Ampelozyziphus amazonicus Ducke (Rhamnaceae), a medicinal plant used to prevent malaria in the Amazon Region, hampers the development of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites

Most medicinal plants used against malaria in endemic areas aim to treat the acute symptoms of the disease such as high temperature fevers with periodicity and chills. In some endemic areas of the Brazilian Amazon region one medicinal plant seems to be an exception: Ampelozyziphus amazonicus, locally named “Indian beer” or “Saracura-mira”, used to prevent the disease when taken daily as a cold suspension of powdered dried roots. In previous work we found no activity of the plant extracts against malaria blood parasites in experimentally infected animals (mice and chickens) or in cultures of Plasmodium falciparum. However, in infections induced by sporozoites, chickens treated with plant extracts were partially protected against Plasmodium gallinaceum and showed reduced numbers of exoerythrocytic forms in the brain. We now present stronger evidence that the ethanolic extract of “Indian beer” roots hampers in vitro and in vivo development of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites, a rodent malaria parasite. Some mice treated with high doses of the plant extract did not become infected after sporozoite inoculation, whereas others had a delayed prepatent period and lower parasitemia. Our data validates the use of “Indian beer” as a remedy for malaria prophylaxis in the Amazon, where the plant exists and the disease represents an important problem which is difficult to control. Studies aiming to identify the active compounds responsible for the herein described causal prophylactic activity are needed and may lead to a new antimalarial prophylactic.     

Sequence variation in 3′UTR region of crtRB1 gene and its effect on β-carotene accumulation in maize kernel

β-carotene fortification of maize has emerged as a potential, long-term and sustainable approach to alleviate vitamin A deficiency in humans. Among the several genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway, the 543 bp allele at crtRB1 3′TE (Transposable Element) gene (allele 1, without insertion) is associated with higher β-carotene accumulation. Estimation of β-carotene through high performance liquid chromatography showed that the CIMMYT genotypes with allele 1 had high kernel β-carotene content whereas the Indian inbreds with the same allele had low β-carotene content. To know the reason for this variation, allele 1 of crtRB1 3′TE gene was sequenced from a set of 11 diverse maize inbreds collected from CIMMYT and Indian germplasm. The sequence data of the allele 1 revealed the presence of 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 7 insertions and deletions (InDels). Exonic region had two SNPs, intronic region had one SNP and one InDel, whereas 3′-untranslated region (UTR) region of the gene showed 10 SNPs and 6 InDels. Among the several SNPs and InDels, SNP4, SNP13, InDel6 and InDel7 identified in the 3′-UTR region clearly differentiated the high and the low β-carotene genotypes. These 3′-UTR polymorphisms in allele 1 of the crtRB1 3′TE gene could be associated with the variation in kernel β-carotene accumulation by regulating the translation and stability of the mRNA. The SNPs and the InDels associated with higher level of β-carotene will be used as a gene-based marker(s) in selection of genotypes and to develop biofortified maize hybrids to alleviate vitamin A deficiency in humans.     

Benthic cyanobacterial diversity of Iles Eparses (Scattered Islands) in the Mozambique Channel

The marine benthic cyanobacteria of the Iles Eparses, Mozambique Channel, were surveyed for the first time. A total of 39 species are reported: 29 from Europa, 17 from Glorioso and 23 from Juan de Nova Islands. The higher biodiversity in Europa is explained by greater habitat diversity on this Island with unique ecosystems (mangroves, fossil reefs, pools). Average species richness varied between the geomorphological habitat types with higher diversity in shallow environments (fossil reef pools, mangroves, reef flats), which are characterized by high temperatures and high irradiances. The most common species observed on the three islands were Hydrocoleum coccineum, Hydrocoleum glutinosum, Hydrocoleum lyngbyaceum, Phormidium laysanense, Lyngbya sordida, and Symploca hydnoides; which are also the dominant species observed in the Southwest Indian Ocean region. The most frequent species was Phormidium laysanense with extensive cover observed in the northwest of Juan de Nova Island. Our study provided a comparison between the cyanobacterial flora of Iles Eparses and the recorded surveys in the Southwest Indian Ocean region. The low similarity observed between these species lists could be explained by differences in sampling strategies and efforts, as well as by different taxonomic approaches employed in past regional studies.     

