Passiflora actinia Hook (common name: ‘maracujá do mato’) is an important medicinal species due to significant sedative and anxiolytic activities. In order to commercially exploit the plant, however, studies on propagation to improve rooting in stem cuttings are needed. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of the brown seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jol.) extract when applied on P. actinia stem cuttings bases. Five concentrations of the extract in distilled water were evaluated: 0% (pure distilled water), 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. The experimental design was completely randomized with 4 repetitions and 12 cuttings per experimental unit. Cuttings were evaluated 45 days from planting. Data were analyzed through polynomial regression analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated for all the variables. On average, 51.27% rooting was achieved. Rooting percentage increased linearly according to the brown seaweed extract concentrations. When compared to the control treatment, about 10% increase in rooting was observed at the treatment with 40% seaweed extract. Leaf retention response to A. nodosum increasing concentrations was also adjusted in a positive linear model. A 15.6% increase in leaf retention was observed at the 40% seaweed concentration when compared to the control. Positive correlations were observed for leaf retention and rooting percentage and leaf retention and roots length. The immersion of P. actinia stem cuttings bases in A. nodosum extract at a concentration of 40% promote positive effects on rooting and facilitate the species propagation.

We analyzed the influence of toasting yerba mate on bioactive compounds contents in different genotypes and the consumer acceptance of caffeinated and decaffeinated mate teas. The influence of toasting was studied using 11 genotypes and a control sample, determining the antioxidant capacity, total phenolic compounds, methylxanthines and caffeoylquinic acids before and after toasting. In the acceptance tests, five decaffeinated and six caffeinated teas and two control samples (commercial products) were evaluated separately by 110 consumers. The toasting process reduced the levels of teas bioactive compounds, as well as differences between genotypes were found. After toasting, EC49 and EC37 showed the highest caffeine levels, while EC29 and EC51 presented the lowest levels. In relation to mate tea acceptance, the decaffeinated genotypes EC29 and EC51 performed well, and EC43 and EC33 stood out among the caffeinated ones. In both cases, the genotypes were equal or superior to commercial products. In general, decaffeinated teas were more accepted than caffeinated ones.

Ilex paraguariensis, commonly known as yerba mate, is a tree species native to South America. Its commercial value is due to the manufacturing of teas, with potential also in the pharmacological and cosmetic industries. Vegetative propagation of yerba mate is considered an innovation to the traditional production systems based on sexual propagation. The present study aimed to evaluate the rhizogenic potential and chemical attributes of mini-cuttings from 15 yerba mate genotypes, as well as to verify the correlation between phytochemical and rooting-related variables. Mini-cuttings were collected from a pre-existing mini-clonal hedge and the experimental design was completely randomized, with 15 treatments (genotypes), four replications and 10 mini-cuttings per plot. After 120 days, mini-cuttings were assessed regarding rooting, mortality, callogenesis and leaf retention percentages, percentage of mini-cuttings with both calluses and roots, number of roots and average root length. At the time of collection, subsamples from each plot were used for phytochemical analyses including total phenolic compounds, protein, caffeine and theobromine contents and antioxidant activity. Rooting percentages ranged from 5 to 72.5%, with significant variation among genotypes. Adventitious rooting and phytochemical profile of yerba mate mini-cuttings are genotype-dependent. Leaf retention is a relevant factor in the rooting of yerba mate mini-cuttings and the levels of total phenolic compounds, antioxidants and theobromine present in mini-cuttings are negatively correlated components to Ilex paraguariensis adventitious rooting.

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni es una especie de alta importancia económica debido a la producción de edulcorantes naturales con bajo valor calórico. La producción de semillas de esta especie es irregular y las técnicas de micropropagación aumentan el costo de la producción de plántulas. Por lo tanto, este trabajo tuvo como objetivo optimizar la propagación vegetativa de un genotipo brasileño de esta especie a través de estacas de tallo. El material vegetal se recogió de plantas maduras con 1 año de edad. Se realizaron dos experimentos para determinar la mejor concentración de ácido indolbutírico (IBA) para mejorar el enraizamiento y evaluar la interacción entre la posición de corte del tallo (apical, mediana y basal) y sustratos (Tropstrato HT®, vermiculita y mezcla de vermiculita y Tropstrato HT®). Las estacas de tallos se vieron afectadas por las concentraciones de IBA. Se recomienda la aplicación de 710 mg L-1 de IBA para mayores porcentajes de enraizamiento. Las estacas de tallos de la región apical de las plantas mostraron mayor porcentaje de enraizamiento que las medianas y basales (medias de 70, 45,8 y 7,5%, respectivamente). Se observaron resultados similares para el número, longitud y masa de raíz fresca y seca. El sustrato Tropstrato HT® promovió mayores porcentajes de enraizamiento de las estacas de tallo y menor mortalidad en comparación con la vermiculita.

