The aim of this study was to identify the composition of the essential oil from leaves of Lippia sidoides (EOLS), a typical shrub commonly found in the dry northeast of Brazil, popularly known as “alecrim-pimenta”. Additionally, we investigated the nymphicidal, ovicidal, phagoinhibitory and excretion effects of EOLS, its major constituent thymol and its isomer carvacrol, on fourth instar nymphs and eggs of Rhodnius prolixus, the Chagas’ disease vector. The nymphicidal and ovicidal activity of thymol, carvacrol, and EOLS was assessed by tests using impregnated Petri dishes. The lethal concentration values (LC50) for EOLS, carvacrol, and thymol were 54.48, 32.98, and 9.38 mg/cm2, respectively. The ovicidal test showed that both carvacrol and thymol (50 mg/cm2) inhibited hatching (50% and 23.3%, respectively), while treatments with 10 mg/cm2 or 50 mg/cm2 EOLS did not affect the hatching rate at all (80% and 90%, respectively). We observed an anti-feeding effect in insects fed with blood containing natural products at the higher concentrations (100 µg/mL). Finally, excretion rate was affected by EOLS and carvacrol, but not by thymol. These findings offer novel insights into basic physiological processes that make the tested natural compounds interesting candidates for new types of insecticides.

Embora remonte às origens da civilização, a relação entre alimentação e saúde nunca foi tão estreita quanto nos dias de hoje. Dietas ricas em gordura, sal e açúcar e pobres em carboidratos complexos, vitaminas e minerais, aliadas a um estilo de vida mais sedentário, são responsáveis pelo aumento de doenças ligadas à dieta, tais como obesidade, diabetes, problemas cardiovasculares, hipertensão, osteoporose e câncer. Há muito tempo acredita-se que o consumo de frutas e hortaliças auxilia na prevenção destas doenças. As hortaliças são um importante componente da dieta, sendo tradicionalmente servidas junto com um alimento protéico e um carboidrato. Elas fornecem não apenas variedade de cor e textura às refeições, mas também nutrientes importantes. As hortaliças têm pouca gordura e calorias, relativamente pouca proteína, mas são ricas em carboidratos e fibras e fornecem níveis significativos de micronutrientes à dieta. Além disso, elas possuem compostos funcionais, que beneficiam uma ou mais funções orgânicas, além da nutrição básica, contribuindo para melhorar o estado de saúde e bem-estar e/ou reduzir o risco de doenças. O desenvolvimento de cultivares mais ricas nestes compostos tem se consolidado como um dos principais focos dos modernos programas de melhoramento genético de hortaliças. Vários destes programas, trabalhando com diferentes hortaliças, estão em andamento no Brasil e no mundo visando aumentar os teores e diversificar os tipos de carotenóides presentes na dieta. Neste trabalho são discutidos os principais aspectos relacionados às hortaliças como alimentos funcionais, bem como são detalhados os principais avanços obtidos nesta área no melhoramento de cenoura e tomate no Brasil.

Although a very old concept, the relationship between food and health has never been as close as it is today. Diets rich in fat, salt, and sugar and poor in complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals in association with a more sedentary lifestyle, are responsible for an increase in diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, hypertension, osteoporosis, and cancer. It is believed that the ingestion of fruits and vegetables helps in the prevention of these diseases. Vegetables are an important component of the diet, usually in association with protein- and starch-rich foods. They are responsible not only for adding variety of color and texture to meals, but also for providing important nutrients. Vegetables are low fat and low calorie foods, with relatively small amounts of protein, but they are rich in carbohydrates and fibers and add significant amounts of micronutrients to the human diet. They are also a source of functional substances, which might benefit one or more physiological functions in the body, besides adequate nutritional effects. Functional elements might play a role in improving health and well-being, as well as reducing the risk of the onset of diet-related diseases. The development of vegetable cultivars with greater amounts of these substances is one of the main goals of modern breeding programs. Many of these programs, working on different vegetables, are currently underway in Brazil and other countries, aiming to improve the amount and variety of carotenoids present in the diet. In the present paper, the main aspects of vegetable crops as functional foods are discussed. The most important achievements of tomato and carrot breeding programs in Brazil aiming to improve the amount and types of functional compounds are also presented.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a influência da adubação com 4 doses de N (0; 100; 200 e 400 g planta-1), utilizando a uréia, e 3 formas de aplicação do boro (via foliar, via solo e sem B), utilizando o ácido bórico, na produtividade, no número, peso médio, diâmetro e comprimento dos frutos, no crescimento e no diâmetro dos ramos, na percentagem de frutos brocados e rachados. As adubações com boro e nitrogênio aumentaram a produtividade e o número de frutos, não se observando variação no diâmetro e no comprimento dos frutos. Houve variação no peso médio de fruto em função do N. O adubo nitrogenado aumentou o número de flores e de frutos e a porcentagem de frutos. As doses de N e as formas de aplicação de B não influenciaram as porcentagens de frutos brocados e rachados.

The objective of the research was study the influence of nitrogen fertilization, and three forms of boron application (without boron, boron in the soil and boron on the leaves), on the productivity and the number, average weight, diameter and length of the fruits, as well as on the growth and diameter of the branches, on the percentage of borne. Four doses of N (0, 100, 200 and 400 g plant-1) were applied.The urea and boric acid were used as N and B source, respectively. The nitrogen and boron fertilizations enhanced the productivity and the number of fruits. No variation was observed either in the diameter or length of fruits. The average fruit weight varied in function of the N. The nitrogen fertilization increased the fruit yield. Neither nitrogen fertilization nor the method of B application affected the percentages of borne and split fruits.