Revision of Stenotaphrum (Gramineae: Paniceae) with attention to its historical geography

Seven species are recognized, of whichStenotaphrum helferi, native to forested streambanks in southeastern Asia, is considered the most primitive. Four species are restricted to tropical islands and coasts of the western Indian Ocean ; one of these, 5.dimidiatum, may have had its range within the region expanded by planting as a pasture grass during the early colonial period.Stenotaphrum micranthum is a naturally wide-ranging beach pioneer in both the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, particularly on small, remote islands. The last species,S. secundatum, includes fertile diploids and sterile polyploids. The common diploid race has been found since the early days of botanical exploration as a seashore pioneer on both sides of the Atlantic; in West Africa it is strictly tropical, but in the New World it ranges from the Carolinas and Bermuda to Argentina; early Pacific expeditions also found it in Hawaii and the Australian region ; this race has been taken inland as a lawn grass and spread locally as a weed. A triploid clone of this species, originally confined to the Cape of Good Hope region, has recently been planted and naturalized in Australia, various Pacific islands, and North America; another aberrant Southern Hemisphere race has become naturalized in the Mediterranean region.     

Ultrastructural Characterization of Oil Bodies in Different Coffea Species

In the coffee seed, the lipid component known as coffee oil is stored in the endosperm tissue as an energy reserve for germination and post-germination growth. This coffee constituent is present in the form of subcellular spherical oil bodies (“oleosomes”) in a typical size range of 0.2–2.5 μm. These particles are filled with an osmiophilic matrix of triglycerides, delimited by a single protein membrane, typical of oleaginous plant tissues. The object of this study is to characterize the morphology and distribution of oil bodies in different coffee species. In particular, we studied Indian samples of Coffea arabica, C. canephora, C. liberica, C. stenophylla and C. salvatrix. After appropriate fixation and preparation, the samples were examined and oil bodies characterized by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Oil bodies morphology, tissue distribution and size distribution were determined and several features of these subcellular structures were observed and discussed for the first time in the framework of a coffee inter-species comparative study.     

1. Fláje–Kiefern (Krušné Hory Mountains): Late Glacial and Holocene vegetation development

This work characterises monofloral honeys of the Yucatán Peninsula based on their pollen content. The sampling was carried out from January to July 2000. We examined 78 different honey samples from various parts of the Yucatán Peninsula including the states of Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo. Pollen separated from honey was acetolysed, identified and counted. Through pollen analysis, 250 pollen taxa were identified, 180 of which had not been reported previously in Mexican honeys. Thirteen different types of monofloral honeys were found (with a percentage of ≥ 45%) within the honey produced in the Yucatán, Peninsula. These were: Viguiera dentata, Bursera simaruba, Piscidia piscipula, Eugenia sp. 2, Pimenta dioica, Melothria pendula, Gymnanthes lucida, Phoradendron quadrangulare, Gymnopodium floribundum, Rubiaceae 1, Thouinia paucidentata, Thouinia sp. 1, and Pouteria mammosa. This is the first study of monofloral honeys in Mexico and Central America. The characterisation of the honey may give an added market value as it permits us to separate the honeys of monofloral or multifloral origin. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to produce several monofloral honeys in a region with great plant diversity as the Yucatán Peninsula. We recommend installing apiaries in disturbed vegetation zones of the Yucatán Peninsula where an advanced succession of a tree layer exists. This supplies the nectar and pollen during the critical period in March and April which is the driest season.     

The protein euphaseolin inPhaseolinae — A chemotaxonomical study

On the basis of immunochemical analyses of the main reserve protein ofPh. vulgaris, euphaseolin, in numerous cultivars ofPh. vulgaris, in additional 23Phaseolus species, and several representatives of further genera of Viciaceae and on the basis of the comparison of these data with morphological and genetical data the authors propose to separate the sectionEuphaseolus characterized by the presence of the protein euphaseolin. The species characterised by euphaseolin are closely related and capable of being crossed. The proposal requires an additional formal completion from the point of view of the conventions of classical systematies. Further the questions of the taxonomical extent of various protein characters and the problematies of the so-called large and small protein characters are discussed. Na základě imunochemických analys hlavní zásobní bílkovinyPh. vulgaris euphaseolinu u velkého po?tu kultivar?Phaseolus vulgaris, dal?ích 23 druh?Phaseolus a několika zástupc? dal?ích rod?Viciaceae a srovnáváním těchto údaj? s údajl morfologickými a genetickými auto?i navrhují vydělení sekceEuphaseolus, charakterisované p?ítomností bílkoviny euphaseolinu. Druhy charakterisované euphaseolinem jsou si blízce p?íbuzné, jsou k?i?itelné. Návrh vy?aduje je?tě formální doplnění z hlediska zvyklostí klasické systematiky. V ?lánku jsou dále diskutovány otázky taxonomické ?í?e r?zných bílkovinných znak?.     

