New relevant chorological and conservation data on Carex (Cyperaceae) and Hypericum (Hypericaceae) from Ecuador.

Background: Knowledge of Carex L. (true sedges) and Hypericum L. (St. John's wort) in the Neotropics is fragmentary. New information: As a result of a fieldwork campaign in Ecuador and revision of herbarium collections (K, QCA and QCNE), we present here relevant records of twelve Carex (Cyperaceae) and four Hypericum (Hypericaceae) species. Regarding Carex, we present the novel report for South America of C.aztecica, as well as the first Ecuadorian records for C.brehmeri, C.collumanthus, C.fecunda, C.melanocystis and C.punicola. The three later records have additional biogeographical significance, as they represent the new northern limit of these species. We also include observations for another five species included in the Ecuadorian Red List of Endemic Plants. As a result, the list of native Carex reported for Ecuador would now include 52 taxa. With regard to Hypericum, we include the new report of H.sprucei for the province of Bolívar, and the confirmation of the presence of three rare species (H.acostanum, H.matangense, H.prietoi) in their type localities, although with extremely low population sizes. We discuss their conservation status and implications.

In vitro and in silico analysis of galanthine from Zephyranthes carinata as an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase.

Zephyranthes carinata Herb., a specie of the Amaryllidoideae subfamily, has been reported to have inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase. However, scientific evidence related to their bioactive alkaloids has been lacking. Thus, this study describes the isolation of the alkaloids of this plant, and their inhibition of the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (eeAChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (eqBuChE), being galanthine the main component. Additionally, haemanthamine, hamayne, lycoramine, lycorine, tazettine, trisphaeridine and vittatine/crinine were also isolated. The results showed that galanthine has significant activity at low micromolar concentrations for eeAChE (IC50 = 1.96 µg/mL). The in-silico study allowed to establish at a molecular level the high affinity and the way galanthine interacts with the active site of the TcAChE enzyme, information that corroborates the result of the experimental IC50. However, according to molecular dynamics (MD) analysis, it is also suggested that galanthine presents a different inhibition mode that the one observed for galanthamine, by presenting interaction with peripheral anionic binding site of the enzyme, which prevents the entrance and exit of molecules from the active site. Thus, in vitro screening assays plus rapid computer development play an essential role in the search for new cholinesterase inhibitors by identifying unknown bio-interactions between bioactive compounds and biological targets.

Alkaloid Profiling and Cholinesterase Inhibitory Potential of Crinum × amabile Donn. (Amaryllidaceae) Collected in Ecuador.

Natural products are one of the main sources for developing new drugs. The alkaloids obtained from the plant family Amaryllidaceae have interesting structures and biological activities, such as acetylcholinesterase inhibition potential, which is one of the mechanisms used for the palliative treatment of Alzheimer's disease symptoms. Herein we report the alkaloidal profile of bulbs and leaves extracts of Crinum × amabile collected in Ecuador and their in vitro inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) enzymes. Using Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), we identified 12 Amaryllidaceae alkaloids out of 19 compounds detected in this species. The extracts from bulbs and leaves showed great inhibitory activity against AChE and BuChE, highlighting the potential of Amaryllidaceae family in the search of bioactive molecules.

The effect of national protest in Ecuador on PM pollution.

Particulate matter (PM) accounts for millions of premature deaths in the human population every year. Due to social and economic inequality, growing human dissatisfaction manifests in waves of strikes and protests all over the world, causing paralysis of institutions, services and circulation of transport. In this study, we aim to investigate air quality in Ecuador during the national protest of 2019, by studying the evolution of PM2.5 (PM ≤ 2.5 µm) concentrations in Ecuador and its capital city Quito using ground based and satellite data. Apart from analyzing the PM2.5 evolution over time to trace the pollution changes, we employ machine learning techniques to estimate these changes relative to the business-as-usual pollution scenario. In addition, we present a chemical analysis of plant samples from an urban park housing the strike. Positive impact on regional air quality was detected for Ecuador, and an overall - 10.75 ± 17.74% reduction of particulate pollution in the capital during the protest. However, barricade burning PM peaks may contribute to a release of harmful heavy metals (tire manufacture components such as Co, Cr, Zn, Al, Fe, Pb, Mg, Ba and Cu), which might be of short- and long-term health concerns.

Alkaloids of Phaedranassa dubia (Kunth) J.F. Macbr. and Phaedranassa brevifolia Meerow (Amaryllidaceae) from Ecuador and its cholinesterase-inhibitory activity.

Alzheimer's disease is considered the most common cause of dementia and, in an increasingly aging population worldwide, the quest for treatment is a priority. Amaryllidaceae alkaloids are of main interest because of their cholinesterase inhibition potential, which is the main palliative treatment available for this disease. We evaluated the alkaloidal profile and the in vitro inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) of bulb alkaloid extract of Phaedranassa dubia and Phaedranassa brevifolia collected in Ecuador. Using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we identified typical Amaryllidaceae alkaloids in these species, highlighting the presence of lycorine-type alkaloids in P. dubia and haemanthamine/crinine-type in P. brevifolia. The species P. dubia and P. brevifolia showed inhibitory activities against AChE (IC50 values of 25.48 ± 0.39 and 3.45 ± 0.29 µg.mL-1, respectively) and BuChE (IC50 values of 114.96 ± 4.94 and 58.89 ± 0.55 µg.mL-1, respectively). Computational experiments allowed us to understand the interactions of the alkaloids identified in these samples toward the active sites of AChE and BuChE. In silico, some alkaloids detected in these Amaryllidaceae species presented higher estimated binding free energy toward BuChE than galanthamine. This is the first study about the alkaloid profile and biological potential of P. brevifolia species.

