Os óleos essenciais de P. arboreum, P. dilatatum e P. divaricatum foram obtidos por hidrodestilação e analisados por CG-DIC e CG-EM. Extratos etanólicos foram preparados por extração exaustiva. A atividade antioxidante de óleos e extratos foi avaliada por meio do método de sequestro de radicais livres usando 2,2-difenil-1-picril-hidrazila. Os teores de óleos essenciais foram de 0,98%, 1,50% e 0,99% para P. arboreum, P. dilatatum e P. divaricatum, respectivamente. Esses óleos demonstraram riqueza em sesquiterpenos, sendo os principais componentes: biciclogermacreno (28,7%) e β-copaen-4-α-ol (13,3%) para P. arboreum; germacreno D (16,7%), α-alaskeno (18,9%) e viridiflorol (12,5%) para P. dilatatum; e germacreno D (9,4%), valenceno (11,1%) e γ-cadineno (11,0%) para P. divaricatum. No teste de atividade antioxidante, com base nas percentagens de sequestro de radicais, foram determinados a concentrações efetivas (CE50) e o Índice de Atividade Antioxidante (IAA). Os seguintes valores de CE50 e IAA foram encontrados: ácido ascórbico (usado como referência) 226,84 µg.mL-1 e 5,30; extrato de P. arboreum 239,60 µg.mL-1 e 4,90, e extrato de P. dilatatum 367,70 µg.mL-1 e 3,20, respectivamente. A metodologia utilizada para a atividade antioxidante mostrou-se inadequada para o extrato da P. divaricatum. Os óleos essenciais não apresentaram atividade antioxidante significativa, entretanto, os extratos etanólicos de P. arboreum e de P. dilatatum apresentaram atividade antioxidante expressiva.

The essential oils of P. arboreum, P. dilatatum and P. divaricatum were obtained by means of hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The ethanolic extracts were prepared by exhaustive extraction. The antioxidant activity of the oils and extracts were evaluated by applying the free radical scavenging method using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical. The yields of the essential oils were 0.98%, 1.50% and 0.99% for P. arboreum, P. dilatatum and P. divaricatum, respectively. The oils are rich in sesquiterpenes, and the main components of P. arboreum are the bicyclogermacrene (28.7%) and β-copaen-4-α-ol (13.3%); of P. dilatatum, the germacrene D (16.7%), α-alaskene (18.9%) and viridiflorol (12.5%); and of P. divaricatum, the germacrene D (9.4%), valencene (11.1%) and γ-cadinene (11.0%). The antioxidant activity test, based on the percentages of radical scavenging, determined the effective concentrations (CE50) and the Antioxidant Activity Index (AAI). The following CE50 and AAI values were found: 226.84 µg.mL-1 and 5.30 for ascorbic acid (used as the reference), 239.60 µg.mL-1 and 4.90 for P. arboreum, and 367.70 µg.mL-1 and 3.20 for P. dilatatum. The antioxidant evaluation using this methodology is not applicable for the P. divaricatum extract. These essential oils did not present a significant antioxidant activity. However, the ethanolic extracts of P. arboreum and P. dilatatum did show a strong antioxidant activity.

RESUMO Em razão da expansão do agronegócio de flores tropicais na região Litoral Sul da Bahia e da inexistência de estudos com ácaros associados a essas culturas na região foram realizadas coletas no período de setembro de 2006 a junho de 2007 em 34 espécies/cultivares de plantas ornamentais tropicais das famílias Costaceae, Heliconiaceae, Musaceae e Zingiberaceae de onze propriedades localizadas em seis municípios (13º 21’ a 14º 58’ de latitude Sul e 39º 04’ a 39º 27’ de longitude Oeste), com o objetivo de se determinar a composição de grupos funcionais nos cultivos analisando-se a comunidade no nível de família por meio de índices faunísticos. Os ácaros foram coletados, mensalmente, em folhas e inflorescências. Foram registradas 22 famílias. Mais da metade dos ácaros pertenceu a famílias predominantemente predadoras, com destaque para os fitoseídeos. Com base em índices faunísticos, as famílias Phytoseiidae e Tetranychidae atingiram os índices máximos de dominância, abundância, frequência e constância. Tetraniquídeos (Tetranychus aff. abacae Baker & Pritchard) foram registrados em Alpinia purpurata (Viell.) Schum, Etlingera elatior (Jack) R. M. Smith, Musa coccinea H.C. Andrews, Strelitzia reginae Aiton, Zingiber spectabilis Griffith, Heliconia latispatha Benth., Heliconia rivularis L. Emygd. & E. Santos, Heliconia rostrata Ruiz & Pavon, Heliconia wagneriana Petersen e nos cultivares de helicônias ‘Nappi Yellow’, ‘Jacquinii’, ‘She’, ‘Golden Torch’, ‘Red Opal’, ‘Alan Carle’, ‘Fire Bird’ e ‘Nappi Red’. As espécies/cultivares com maior número de famílias de ácaros foram H. latispatha. H. rostrata. M. coccinea, ‘Fire Bird’, E. elatior ‘Vermelha’, Z. spectabilis. E. elatior ‘Rosa’, A. purpurata ‘Vermelha’ e helicônias ‘Alan Carle’, ‘Sassy’ e ‘She’. Não foram detectados nas plantas danos que causassem prejuízos econômicos aos produtores. As pequenas populações de fitófagos sugerem um eficiente controle natural por predadores, patógenos ou outros fatores.