Aphid Species and Population Dynamics Associated with Strawberry

Aphids are among the major pests associated with strawberries in Southern Brasil. In this study, we identified the main species that occur in strawberry fields in the states of Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. We also compared the effectiveness of different sampling methods and studied the population dynamics of aphid species during two strawberry crop cycles in the municipality of Pinhais, state of Paraná, Brasil. Chaetosiphon fragaefolii (Cockerell) and Aphis forbesi Weed were the main species associated with strawberry. The method of hit plant and the Möericke trap showed equal effectiveness to capture wingless and winged insects. The peak population of aphids in the state of Paraná occurred from September to November. This information can help producers to implement strategies to monitor and control the major aphid species that occur in strawberry culture.     

First Report of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Raoiella indica</Emphasis> (Hirst) (Acari: Tenuipalpide) in Southern Brazil

The red palm mite (RPM), Raoiella indica (Hirst) (Acari: Tenuipalpidae), was found for the first time in the Paraná State, in southern Brazil. The first observations occurred in September 2015, on strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) leaves, which is not considered a typical host plant of RPM. It is probable that its occurrence on this plant was serendipitous. Visual surveys for RPM were carried out on four typical host plants (banana, coconut, foxtail palm, and real palm), in five cities of the Paraná State (Bela Vista do Paraíso, Londrina, Maringá, Marialva, and Sarandi). RPM was found on each of the four typical host plants, in each of the five cities. Our survey extends RPM occurrence to the southern region of Brazil and indicates that the pest could be widespread in the country.     

A new classification of communities dominated byPotentilla reptans in anthropogenic habitats of Western Slovakia

A new classification is presented of plant communities with predominantPotentilla reptans, in anthropogenic habitats of villages in Western Slovakia, earlier described as thePotentilletum reptantis Eliá? 1974. Species poor communities in drier soils of the roadside and embankments are retained in the associationPotentilletum reptantis Eliá? 1974 emend. Species richer communities in relatively moist ruderal habitats are separated as a new association, thePrunello-Potentilletum reptantis Eliá? 1978.     

Comparative phylogeography of the western Indian Ocean reef fauna

Assessing patterns of connectivity at the community and population levels is relevant to marine resource management and conservation. The present study reviews this issue with a focus on the western Indian Ocean (WIO) biogeographic province. This part of the Indian Ocean holds more species than expected from current models of global reef fish species richness. In this study, checklists of reef fish species were examined to determine levels of endemism in each of 10 biogeographic provinces of the Indian Ocean. Results showed that the number of endemic species was higher in the WIO than in any other region of the Indian Ocean. Endemic species from the WIO on the average had a larger body size than elsewhere in the tropical Indian Ocean. This suggests an effect of peripheral speciation, as previously documented in the Hawaiian reef fish fauna, relative to other sites in the tropical western Pacific. To explore evolutionary dynamics of species across biogeographic provinces and infer mechanisms of speciation, we present and compare the results of phylogeographic surveys based on compilations of published and unpublished mitochondrial DNA sequences for 19 Indo-Pacific reef-associated fishes (rainbow grouper Cephalopholis argus, scrawled butterflyfish Chaetodon meyeri, bluespot mullet Crenimugil sp. A, humbug damselfish Dascyllus abudafur/Dascyllus aruanus, areolate grouper Epinephelus areolatus, blacktip grouper Epinephelus fasciatus, honeycomb grouper Epinephelus merra, bluespotted cornetfish Fistularia commersonii, cleaner wrasse Labroides sp. 1, longface emperor Lethrinus sp. A, bluestripe snapper Lutjanus kasmira, unicornfishes Naso brevirosris, Naso unicornis and Naso vlamingii, blue-spotted maskray Neotrygon kuhlii, largescale mullet Planiliza macrolepis, common parrotfish Scarus psicattus, crescent grunter Terapon jarbua, whitetip reef shark Triaenodon obesus) and three coastal Indo-West Pacific invertebrates (blue seastar Linckia laevigata, spiny lobster Panulirus homarus, small giant clam Tridacna maxima). Heterogeneous and often unbalanced sampling design, paucity of data in a number of cases, and among-species discrepancy in phylogeographic structure precluded any generalization regarding phylogeographic patterns. Nevertheless, the WIO might have been a source of haplotypes in some cases and it also harboured an endemic clade in at least one case. The present survey also highlighted likely cryptic species. This may eventually affect the accuracy of the current checklists of species, which form the basis of some of the recent advances in Indo-West Pacific marine ecology and biogeography.     

