Chemical studies on cultivation of Echinodorus grandiflorus (cham. & schl.) mich.

CHEMICAL STUDIES ON CULTIVATION OF Echinodorus grandiflorus (CHAM. & SCHL.) MICH.^*

Daniel S. Pimenta^1,2,3, Maria Raquel Figueiredo² and Maria Auxiliadora C. Kaplan^1,4

¹Biologia Celular e Molecular, IOC/FIOCRUZ.

2Laboratório de Química de Produtos Naturais, Far-Manguinhos/DFF/FIOCRUZ.

3Departamento de Botânica, UFJF.

4Núcleo de Pesquisas de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

The family Alismataceae comprises aquatic or semi-aquatic herbs with erect or floating leaves that grow as amphiphytes or hydrophytes in fresh water. The genus Echinodorus is restricted to the western hemisphere, occurring from the United States of America until Argentina. Echinodorus grandiflorus known as "chapéu de couro'' is used in folk medicine to treat several diseases, such as throat and skin inflammations, arthritis, rheumatism and syphilis. The plant also acts as a diuretic agent and as uric acid eliminator. This work has quantified the leaf and inflorescence productions and has evaluated the chemical profile of E. grandiflorus cultivated in Tanguá, Rio de Janeiro State. It was observed that plants submitted to higher sunlight levels showed an increased production of leaves and inflorescences compared to those growing in shadowed places. Among the chemical groups detected, flavonoids were clearly altered by cultivation treatments, showing a greater production in plants exposed to higher sunlight levels after the inflorescences being removed.

— ( November 23, 1999 ) .

*

Supported by: CNPq/CAPES.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  07 Aug 2000
• Date of issue
  June 2000