Nematicidal activity of 22 monoterpenoids were evaluated in vitro and in pot experiments. Twenty of the twenty-two monoterpenoids significantly reduced hatching, and 11 reduced J2 mobility of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita at a concentration of 250 mg/liter. In general, compounds with hydroxyl and carbonyl groups exhibited higher nematicidal activity than other terpenoids. Borneol, carveol, citral, geraniol, and alpha-terpineol showed the highest nematicidal activity among the in vitro tested monoterpenoids. These compounds exhibited a dose dependent effect, and drastically reduced eggs hatching and J2 viability at low concentrations. These monoterpenoids, at 100 and 250 mg/kg concentration, diminished root galling of tomato plants in pot experiments. The results suggest that the selected monoterpenoids, and essential oils with high concentration of these compounds, are potential nematicides against Meloidogyne.

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Twenty-seven accessions of Lippia alba Mill. collected in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, were analysed by ISSR and RAPD markers to evaluate their genetic variability and relationships. Six ISSR primers and four RAPD primers generated 120 amplified fragments, most of which were polymorphics. The overall genetic variability among accessions was very high when compared with other plant species. The hierarchical analysis of molecular data (UPGMA) showed low relationship between accessions, and no grouping between accessions of the same chemotype. Canonical functions allowed identifying some variables related with the chemical characteristics of the essential oils. Both ISSR and RAPD markers were efficient to address the genetic diversity of L. alba, and may contribute to the conservation and breeding of this increasingly important aromatic and medicinal species.Keywords: molecular relationship, ISSR, RAPD, Lippia alba, Verbenaceae. Variabilidade genética entre acessos sul-brasileiros de Lippia alba Mill. (Verbenaceae) detectada por ISSR e RAPD ResumoVinte e sete acessos de Lippia alba Mill. coletados no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, foram analisados por marcadores ISSR e RAPD visando avaliar a variabilidade genética e as relações entre acessos. Seis sequencias iniciadoras de ISSR e quatro de RAPD geraram 120 fragmentos amplificados, a maior parte dos quais apresentaram algum grau de polimorfismo. A variabilidade genética geral entre acessos foi muito elevada quando comparada com outras espécies vegetais. A análise hierárquica dos dados moleculares (UPGMA) mostrou baixa relação entre acessos, e não houve formação de agrupamentos entre acessos pertencentes ao mesmo quimiotipo. Análise de funções canônicas permitiu identificar algumas variáveis relacionadas com as características químicas dos óleos essenciais. Tanto os marcadores ISSR como RAPD foram eficientes para avaliar a diversidade genética em L. alba e devem contribuir para a conservação e melhoramento desta importante espécie aromática e medicinal.

Urinary tract infection by Proteus mirabilis depends on several virulence properties that are coordinately regulated with swarming differentiation. Here we report the antibacterial and anti-swarming effect of seventeen terpenoids, and the effect of sub-inhibitory concentrations of five selected terpenoids on swarming, biofilm formation and haemolysin activity. The results showed that all the terpenes evaluated, particularly oxygenated terpenoids, inhibited P. mirabilis with MIC values ranging between 3 and 10 mg/L. Moreover, citral, citronellol and geraniol effectively inhibit P. mirabilis swarming in a dose dependent manner, reducing swimming/swarming cell differentiation and haemolysin activity at 1/10 MIC concentration. The inhibition of P. mirabilis swarming and virulence factor expression by selected oxygenated terpenoids suggest that essential oils with high concentration of these compounds have the potential to be developed as products for preventing P. mirabilis infections.

Proteus mirabilis is one of the most important pathogens associated with complicated urinary tract infections (acute pyelonephritis, bladder infections, kidney stones) and bacteremia, affecting patients with anatomical abnormalities, immunodeficiency, and long-term urinary catheterization. For epidemiological purposes, various molecular typing methods, such as pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) or ribotyping, have been developed for this pathogen. However, these methods are labor intensive and time-consuming. We evaluated the discriminatory power of several PCR-based fingerprinting methods (RAPD, ISSR, ERIC-PCR, BOX-PCR and rep-PCR) for P. mirabilis clinical isolates. Typing patterns and clustering analysis indicated that RAPD, BOX-PCR and ERIC-PCR differentiated P. mirabilis strains from Escherichia coli, Hafnia alvei, and Morganella morganii. With the exception of rep-PCR, the methods gave medium to high discriminatory efficiency in P. mirabilis. In general, the results obtained with RAPD, BOX-PCR and ERIC-PCR were in good agreement. We concluded that a combination of ERIC-PCR and BOX-PCR results is a rapid and reliable alternative for discrimination among P. mirabilis clinical isolates, contributing to epidemiological studies.

The industry of fine wines and also locally consumed table wines is emerging in Brazil with an increasing volume and economic impact. Enologists in this region currently lack information about the prevalence and characteristics of spoilage yeasts, which may contaminate and potentially undervalue Brazilian wines. Herein, we analyzed 50 local red wines including 27 fine wines (V. vinifera) and 23 table wines (V. labrusca). Presumptive spoilage yeasts were isolated on differential medium, and classified by RFLP-PCR and sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and D1/D2 26S rDNA loci. The prevalence of spoilage yeasts in fine wines (11 %) was comparable to that reported in European and US wines, and significantly lower than that observed for local table wines (70 %). The majority of isolates belonged to Brettanomyces bruxelliensis, followed by Pichia guillermondii, and more rarely Candida wickerhamii and Trigonopsis cantarelli. The Brettanomyces isolates varied greatly in off-flavor production, displayed ethanol tolerance (>10 % by volume), tolerated sulfite (≥0.68 mg/l mSO2), and 39 % of them grew on ethanol as sole carbon source. We discuss the causes and consequences of spoilage yeasts in relation to the Brazilian wine industry.

Financial support: COREDES/FAPERGS, and D. Tozoni held a CAPES scholarship during the development of this work.Keywords: biodegradation, citronellol catabolism, monoterpenes degradation, P. mendocina. Abbreviations: GC-MS: gas chromatography-mass spectrometryThe purpose of this work was to stud the Terpenes or terpenoids are widespread in nature, and are biodegradation of citronellol, citronellal and citronellyl the most important component of the essential oil of many acetate by a soil Pseudomonas mendocina strain (IBPse higher plants (Loza-Tavera, 1999). These compounds are 105) isolated from a Cymbopogon windelandi field. This characterized by methyl-branched molecular structures strain efficiently used citronellol, citronellal, citronellyl derived from isoprene. Monoterpenes and their oxygenated acetate and myrcene as sole source of carbon, but was forms consist of two isoprene units (C10), and can be cyclic not able to grow on other 15 monoterpenoids evaluated.(1,8-cineole, camphor, etc.) or acyclic (citronellol, geraniol, Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) citral, etc.). analysis of metabolites accumulation during P. medocina IBPse 105 growth on citronellol showed that Citronellol, citronellal and citronellyl acetate are among the this strain uses the citronellol catabolic pathway main constituent of the essential oils of several plants, like described for other species of the genus. IBPse 105 citrus, citronella grass, roses, lemongrass, basil, lemon degradation of citronellyl acetate initiates by its eucalyptus, among others, being responsible for the hydrolysis to citronellol. The mini-Tn5 insertion in aromatic and biological properties, including antibacterial mutant IBPse 105-303, impaired in citronellol activity, of these oils (Hammer et al. 1999; Dorman and degradation, but able to grow on citronellal, was located Deans. 2000;Bakkali et al. 2008). in a homologous of the P. aeruginosa atuB gene, that Acyclic terpenoids contain a 3-methyl substitution in the codifies citronellol deshydrogenase.