ABSTRACT Esenbeckia febrifuga (A.St.-Hil.) A. Juss. ex Mart., Rutaceae, is known by several popular names including quina-do-mato. This name is a reference to the use of its bark as febrifuge and in the past was employed as a substitute of Cinchona sp. for treatment of malaria symptoms. This confusion may have been reinforced by the fact that the bark of these plants are similar in appearance and have a bitter taste. In view thereof this study presents the description morphological and anatomical and the histochemistry of the stem bark and contributes to the pharmacobotanical study of plant drugs identified as Brazilian quinas, in sequence to two others studies. Compared with the Cinchona species, the prismatic shape of calcium oxalate crystals and the fibers with adornate end walls proved to be the main characteristics for differentiation.

ABSTRACT This research is part of a larger study of the Brazilian species that are commonly referred to as "quinas" and used as substitute of Cinchona species. In this study, we have performed the botanical characterization of the stem bark of Remijia ferruginea (A. St.-Hil.) DC., Rubiaceae, by morphological and anatomical description, and the analysis of its chemical profile. Stem bark is thin and has the color and the texture of its external and internal surfaces as diagnostic features. Types and sizes of sclerified cells in the cortical parenchyma and in the secondary phloem are important features for analysis of the transversal sections and in the macerate. Alkaloids, flavonoids and chlorogenic acid were detected in the chemical analysis for TLC. These standard references can be used in the quality control of the bark of quinas.

The leaf essential oils of Eugenia lutescens Cambess andEugenia langsdorffii O. Berg, collected in the rainy (RS) and dry seasons (DS), were extracted by hydrodistillation and then characterized by a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector and a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. The potential acaricidal activity and oviposition deterrence of these oils were evaluated against Tetranychus urticae . The oil yields were higher in the RS for E. lutescens, while those forE. langsdorffii were higher in the DS. α-Pinene and β-pinene were determined to be the major constituents of the oils fromE. lutescens, while bicyclogermacrene, spathulenol, and β-caryophyllene predominated in E. langsdorffii . Seasonal variations in the oils were primarily related to chemical diversity, and E. lutescens was more affected than was E. langsdorffii . The E. langsdorffii oil collected in the DS was most toxic to the spider mite, while the oils of E. lutescens and E. langsdorffii collected in the RS drastically reduced its egg quantities. This study successfully determined the periods of greater oil production and acaricidal activity.

This research is part of a larger study of the Brazilian species that are commonly referred to as quinas and are usually used as substitute of Cinchona species. The purpose of the present study was the botanical characterization of the whole and powdered stem bark of Polyouratea hexasperma (A. St.-Hil.) Tiegh., Ochnaceae, by morphological and anatomical description, and the analysis of its chemical profile. The external texture of the bark, the whitened pit in the inner bark and the presence of cristarque cells, as well as the shape and arrangement of other lignified cells, are the most important macroscopic and microscopic features for the characterization of the bark. Chlorogenic and cafeic acids were detected in the chemical analysis and can also be used in the identification of the bark.

Óleos essenciais das folhas e frutos de Eugenia langsdorffii foram analisados por CG-FID (cromatografia gasosa com detecção através de ionização por chama) e CG-EM (cromatografia gasosa com detecção por espectrometria de massas) e exibiram alta percentagem de sesquiterpenos. epi-Longipinanol (13,6 ± 0,1%) e γ-eudesmol (12,3 ± 0,2%) foram os componentes principais do óleo das folhas, enquanto que 10-epi-γ-eudesmol (35,7 ± 0,3%) e 1,10-di-epi-cubenol (15,6 ± 0,3%) foram majoritários no óleo dos frutos. Estudo comparativo da toxicidade por fumigação e contato residual desses óleos foi conduzido. O óleo das folhas (dose letal média, LC50 = 1,7 µL L-1 de ar) foi 1,7 vezes mais tóxico do que o óleo dos frutos por fumigação, e 1,8 vezes menos tóxico por contato residual. O controle positivo (eugenol) foi muito mais tóxico no bioensaio de fumigação do que os óleos de Eugenia. Entretanto, o efeito de contato residual do óleo dos frutos (LC50 = 12,25 µL mL-1) foi apenas 6,7 vezes menor do que o do eugenol. A função exercida por terpenóides na propriedade acaricida dos óleos de E. langsdorffii também foi discutida.

Leaf and fruit essential oils of Eugenia langsdorffii were analyzed by GC-FID (gas chromatography with flame ionization detection) and GC-MS (gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection), featuring a high percentage of sesquiterpenes. epi-Longipinanol (13.6 ± 0.1%) and γ-eudesmol (12.3 ± 0.2%) were the principal components of the leaf oil, whereas 10-epi-γ-eudesmol (35.7 ± 0.3%) and 1,10-di-epi-cubennol (15.6 ± 0.3%) were the major constituents of the fruit oil. A comparative study to assess fumigant and residual contact toxicities of the oils was conducted. The leaf oil (lethal concentration average, LC50 = 1.7 µL L-1 of air) was 1.7 times more toxic than the fruit oil and 1.8 times less toxic by residual contact. The positive control (eugenol) was much more toxic in the fumigation bioassay than Eugenia langsdorffii oils. Nevertheless, the residual contact effect of the fruit oil (LC50 = 12.25 µL mL-1) was just 6.7 times smaller than that of eugenol. The role of terpenoids in the acaricidal property of the E. langsdorffii essential oils was also discussed.