentration of monoterpenes was observed for the species L. camara, L. trifolia and L. brasiliensis. These compounds probably act as attractive to specific pollinators. The volatile oils from A. virgata was the most active, exhibiting moderate antimicrobial activity against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli

The chemical composition of the volatile oils from five Anacardiaceae species and their activities against Gram positive and negative bacteria were assessed. The peroxidative damage within bacterial cell membranes was determined through the breakdown product malondialdehyde (MDA). The major constituents in Anacardium humile leaves oil were (E)-caryophyllene (31.0%) and α-pinene (22.0%), and in Anacardium occidentale oil they were (E)-caryophyllene (15.4%) and germacrene-D (11.5%). Volatile oil from Astronium fraxinifolium leaves were dominated by (E)-β-ocimene (44.1%) and α-terpinolene (15.2%), whilst the oil from Myracrodruon urundeuva contained an abundance of δ-3-carene (78.8%). However, Schinus terebinthifolius leaves oil collected in March and July presented different chemical compositions. The oils from all species, except the one from A. occidentale, exhibited varying levels of antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. Oil extracted in July from S. terebinthifolius was more active against all bacterial strains than the corresponding oil extracted in March. The high antibacterial activity of the M. urundeuva oil could be ascribed to its high δ-3-carene content. The amounts of MDA generated within bacterial cells indicate that the volatile oils induce lipid peroxidation. The results suggest that one putative mechanism of antibacterial action of these volatile oils is pro-oxidant damage within bacterial cell membrane explaining in part their preservative properties.

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Anatomical and histochemical investigations of Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski, Asteraceae, secretory structures in leaves and stems and the seasonal variation of essential oils were carried out. Histochemical techniques enabled the specifi c location of the essential oil accumulation in the internal (canals) and external structures (trichomes). Histochemical analysis showed that the secretory trichomes produced steroids. The highest yield was obtained from plants collected in winter, when it was registered low temperature and precipitation. The essential oil was characterized by high percentage of hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes, hydrocarbon monoterpenes and low levels of oxygenated sesquiterpenes. The major components were germacrene D (11.9-35.8%), α-phellandrene (1.4-28.5%), α-pinene (7.3-23.8%), E-caryophyllene (4.6-19.0%), bicyclogermacrene (6.0-17.0%), limonene (1.8-15.1%) and α-humulene (4.0-11.6%). The percentage of most of the individual constituents present in S. trilobata essential oil changed signifi cantly during the months.