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Crude extracts from nine plants widely used in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of cancer have been subjected to a bioscreening study to detect cytotoxic activity against human tumor cells. Three different extracts (petroleum ether, ethylacetate, and methanol) from each plant species, were tested towards KB, HCT-15 COLADCAR and UISO-SQC-1 cell cultures. The results showed that three plants Colubrina macrocarpa (Cav.) Don (Rhamnaceae), Acacia pennatula (Schltdl. and Cham.) Benth (Leguminosae) and Hemiangium excelsum (HBK.) Smith (Hippocrateaceae), exhibited important cytotoxic activity showing a certain degree of selectivity against the tested cells in culture. more...

Background Assuming that locomotion has a strong influence on animals’ fitness, we hypothesized that better locomotor performance would be associated with the most frequently utilized habitat. Laticauda colubrina, Laticauda laticaudata, and Laticauda semifasciata have different amphibious habits and microhabitat preferences at Orchid Island, Taiwan. We investigated the morphology and locomotor performance of the three sympatric species of sea krait. The measurements of body size, tail area, and body shape were compared in our study. Data on crawling and swimming speeds were gathered to investigate locomotor performance in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Results We found significant differences in the locomotor performances among the three species. L. colubrina was the most terrestrial species in habits and sprinted significantly faster than the others during terrestrial locomotion. On the other hand, L. semifasciata was the most aquatic species, and it swam significantly faster than the other two species. These results are consistent with our hypothesis that sea kraits move well in their respective primary environments. With respect to the highly aquatic L. semifasciata, its laterally compressed body form, large body size, and large area of compressed tail are considered to be beneficial to swimming in an aquatic environment. Conclusions More data are required to understand the superior terrestrial locomotion of L. colubrina, but this species may benefit from its more-cylindrical body form compared to L. semifasciata and from its greater muscle mass compared to L. laticaudata. L. laticaudata was intermediate in habits but exhibited the poorest performance in both swimming and terrestrial locomotion. The reasons for this remain unclear. more...

Morfo-anatomia, imbibicion, viabilidad y germinacion de las semillas de Anadenanthera colu- brina var. cebil (Fabaceae). Seed biology is a relevant aspect of tropical forests because it is central to the understanding of processes of plant establishment, succession and natural regeneration. Anadenanthera colub- rina var. cebil is a timber tree from South America that produces large seeds with thin weak teguments, which is uncommon among legumes. This study describes the morphology and anatomy of the seed coat, the viability, imbibition, and germination in this species. Seeds used during the essays came from 10 trees that grow naturally in Horco Molle, province of Tucuman, Argentina. Seed morphology was described from a sample of 20 units. The seed coat surface was examined with a scanning electron microscope. Transverse sections of hydrated and non-hydrated seeds were employed to describe the histological structure of the seed coat. Hydration, viability and germination experiments were performed under laboratory controlled conditions; and the experimental design consisted of 10 replicas of 10 seeds each. Viability and germination tests were conducted using freshly fallen seeds and seeds stored for five months. Morphologically the seeds of A. colubrina var. cebil are circular to subcircular, laterally compressed, smooth, bright brown and have a horseshoe fissure line (=pleurogram) on both sides. The seed coat comprises five tissue layers and a double (external and internal) cuticle. The outer cuticle (on the epidermis) is smooth and interrupted by microcracks and pores of variable depth. The epidermis consists of macroesclereids with non-lignified secondary walls. This layer is separated from the underlying ones during seed hydration. The other layers of internal tissues are comprised of osteosclereids, parenchyma, osteo- sclereids, and macrosclereids. The percentage of viable seeds was 93%, decreasing to 75% in seeds with five months old. Seed mass increased 76% after the first eight hours of hydration. Germination percentage was 75% after 76 hours. Germination of seeds stored for five months decreased to 12%. The results showed that seeds of A. colubrina var. cebil are highly permeable and germinate directly without a dormant period. Rev. Biol. Trop. 61 (3): 1109-1118. Epub 2013 September 01. more...