Dataset of permanent plots of trees with dbh >10cm in Mashpi rainforest biodiversity reserve, a remnant of the Chocó forest in Northern Ecuador.

This data reports a list of all trees DBH > 10 cm in four 50 × 50 m (0.25 ha) permanent plots at Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve in the Ecuadorian Chocó forest. Plots were established within an altitudinal gradient from 800 to 1200 m. We collected, labelled, measure and identify all trees found within the plots. All voucher specimens are available at the herbarium of Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica (HUTI) in Quito, Ecuador. We found a total 133 stems representing 93 species and 36 families. Each plot had between 27 and 40 trees. Our list of species includes four threatened species under IUCN criteria. We also report the number of individuals of each species and its diameter at breast height (DBH) and height. This information is a baseline for further studies to contribute to the conservation of the Chocó, one of the 35 biodiversity hotspots is the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena. Even though this area is one of the most biodiverse in the planet, the botanical composition of the Chocó is still poorly known.

Chemical Profiling and Cholinesterase Inhibitory Activity of Five Phaedranassa Herb. (Amaryllidaceae) Species from Ecuador.

It is estimated that 50 million people in the world live with dementia, 60-70% of whom suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Different factors are involved in the development of AD, including a reduction in the cholinergic neurotransmission level. The Amaryllidaceae plant family contains an exclusive, large, and still understudied alkaloid group characterized by a singular skeleton arrangement and a broad spectrum of biological activities. The chemistry and biodiversity of Ecuadorian representatives of the Phaedranassa genus (Amaryllidaceae) have not been widely studied. In this work, five Ecuadorian Phaedranassa species were examined in vitro for their activity towards the enzymes acetyl- (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), and the alkaloid profile of bulb extracts was analyzed by GC-MS. The species Phaedranassa cuencana and Phaedranassa dubia showed the most AChE and BuChE inhibitory activity, respectively. To obtain insight into the potential role of the identified alkaloids in these inhibitory effects, docking experiments were carried out, and cantabricine showed in silico inhibitory activity against both cholinesterase structures. Our results show that Amaryllidaceae species from Ecuador are a potential source of new drugs for the palliative treatment of AD.

Trees of Amazonian Ecuador: a taxonomically verified species list with data on abundance and distribution.

We compiled a data set for all tree species collected to date in lowland Amazonian Ecuador in order to determine the number of tree species in the region. This data set has been extensively verified by taxonomists and is the most comprehensive attempt to evaluate the tree diversity in one of the richest species regions of the Amazon. We used four main sources of data: mounted specimens deposited in Ecuadorian herbaria only, specimen records of a large-scale 1-hectare-plot network (60 plots in total), data from the Missouri Botanical Garden Tropicos® database (MO), and literature sources. The list of 2,296 tree species names we provide in this data set is based on 47,486 herbarium records deposited in the following herbaria: Alfredo Paredes Herbarium (QAP), Catholic University Herbarium (QCA), Herbario Nacional del Ecuador (QCNE), Missouri Botanical Garden (MO), and records from an extensive sampling of 29,768 individuals with diameter at breast height (dbh) ≥10 cm recorded in our plot network. We also provide data for the relative abundance of species, geographic coordinates of specimens deposited in major herbaria around the world, whether the species is native or endemic, current hypothesis of geographic distribution, representative collections, and IUCN threat category for every species recorded to date in Amazonian Ecuador. These data are described in Metadata S1 and can be used for macroecological, evolutionary, or taxonomic studies. There are no copyright restrictions; data are freely available for noncommercial scientific use (CC BY 3.0). Please see Metadata S1 (Class III, Section B.1: Proprietary restrictions) for additional information on usage.

Isolation and characterization of 12 microsatellite loci in Epipedobates anthonyi (Amphibia: Anura: Dendrobatidae) for population genetic analysis.

Tropical anurans are among the most diverse and vulnerable organisms on Earth, yet the evolutionary mechanisms behind their diversity remain relatively unexplored. Epipedobates anthonyi is a poison frog that inhabits southern Ecuador and northern Peru along a broad elevational range (0-1800 m). Throughout its range, this species exhibits variation in phenotypic traits, such as color, advertisement calls, and alkaloid composition. The aim of this study is to isolate and characterize microsatellite loci to investigate patterns of genetic variation within the species. Using a next-generation sequencing approach to screen an enriched genomic library, we report twelve polymorphic microsatellite loci. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 7 to 15 per population. For the two populations tested, mean observed heterozygosity was 0.69 and 0.79, and mean expected heterozigosity was 0.84 and 0.85 respectively. Only locus EAN002 showed significant departure of HWE in both populations. None of the loci showed consistent null alleles in both populations. Also, no evidence of linkage disequilibrium was found across loci. In this paper, we report for the first time 12 microsatellite loci for E. anthonyi. These markers will be used to further elucidate evolutionary mechanisms underlying genetic and phenotypic variation across the species' range.