Chemical composition and in vitro antibacterial activity of essential oils from Murraya paniculata (L. ) Jack (Rutaceae) ripe and unripe fruits against bacterial genera Mycobacterium and Streptococcus

This study aims to investigate chemical composition of essential oils from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack (Rutaceae) ripe and unripe fruits and determine their in vitro antibacterial activity. Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack ripe and unripe fruits collected in the Cerrado, in Rio Verde, southwestern Goiás, Brazil. They were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sesquiterpenes, which represent the most abundant class of compounds in oils, predominated in both ripe and unripe fruits. Major constituents of essential oils extracted from ripe fruits (RF-EO) were (-caryophyllene (21.3%), (-ylangene (13.3%), germacrene-D (10.9%) and (-zingiberene (9.7%) whereas the ones of unripe fruits (UF-EO) were sesquithujene (25.0%), (-zingiberene (18.2%), germacrene-D (13.1%) and (-copaene (12.7%). In vitro antibacterial activity of essential oils was evaluated in terms of its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values by the broth microdilution method in 96-well microplates. Both essential oils under investigation showed moderate anti-streptococcal activity against the following bacteria: Streptococcus mutans, S. mitis, S. sanguinis, S. sobrinus and S. salivarius. MIC values ranged between 100 and 400 µg/mL. Regarding the antimycobacterial activity, essential oils from M. paniculata (L.) Jack unripe and ripe fruits were active against Mycobacterium kansasii (MIC = 250 µg/mL), moderately active against M. tuberculosis (MIC = 500 µg/mL) and inactive against M. avium (MIC = 2000 µg/mL). This study was pioneer in revealing similar chemical profiles of both essential oils extracted from Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack unripe and ripe fruits, besides describing their in vitro anti-streptococcal and antimycobacterial activities.

Anatomy of the developing fruit of Metrodorea nigra a. st.-hil. (rutaceae)

El pericarpio y la semilla en desarrollo de Metrodorea nigra fueron examinados estructuralmente. Flores y frutos enetapas diferentes de maduración se fijaron en FAA 50 y se seccionaron transversal y longitudinalmente, según técnicas usuales en estudios anatómicos. El epicarpio diferenciado está representado por la peridermis de origen subepidérmico. El mesocarpio es parenquimatoso. El endocarpio es esclerenquimatoso y se origina de la acción meristemática de la epidermis del ovario. La semilla es endotestal y se origina del óvulo anátropo, crasinucelado y con dos tegumentos. La nucela y endospermo aparecen en pequeña cantidad en la semilla madura. El embrión es recto y posee cotiledones de reserva. La semilla y el endocarpio son eyectados en el proceso autócoro que ocurre en la especie. El fruto es capsular, tipo coccarium.

Pericarp and seed in development of Metrodorea nigra are investigated structurally. Flowers and fruits in different stages of maturation were fixed in FAA 50 and cross- and longitudinally sectioned, according to usual techniques. The differentiated epicarp is represented by the periderm of subepidermal origin. The mesocarp is parenchymatous. The endocarp is sclerenchymatous and originates from the meristematic action of the inner epidermis of the ovary. The seed is endotestal and originates from an anatropous, bitegmic and crassinucellate ovule. The nucellus and the endosperm occur in small quantity in the mature seed. The embryo is straight with thick cotyledons. The seed and the endocarp are ejected in the autochory process. The fruit is capsular and coccarium(.