Estructura floral de dos especies de Trachycarpeae (Arecaceae) / Floral structure of two species of Trachycarpeae (Arecaceae)

Copernicia and Washingtonia are two genera of the Trachycarpeae for which no subtribal classification has been proposed, mainly because of the lack of resolution in phylogenetic studies. Morphology and anatomy of flowers whithin Coryphoideae have proven useful for taxa delimitation and supporting relationships among their members. A description of the morphological and anatomical structure of flowers of C. tectorum and W. filifera is presented in order to explore reproductive characters that may clarify their classification within the subfamily and to contribute with floral biology studies. Flowers of cultivated specimens of both taxa and developing fruits of C. tectorum were fixed in FAA, dissected for morphological analysis, and parafin-embedded flowers and fruits were serially sectioned for obtaining permanent slides, using conventional techniques and safranin-fast green staining. All procedures were carried out in the Laboratory of Morpho-Anatomy, Agronomy Faculty of the Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV). Both species have hermaphroditic flowers. C. tectorum flowers have a thick and pubescent perianth, six stamens with filaments forming a tube fused to the corolla, with rounded projections and an acute apex where the anthers are inserted. W. filifera flowers have an irregularly dentate calyx, and a shortly acuminate corolla, six stamens united by their filaments to the corolla which at the same time are briefly fused to the gynoecium. Cells with druse crystals in the staminal tube are reported for C. tectorum. Only one of the carpels of the gynoecium of C. tectorum develops at fruit stage, and a layer of abundant raphide cells forming a crustaceous endocarp in mature fruits, was found. W. filifera presents the perianth mesophyll with few layers of thick walled cells and schlerenchymatic tissue, gynoecium with apically fused carpels in the ventral region of ovary, free at the base and the apex of the style, where the ventral sutures are opened. C. tectorum has a ventral hypodermis in the petals made of large and thick walled cells, gynoecium with apically fused carpels in the ovary, free and adpressed basally, style-stigma completely fused, and stylar transmission channel absent distally. Distinct stylar canals in C. tectorum, united distally in W. filifera confirm the close relationship between these species and subtribe Livistoninae. Also, some floral morpho-anatomical similarities (e.g. fleshy calyx base and a hypodermis with thickened cell walls in petals) were found between C. tectorum and Pritchardia, supporting the affinities between both genera. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (3): 1137-1146. Epub 2014 September 01.

Copernicia y Washingtonia son dos de los géneros de Trachycarpeae para los cuales no ha sido propuesta una clasificación subtribal debido a la carencia de resolución en los estudios filogenéticos. La morfología y anatomía floral dentro de Coryphoideae han sido útiles para la delimitación de taxones y apoyo de relaciones. En este trabajo se presenta una descripción de la estructura morfo-anatómica de las flores de C. tectorum y W. filifera, con la finalidad de explorar caracteres reproductivos que puedan aclarar su ubicación dentro de la subfamilia y contribuir con estudios de biología floral. Se fijaron flores de especimenes cultivados de ambos taxones y frutos en desarrollo de C. tectorum, se realizaron disecciones para las descripciones morfológicas y cortes anatómicos seriados para la obtención de láminas permanentes utilizando técnicas convencionales con parafina. Todos los procedimientos fueron llevados a cabo en el Laboratorio de Morfo-Anatomía, Facultad de Agronomía de la Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV). Ambas especies tienen flores hermafroditas. Las flores de C. tectorum tienen perianto engrosado y pubescente. Las flores de W. filifera presentan un cáliz irregularmente dentado y corola corto-acuminada. Se reportan células con drusas en el tubo estaminal de C. tectorum. Uno solo de los carpelos de C. tectorum se desarrolla en fruto y se encontró una capa de células con rafidios que podrían formar el endocarpo crustáceo en los frutos maduros. W. filifera presenta pocas capas de células de paredes engrosadas y tejido esclerenquimático en el mesofilo del perianto, gineceo con carpelos fusionados en el ápice del ovario (en su porción ventral), libres en la base y en el ápice del estilo, donde presenta suturas ventrales abiertas. Los pétalos de C. tectorum poseen una hipodermis ventral de células con paredes muy engrosadas, gineceo con carpelos fusionados en el ápice del ovario, libres y adpresos en su base, región estilar-estigmática fusionada y canal de transmisión estilar ausente distalmente. La presencia de canales estilares separados en C. tectorum, unidos distalmente en W. filifera confirman la relación cercana de estas especies con la subtribu Livistoninae. Igualmente, se encontraron algunas similitudes entre C. tectorum y Pritchardia (p.e. base carnosa del cáliz y epidermis ventral con células de paredes engrosadas en los pétalos), apoyando ciertas afinidades entre ambos géneros.

Assessment of the cytotoxic effect and in vitro evaluation of the anti-enteroviral activities of plants rich in flavonoids.

Nanoparticles derived from plants known for their high content of flavonoids provide a biologically inspired route to designing therapeutic agents and a means of reducing nanoparticle toxicity. Little is currently known on the antiviral activity of Salvia officinalis L. and Washingtonia filifera H.Wendl aqueous extracts and their corresponding nanoparticles. In the present study, antiviral activity of subset extracts obtained from aerial parts of Salvia officinalis L. and Washingtonia filifera H.Wendl and nanoparticles derived from these plants were investigated against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3). Different concentrations of extracts (7.8, 15.6, 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250, 500, and 1000 μg/mL) were tested for their cytotoxic effect and the antiviral activity was carried out using three non cytotoxic concentrations against CVB3 in Vero cells. The cell viability was carried out using tetrazolium dye (MTT). The experiment was carried out by incubating the extracts with either virus or cells prior to infection. The silver nanoparticles derived from the tested plant extracts enhance antiviral activity at non cytotoxic concentrations. The biosynthesized nanoparticles may be further characterized to better evaluate their antiviral potential against other viral pathogens.

Fauna de hidrozoários atecados (Hydrozoa, Anthoathecata) da costa do Estado do Ceará, Brasil / The anthoathecate hydroid fauna (Hydrozoa, Anthoathecata) of the coast of Ceará State, Brazil

Espécies de hidrozoários atecados coletadas em praias da costa do estado do Ceará foram estudadas. No total foram encontradas nove espécies: Bimeria vestita, Pennaria disticha, Eudendrium caraiuru, Eudendrium carneum, Eudendrium pocaruquarum, Eudendrium sp., Sphaerocoryne sp., Porpita porpita e Coryne sp., todas registradas pela primeira vez para a região.

Species of athecate hydroids collected on beaches of the coast of Ceará State were studied. Nine species were found: Bimeria vestita, Pennaria disticha, Eudendrium caraiuru, Eudendrium carneum, Eudendrium pocaruquarum, Eudendrium sp., Sphaerocoryne sp., Porpita porpita and Coryne sp., all recorded for the first time in the region.