The objectives of this work were to study the structure of the vegetative body of Lophophytum mirabile subsp. bolivianum (Wedd.) B. Hansen, to analyze the change on roots of Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (Griseb.) Altschul when they are infected by this parasitic plant, and to identify the anatomical changes produced by that parasitism. L. mirabile subsp. bolivianum plants are formed by a spheroidal-narrower underground vegetative body or tuber, that externally has a dark warty surface;epidermis, stomata or trichomes are lacking. The central matrix of tuber consists of reserving parenchyma and vascular bundles. Parasitic cells located at the level of root cambium initiate the tuber formation. On the infected root of A. colubrina var. cebil , the identity of radial and axial growth of the secondary system are lost. This leads to the formation of xylem loops that affect the xylem transport and root development, which stops length growth and develops a woody gall. Infection of L. mirabile subsp. bolivianum causes profound anatomical changes in timber developing of A. colubrina var. cebil , which favor the parasite success. more...

Eight new species of the tribe Bothriomirini are described from the Oriental Region, namely Dashymenia cognata sp. nov., Dashymenia colubrina sp. nov., Dashymenia conspersa sp. nov., Dashymenia tenmalai sp. nov., Dashymenia webbi sp. nov., Dashymeniella spatulatiformis sp. nov., Dashymeniella ulu sp. nov., and Dashymeniella viklundi sp. nov. Five species are redescribed: Bothriomiris dissimulans (Walker), B. lugubris Poppius, B. testaceus Distant, Dashymenia croesus (Distant), and Dashymenia remus (Distant). Illustrations of the male genitalia, a color dorsal habitus photograph of the adult of most species, scanning electron micrographs of selected structures of Bothriomiris dissimulans, Dashymenia tenmalai, Dashymeniella spatulatiformis, and Dashymeniella ulu are given. An identification key to the Oriental genera and keys to species of the genera Bothriomiris, Dashymenia, and Dashymeniella are provided. more...

Three species of amphibious sea kraits (Laticauda spp.) require drinking freshwater to regulate water balance. The extent of terrestriality is known to differ among them. Species with higher extent of terrestriality would drink freshwater accumulated on land, whereas less terrestrial species would rely totally on freshwater that runs into the sea. Consequently, we predicted that the latter species might have a better ability to follow the flow of freshwater or lower salinity water in the sea than the former. We investigated the freshwater discrimination ability of three sea krait species, using a Y-maze apparatus. We found that Laticauda semifasciata and Laticauda laticaudata, less terrestrial species, followed freshwater significantly more frequently than seawater, whereas Laticauda colubrina, more terrestrial species, unbiasedly selected freshwater and seawater. This result supports our prediction and suggests that less terrestrial sea kraits more efficiently access freshwater sources in the sea than highly terrestrial sea kraits. It is likely that behavioral rehydration systems vary among sea kraits in relation to their terrestrial tendency. more...

PREMISE OF THE STUDY We developed and characterized nuclear microsatellite markers for Anadenanthera colubrina, a tropical tree species widely distributed in South America. METHODS AND RESULTS Leaf samples of mature A. colubrina trees, popularly called "angico," were collected from an area that is greatly impacted by agricultural practices in the region of Ribeirao Preto in Sao Paulo State in southeastern Brazil. Twenty simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed, 14 of which had polymorphic loci. A total of 96 alleles were detected with an average of 6.86 alleles per polymorphic locus. The expected heterozygosity, calculated at polymorphic loci, ranged from 0.18 to 0.83. Finally, we demonstrated that 18 loci were cross-amplified in A. peregrina. CONCLUSIONS A total of 14 polymorphic markers suggest a high potential for genetic diversity, gene flow, and mating system analyses in A. colubrina. more...

The Optimal Foraging Theory was used to identify possible patterns in bark extraction and the selective cutting ofAnadenanthera colubrina(Angico), a medicinal plant. The hypotheses were built on two approaches: selection of collection place and bark exploitation occurrence in only one of these resource areas. The results suggest that the distance that must be traveled to reach each gathering site determines the extent of the extraction process, showing that people minimize the time and energy spent inA. colubrinacollection. The availability of each site appears not to influence the operation. The resource amount was the optimized variable for bark extraction, which was analyzed in only one collection zone. In contrast to the phenomenon of collection place selection, the distance between angico individuals, the management period, and the tannin content did not affect bark extraction. This study also discusses how certain cultural aspects influence the extraction of angico. more...