Domestication of cultivatedleucaena (leguminosae) in Mexico: The sixteenth century documents

The distribution, and the morphological and genetic variation of the cultivated taxa of the genus Leucaena (especiallyL. esculenta, guaje rojo and guaje Colorado, andL. leucocephala, guaje verde and guaje bianco, are discussed in terms of their long history as arboreal food resources. In order to understand the domestication process it is essential to understand the changes in management, diffusion and importance of this natural resource throughout the prehistoric, prehispanic, colonial, modern and contemporary periods of Mexican history. In this article the principal documents of the contact period (Florentine Codex, writings of Francisco Hernández and sixteenth century Relaciones Geográficas) are analyzed to examine the effect of culture change on the domestication process. The persistence of Prehispanic uses and management of Leucaena as a source of food is documented. Today’s patterns appear to be both a product of neglect of the plant by the conquerors, and the cultural resilience of the native people.     

Environmental factors associated with toxic cyanobacterial blooms across 20 drinking water reservoirs in a semi-arid region of Brazil

Cyanobacteria are known to produce a wide variety of bioactive, toxic secondary metabolites generally described as hepatotoxins, neurotoxins, cytotoxins, or dermatoxins. In Brazil, the regular monitoring of cyanobacterial toxins has intensified after the death of 65 patients in a hemodialysis clinic in Caruaru in the state of Pernambuco due to microcystin exposure. The primary objective of this study was to use multivariate statistics that incorporated environmental parameters (both biotic and abiotic) to forecast blooms of cyanobacteria and their toxic secondary metabolites in 20 drinking water reservoirs managed by the Water Treatment Company of Ceará (CAGECE) in the semi-arid region of Ceará, Brazil. Across four years (January 2013 to January 2017), 114 different phytoplankton taxa were identified, including 24 cyanobacterial taxa. In general, Ceará reservoirs were dominated by cyanobacteria due to eutrophication but also because of the dry and warm climate found throughout the region. Interestingly, specific cyanobacterial taxa were influenced by different biotic and abiotic factors. For example, nitrogen-to-phosphorus (N:P) and evaporation were positively related to saxitoxin-producing taxa, especially Raphidiopsis raciborskii, while temperature, electrical conductivity, total phosphorus, and transparency (measured as Secchi depth) were positively associated with microcystin-producing taxa, such as Microcystis aeruginosa. Climate forecasts predict higher evaporation and temperatures in the semi-arid Ceará region, which will likely magnify droughts and water scarcity as well as promote toxic cyanobacterial blooms in reservoirs in the future. Therefore, understanding the factors associated with algal blooms dominated by specific taxa is paramount for water resource management.     

Ellipsomyxa tucujuensis n. sp. (Myxozoa: Ceratomyxidae), a parasite of Satanoperca jurupari (Osteichthyes: Cichlidae) from the Brazilian Amazon

The present study describes a new coelozoic, eukaryotic microparasite of the genus Ellipsomyxa Køie, 2003 (Ceratomyxidae: Myxozoa) found parasitizing the gallbladder of Satanoperca jurupari Heckel, 1840 collected in the Curiaú River Environmental Protection Area in Macapá, Amapá state, Brazil. The fish were collected using mesh cast net. The gallbladders were examined, preserved in 80% alcohol for molecular analysis (SSU rDNA gene), and fixed in Davidson for histological slide preparation. The new parasite had a prevalence of 81% in the gallbladder, asymmetric plasmodia, irregular free spores in the bladder fluid, with no cyst formation. The spores are elliptical, with characteristics of the genus Ellipsomyxa, and they had a mean length of 10.11 (8.56–10.5) μm, mean width of 7.81 (5.96–9.56) μm, and thick walls. The polar capsules are sub-spherical in shape, slightly asymmetrical, with a mean length of 3.12 (2.31–3.99) μm and mean width of 2.5 (2.22–2.95) μm, containing polar filament with five or six coils perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the capsule. The Bayesian Inference assigned the new species to a subclade formed by a lineage of Ellipsomyxa species from the Amazon region. Ellipsomyxa tucujuensis n. sp. is the sixth species of this genus described in fish from the Amazon region, and the first for the state of Amapá.