Pinus tecunumanii é uma das espécies tropicais mais importantes do gênero Pinus no Brasil. Este trabalho teve por objetivo desenvolver um protocolo de micropropagação para Pinus tecunumanii a partir de gemas apicais de plantas jovens mantidas em casa de vegetação. Para a assepsia foi avaliado o efeito de 0,05 ou 0,1% de cloreto de mercúrio em combinação com 0 ou 1 g L-1 de fungicida e NaOCl. O efeito de 2 ou 4 µM BA (6-benzil adenina) foi avaliado na multiplicação in vitro ao longo de três subcultivos. O efeito da adição de 1,5 g L-1 de carvão ativado foi avaliado no meio de alongamento. Para o enraizamento, o efeito dos sais WV5 meia força e de 20 g L-1 de sacarose foi avaliado em meio suplementado com 2.68 µM ácido naftaleno acético (ANA) e 0.44 µM BA. A assepsia dos explantes com 0,05% de cloreto de mercúrio, hipoclorito de sódio, com ou sem fungicida foi eficiente no estabelecimento in vitro de até 83,3% dos explantes. Em meio suplementado com 2 ou 4 µM BA ocorreu multiplicação de brotações adventícias e após o terceiro subcultivo, 70,83% dos explantes formaram novos brotos em meio suplementado com 2 µM BA, com uma média de 3,7 novos brotos por explante. Em meio suplementado com carvão ativado foi observado alongamento em 59,76% dos explantes, enquanto no meio sem carvão 33,33% dos explantes alongaram. Foi observado enraizamento em 14,8% dos explantes em meio suplementado com sais WV5.

Baccharis dracunculifolia DC. is a Brazilian native plant, presenting wide chemical diversity and numerous pharmaceutical and industrial applications. This research assessed the yield, antioxidant activity and the chemical similarity of essential oils from 10 populations of B. dracunculifolia in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil. The extraction of the volatile compounds was carried out by hydrodistillation, the chemical composition was determined by GC/FID and GC/MS and the antioxidant activity by the DPPH method. The essential oil yield of wild B. dracunculifolia populations ranged from 0.14 to 0.87%. The oils were predominantly composed of oxygenated sesquiterpenes (34.16 -51.01%), monoterpene hydrocarbons (18.02 -46.17%) and sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons (9.60 -17.70%). The major compounds found in all populations were β-pinene (7.65 -29.8%) and (E)-nerolidol (9.11 -21.68%). Essential oil solutions (20%) from different populations presented antioxidant capacity ranging from 27.78 to 91.67%. A negative correlation was found between the antioxidant activity and spathulenol (r = -0.696). Multivariate analyses HIGHLIGHTS  Essential oils from populations of B. dracunculifolia were investigated.  β-pinene and (E)-nerolidol were the main compounds in B. dracunculifolia populations.  The difference in the chemical profile of the essential oils is quantitative only. There is a negative correlation between the antioxidant activity and spathulenol.Tomazzoli, M.M.; et al.

No abstract

This work investigates the effect of different drying processes on chemical, nutritional and leaves colour characteristics for Ilex paraguariensis leaves. These processes were composed of typical drying techniques (roasting + rotary dryer and roasting + conveyor dryer), and cutting-edge techniques (microwave oven [MW], freeze-drying (FD) and oven dryer [OD]). The MW can be an alternative technique, this is because the content of phenolic compounds (77 mg/g), antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ABTS) (∼370 and ∼1040 μM TE/g), methylxanthines and caffeoylquinic acids (2–4 mg/g) were similar, and sometimes higher, to the conventional drying processes. Leaves dried with MW also exhibited satisfactory nutritional analysis for protein (16.4%), dietary fibre (52.3%), ash (6.4%), lipid (6.1%) and moisture (5.7%), implying that yerba mate is a potential source of fibre and protein. Furthermore, the MW preserved leaves green colour (high and low scores of b* and a*, respectively).