Brunfelsia uniflora is a species that belongs to the family Solanaceae, popularly known as manacá. In popular medicine the leaves are used for arthritis, rheumatism, syphilis, snake bites, yellow fever, and even as a diuretic and anti-thermal. The main objective of this work was the anatomical study through optical and electronic scanning microscopy, chemical analysis and microbiological tests using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and Brunfelsia uniflora leaves extracts. The plants were collected in the Atlantic Rainforest (Mata Atlântica), nearby the city of São Vicente, SP. Brunfelsia uniflora presented palisade parenchyma with two cellular layers and lacunary parenchyma with six cellular layers; large quantities of crystals in mesophyll and sclerenchyma were observed. The lower epidermis presented large quantities of stomata while they were almost absent in the adaxial epidermis. The electronic scanning microscopy showed the presence of paracitic stomata, a waxy layer ornamented in the adaxial epidermis as well as the presence of few trichomes in the central vein region in the abaxial surface. However, in the vein region the trichomes were absent. A chemical analysis showed evidence of some spectral peaks concerning the occurrence of caffeic acid derivatives. The microbiological tests presented negative results for the two species of bacteria.
Brunfelsia uniflora; Solanaceae; leaf anatomy; medicinal plant; chemical analysis
