Background: Stingless bees or meliponines (family Apidae, subfamily Meliponinae, tribe Meliponini) are eusocial bees from tropical and subtropical regions. Propolis of Scaptotrigona aff. postica (Latreille, 1807) is used in the state of Maranhão (Northeast Brazil) in ointments to treat tumors and wounds. Samples of propolis of S. aff. postica (Apidae, Meliponini) were collected monthly from an apiary located in Barra do Corda (state of Maranhão, Northeast Brazil). Extracts of the 12 samples were obtained with 80% ethanol. Constituents of the samples were characterized by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array detector and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analysis, amounting to 100 substances. Results: Representatives of several classes of secondary metabolites were characterized, including benzoic and cinnamic acids, flavonoids (chalcones, flavone-C-glycosides, flavonol aglycones, and glycosides), alkyl and alkenyl resorcinols, xanthones, diterpenes, cycloartane-type triterpenoids, pentacyclic triterpenoids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and hydroxycinnamic acid amides (HCAAs). Considerable qualitative differences in chemical composition among samples were observed, depending on the year period of collection.Principal Coordinate Analysis recognized three distinct year periods (Jan-Mar, April-Sep, Oct-Dec) according to the corresponding chemical profiles. Conclusion:Compared with previous studies, the present work indicates that considerable differences in chemical composition occur also from year to year. Contrary to most propolis types reported so far, which derive exclusively or mostly from a single botanical source, the propolis from Barra do Corda seemingly depends on several resin sources. It is suggested that chalcones and flavonols stem from Mimosa tenuiflora (Mimosoideae); resorcinols, xanthones, and cycloartane-type triterpenoids, from fruits of Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae); pyrrolizidine alkaloids, possibly from some Crotalaria species (Faboideae); HCAAs probably originate from pollen contaminating the propolis samples.The propolis of S. aff. postica poses challenges and possibilities of study for apicultural researchers, chemists, and pharmacologists.

Dalbergia nigra is a Brazilian native species with relevant economic and ecological roles. Due to its indiscriminate exploration is an endangered species. Besides the great demand for seedling production, only a few aspects of D. nigra germination have been explored. Thus, this study aimed to determine how harvesting immature fruits, fruits processing, and substrate could influence Dalbergia nigra germination process. Five thousand immature, and five thousand mature fruits evenly distributed between two replicas of each of tree 3 treatments; integral fruits, fruits with edges cut, and direct seed sowing in vermiculite. Seeking to evaluate substrate influence over germination, 252 seeds were strewed in the prepared organic substrate. No fruits harvested in visually green appearance did germinate under any of treatments. Integral fruits and cut procedure presented the same time for the first germination, almost two times the amount observed to direct seeds sowing. Besides that, the germination rate was not statistically affected. We found that different substrates also influence the germination pattern, as seen to seed processing when using vermiculite as a substrate, germination starts earlier but the germination rate was not statistically affected. Harvest of Dalbergia nigra green fruits is not an adequate procedure seeking seedling production. The reduction on germination time and better seedling quality, indicate that direct seed sowing procedure is adequate seeking seedling production. Vermiculite substrate gave better results, reducing the time required to germination process. Besides that, this substrate did not affect the germination rate during this study period.

Seed dormancy implicates on delay and hampers seedling production. The increasing demand for greater seedlings production favors techniques that overcome seed dormancy. Cassia ferruginea is an economically relevant species that seeds present tegumentar dormancy, and there is no registry of the best sowing approach. In order to evaluate the influence of the mechanical scarification procedure, and open-field production method in the germination process of Cassia ferruginea, about five thousand seeds were evenly distributed between control and mechanical scarification with emery. The control group presented a low germination rate during the period of analysis. However, mean germination time and mean time to stabilize germination were remarkably lower to scarified seeds, also presenting higher germination rates and synchronization. The sporadic and low germination pattern observed in the control group is associated with ecological implications. The open-field production process presented significant differences to important indexes when compared to the greenhouse production process. Thus, mechanical scarification with emery is an appropriate method to overcome Cassia ferruginea seed dormancy, providing a faster, synchronized, and better seed lot exploitation. Favorable aspects of commercial seedling production. While the open-field production process was not adequate for seedling production.