ABSTRACT Due to the expansion of the tropical flower agribusiness in the southern coastal region of Bahia State, Brazil, and the lack of studies on mites associated to these cultures in the region, mite surveys were conducted from September 2006 to June 2007 in 34 species/cultivars of ornamental plants of the families Costaceae, Heliconiaceae, Musaceae and Zingiberaceae on 11 properties located in 6 counties (13º 21’ to 14º 58’ of south latitude and 39º 04’ to 39º 27’ of west longitude) with the aim of determining the composition of functional groups in the field through the analysis of the community at the family level using faunistic indexes. Mites were collected monthly from leaves and inflorescences. Twenty-two families were recorded. More than half of the mites pertained to predominantly predatory families, mainly to phytoseiids. Based on faunistic indexes, the families Phytoseiidae and Tetranychidae showed the maximum indexes of dominance, abundance, frequency and constancy. Tetranychids (Tetranychus aff. abacae Baker & Pritchard) were reported on Alpinia purpurata (Viell.) Schum, Etlingera elatior (Jack) R. M. Smith, Musa coccinea H.C. Andrews, Strelitzia reginae Aiton, Zingiber spectabilis Griffith, Heliconia latispatha Benth., Heliconia rivularis L. Emygd. & E. Santos, Heliconia rostrata Ruiz & Pavon, Heliconia wagneriana Petersen and on the cultivars of heliconia ‘Nappi Yellow,’ ‘Jacquinii,’ ‘She,’ ‘Golden Torch,’ ‘Red Opal,’ ‘Alan Carle,’ ‘Fire Bird’ and ‘Nappi Red.’ The species/cultivars with the largest number of mite families were H. latispatha. H. rostrata. M. coccinea, ‘Fire Bird,’ E. elatior ‘Vermelha,’ Z. spectabilis. E. elatior ‘Rosa,’ A. purpurata ‘Vermelha’ and heliconias ‘Alan Carle,’ ‘Sassy’ and ‘She.’ No mite-induced economic losses on tropical flower cultures were observed. The low population levels of phytophagous mites suggest an efficient natural control by predators, pathogens and other factors.

Os efeitos do α-tocoferol e da ternatina sobre morfologia, ativação e crescimento de folículos pré-antrais caprinos cultivados in vitro, por um ou cinco dias, foram avaliados. Os fragmentos ovarianos foram imediatamente fixados (controle não-cultivado) ou cultivados in vitro, por um ou cinco dias, em Meio Essencial Mínimo (MEM) com ou sem suplementação com α-tocoferol ou ternatina nas concentrações de 5, 10 ou 15µM, formando os tratamentos MEM, TOC5, TOC10, TOC 15, TER5, TER10, TER15. O percentual de folículos pré-antrais normais no controle não-cultivado foi de 73,2%, depois de cinco dias de cultivo, houve redução desse percentual em todos os tratamentos, quando comparados com o controle não-cultivado (P<0,05). O cultivo por cinco dias aumentou a ativação folicular em todos os tratamentos (P<0,05). A análise ultra-estrutural não mostrou folículos pré-antrais íntegros após cinco dias de cultivo em meio contendo antioxidantes. Concluiu-se que o α-tocoferol e a ternatina podem promover a ativação folicular, no entanto a adição desses antioxidantes nas concentrações testadas reduziu a viabilidade folicular após o cultivo in vitro.

