Fungal Diversity in an Undisturbed Andean Páramo Soil in Quimsacocha (Ecuador).

The Andean Páramo is an environment known for its high biodiversity; however, due to its remote location and difficult access, it is still relatively poorly studied. The aim of this work was to explore the fungal biodiversity of Ecuadorian Páramo soils in the undisturbed natural reserve of Quimsacocha through ITS metabarconding with an MiSeq platform. This analysis revealed the presence of 370 fungal Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs), mainly composed by Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota and Basidiomycota. The biodiversity had a great variability among the 19 samples, but the soil humidity proved to be a significant driver of diversity in the relatively dry environment of Páramo. Some of most abundant fungal genera have important relationships with plant roots. This work represents the first glimpse into the complex biodiversity of soil fungi in this understudied area, and further studies will be needed to better understand the fungal biodiversity in this region, together with the development of necessary measures of environmental protection.

Composición química y revisión de las propiedades acaricidas de los aceites esenciales de Melinis minutiflora y Lantana camara / Chemical composition and review of the acaricidal properties of the essential oils of Melinis minutiflora and Lantana camara

The present study determined the volatile chemical components of the essential oils (EA) of the Melinis minutiflora and Lantana camara species, by means of gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer, the species were collected in the cantons of Quilanga and Loja, the extraction was carried out by steam distillation. In the essential oil (EA) of M. minutiflora, 20 compounds were identified, representing 93.21%, the compounds in the highest concentration: 1-tetradecanol (16.30%), (E) -cariophylene (12.44%), germacrene D (10.99%), (E) -nerolidol (8.28%), δ-cadinene (5.61%), α-humulene (5.36%), viridiflorol (4.78%) and (Z) -ß-farnesene (4.76%). In the AE of L. camara, 68 compounds were identified, representing 96.54%, the compounds with the highest concentration (E) -caryophyllene (15.46%), germacrene D (12.21%), α-humulene (9.92%), bicyclogermacrene (7.06 %), γ-terpinene (5.97%) and germacrene B (4.66%). The species M. minutifloraand L. Camarahave repellent, acaricidal properties in adult larvae of Amblyomma cajennense and Rhipicephalus (Boophylus) microplus.

El presente estudio determinó los componentes químicos volátiles de los aceites esenciales (AEs) de las especies Melinis minutiflora y Lantana camara, mediante cromatografía de gases acoplado a espectrómetro de masas, las especies se recolectaron en los cantones de Quilanga y Loja, la extracción se hizo mediante destilación por arrastre de vapor. En el aceite esencial (AE) de M. minutiflora se identificaron 20 compuestos, representan el93,21%, los compuestos en mayor concentración: 1-tetradecanol (16,30%), (E)-cariofileno (12,44 %), germacreno D (10,99%), (E)-nerolidol (8,28 %), δ-cadineno (5,61 %), α-humuleno (5,36 %), viridiflorol (4,78 %) y (Z)-ß-farneseno (4,76 %). En el AE de L. camara se identificaron 68 compuestos, representan el 96,54%, los compuestos en mayor concentración (E)-cariofileno (15,46%), germacreno D (12,21%), α-humuleno (9,92%), bicyclogermacreno (7,06%), γ-terpineno (5,97%) y germacreno B (4,66%); las especies M. minutiflora y L. cámara, presentan propiedades repelentes, acaricidas en larvas, adultas de Amblyomma cajennense y Rhipicephalus (Boophylus) microplus.

Actividad antagónica de hongos endófitos de plantas medicinales del Ecuador sobre bacterias patógenas / Antagonic activity of endophytic fungi from medicinal plants of Ecuador on pathogenic bacteria

Mediante una investigación a lo largo del sector suburbano de la ciudad de Loja-Ecuador, dedicada al cultivo de plantas medicinales, se aíslaron los hongos endófitos asociados a Baccharis latifolia (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers., Baccharis obtusifolia Kunth, Piper barbatum Kunth, Borreria laevis (Lam.) Grises, Chuquiragua jussieui J.F. Gmel y Bidens andicola Kunth. Los taxa fúngicos más frecuentes fueron: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Nigrospora, Phoma, además de algunos representantes de los grupos: coelomycetes, sinnematosos y Zygomycota. La mayor dominancia fúngica correspondió a integrantes de los denominados Mycelia sterilia, siendo de particular interés como posibles endófitos. Se evaluó además la interacción antagónica de siete aislados fúngicos frente a bacterias: Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumomiae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Escherichia coli. La mayoría de las cepas fúngicas estudiadas presentaron actividad, pero los resultados más prometedores se evidenciaron en un aislado de Mycelia sterilia.

As a result of an investigation carried out along the suburban zone of the city of Loja-Ecuador, engaged in the growing of medicinal plants, endophytic fungi associated to Baccharis latifolia (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers., Baccharis obtusifolia Kunth, Piper barbatum Kunth, Borreria laevis (Lam) Grises, Chuquiragua jussieui J.F. Gmel and Bidens andicola Kunth were isolated. Fungal taxa most frequently appearing were: Alternaria, Aspergillus,Epicoccum, Fusarium, Nigrospora, Phoma besides some representatives of the groups: coelomycetes, synnematousand Zygomycota. Major fungal dominance was found in elements of the so-called Mycelia sterilia, which hada special interest as possible endophyte. Besides the antagonic interaction of seven fungal isolations in front of bacteria was assessed: Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumomiae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Most of fungal strains investigated revealed activity , however most promising results could be seen in an isolation of Mycelia sterilia.