The effects of α-tocopherol and ternatin on the morphology, activation, and growth of goat preantral follicles in vitro cultured, for one or five days, were evaluated. Ovarian fragments were immediately fixed (non-cultured control) or in vitro cultured for one or five days in Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) with or without α-tocopherol or ternatin supplementation, both at concentrations of 5, 10, or 15µM, corresponding to the following treatments: MEM, TOC5, TOC10, TOC 15, TER5, TER10, and TER15. The percentages of morphologically normal preantral follicles in non-cultured ovarian tissue (control) was 73.2% and after five days of culture, there was a decrease on these percentages in all treatments (P<0.05) when compared with non-cultured control. Culture of ovarian cortex for five days increased the percentages of follicular activation in all treatments (P<0.05). Ultrastructural analysis did not confirm the integrity of caprine preantral follicles cultured for five days in medium containing antioxidants. This study demonstrated that α-tocopherol and ternatin can promote follicular activation; however, addition of these antioxidants in the tested concentrations reduced the follicular viability after in vitro culture.

The aim of this study was to monitor early gestation in Santa Ines ewes by ultrasound in order to determine embryo and foetal loss, and to identify foetal sex. Ewes (n = 132) were submitted to controlled natural mating. For the purpose of pregnancy diagnosis and embryo monitoring we used transrectal ultrasound with a linear transducer (6.0 and 8.0 MHz). Pregnancy was diagnosed on day 30. On day 35 ultrasound examination was performed to determine embryo viability or loss. On days 40, 50 and 60 ultrasound examination was used to monitor foetal loss and to determine foetal sex, through identification of the genital tubercle or any external genital structure. Out of 118 pregnant ewes, 76 (64.4%) presented single pregnancy and 42 (35.6%) multiple pregnancy. Embryonic deaths occurred in 10.0% of the 160 monitored embryos: 5.6% (9/160) occurred during the embryonic phase and 4.4% (7/160) during the foetal phase, with no significant difference between them. Embryo loss was significantly lower in single pregnancies (3.9%, 3/76) compared to multiple pregnancies (15.5%, 13/84). Sexing accuracy on day 40 was significantly lower than on day 60. There was no difference between days 40 and 50, and between days 50 and 60. This study on Santa Ines sheep shows that ultrasound is a highly effective method for diagnosis of early pregnancy, determination of embryo and foetal loss, as well as foetal sexing after day 50 of pregnancy.

The aim of this study was to compare testosterone concentration, body weight, scrotal circumference and age to penis detachment from days 30 to 240 in young Boer goat males (n = 22) born during the dry (n = 11) and the rainy (n = 11) seasons. In the dry season the parameters varied as follows: body weight from 3.7 ± 1.1 to 34.0 ± 4.7 kg, scrotal circumference from 7.9 ± 0.8 to 25.7 ± 2 cm, and testosterone concentration from 259.4 ± 172.4 to 4613.4 ± 2892 pc/mL. In the rainy season parameters varied as follows: body weight from 9.7 ± 2.3 to 28.1 ± 6.9 kg, scrotal circumference from 9.5 ± 1.5 to 22.0 ± 3.0 cm and testosterone from 521.9 ± 311.3 to 3417.9 ± 2021.8 pc/mL. At three months of age, 70% of animals born during the rainy season presented with penis detachment, compared to 67.6% of animals born during the dry season at five months of age. Penis detachment occurred in all males at four and seven months for animals born in the rainy and dry seasons, respectively. There was a positive correlation between testosterone concentration and body weight in the dry (r = 0.30) and rainy (r = 0.43) seasons, between testosterone and scrotal circumference in the dry (r = 0.42) and rainy (r = 0.52) seasons, and between body weight and scrotal circumference in the dry (r = 0.93) and rainy (r = 0.88) seasons. The animals born during the rainy season showed earlier development in all the evaluated parameters than animals born during the dry season. It was found that scrotal circumference is directly correlated to body weight and testosterone concentration.

We report the detection of insulin-like antigens in a large range of species utilizing a modified ELISA plate assay and Western blotting. We tested the leaves or aerial parts of species of Rhodophyta (red alga), Bryophyta (mosses), Psilophyta (whisk ferns), Lycopodophyta (club mosses), Sphenopsida (horsetails), gymnosperms, and angiosperms, including monocots and dicots. We also studied species of fungi and a cyanobacterium, Spirulina maxima. The wide distribution of insulin-like antigens, which in some cases present the same electrophoretic mobility as bovine insulin, together with results recently published by us on the amino acid sequence of an insulin isolated from the seed coat of jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) and from the developing fruits of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), suggests that pathways depending on this hormone have been conserved through evolution.