Chromosome numbers are reported for 14 species collected in Cuba. The first chromosome records are reported forAlbizzia cubana Britton etWilson (2n=26),Atkinsia cubensis (Britton etWilson)Howard (2n=26),Caesalpinia violacea (Mill.)Standl. (2n=24),Colubrina ferruginosa Brongn. (2n=24). Chromosome numbers of the following species were confirmed:Albizzia lebbeck (L.)Benth. (2n=26),Canavalia maritima (Aubl.)Thouars (2n=22),Casuarina equisetifolia Forst. (2n=18),Cedrela mexicana M.J. Roem. (2n=56),Delonix regia (Bojer)Raf. (2n=28),Guazuma tomentosa H.B.K. (2n=16),Lysiloma bahamense Benth. (2n=26),L. latisiliqua (L.)Benth. (2n=26),Samanea saman (Jacq.)Merrill (2n=26),Thespesia populnea (L.)Soland (2n=26). more...

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T21:02:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-03-01 Background: Hydration and integrity of the stratum corneum (SC) is an important determinant of skin appearance, metabolism, mechanical properties, and barrier function. The presence of aquaglyceroporins and envelope proteins are crucial to provide greater corneocyte cohesion to keep water and other moisturizers in the skin. Aims: In this study, we evaluated the ability of Piptadenia colubrina, a plant native of South American rain forests, in the expression of genes involved in skin capacitance and SC integrity. Methods: The expression of genes for aquaporin-3 (AQP3), loricrin, involucrin (INV), and filaggrin (FLG) was measured by real-time PCR, using an in vitro model of human keratinocytes incubated with concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 mg/mL of a hydroglycolic extract of P. colubrina (HEPC). The amount of AQP3 protein was also tested by immunohistochemistry in human skin explants. Clinical trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of a gel-cream containing HEPC on the glycerol index and skin capacitance. Results: Hydroglycolic extract of P. colubrina increased both the expression and immunoreactivity of AQP3 in cultured keratinocytes and human skin explants. The gene induction to envelope proteins FLG and INV was also observed after cell incubation with HEPC. Skin capacitance was significantly improved in human volunteers under treatment with HEPC-containing cream. Conclusions: The extract of P. colubrina promotes cellular hydration and induces gene expression of envelope proteins providing greater corneocyte cohesion to keep water and other moisturizers in the skin and an appropriate epidermal adhesion. The in vitro findings were clinically confirmed and encourage the clinical use of this compound in skin care products. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Department of Pharmacology/Hemocenter University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas Research and Development Department Chemyunion Química Ltda, Sorocaba Department of Genetics São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu Department of Pharmacology São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu Department of Genetics São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu Department of Pharmacology São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu more...

Se describe e ilustra Araracuara Fern. Alonso, un nuevo género de la familia Rhamnaceae conocido tan sólo de las mesetas de arenisca de la Amazonía colombiana. Se discuten sus posibles afinidades en la familia y se sugiere que estaríamos ante un género relíctico, relacionado con el pantropical Colubrina y en menor medida con el amazónico Ampelozizyphus. Se incluye una clave para los géneros de Rhamnaceae de Colombia y un apéndice con una muestra representativa de especies de los géneros estudiados, algunos de ellos pobremente documentados de territorio colombiano. more...

India is a country that is rich in wide varieties of medicinal plants. Strychnos colubrina Linn is a plant that is endemic to Kerala. The present study deals with the extraction, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the areal parts of plant. The successive extractions were carried out on the areal parts of plant using pet. ether, chloroform, methanol and water. Through the preliminary qualitative Phytochemical analysis the active constituents were identified. The quantitative estimation of these compounds was done. The GC-MS study revealed the presence of important constituents present in the extract. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was also carried out using the chloroform extract that revealed a potent anti-inflammatory effect of the extract. more...

Ceanothus asiaticus Linnaeus, Species Plantarum 1: 196. 1753. "Habitat in Zeylona." RCN: 1585. Lectotype (Fawcett & Rendle, Fl. Jamaica 5: 70. 1926; Johnston in Brittonia 23: 47. 1971): Herb. Hermann 2: 11, No. 98 (BM-000621540). Current name: Colubrina asiatica (L.) Brongn. (Rhamnaceae). Note: Fawcett & Rendle indicated Herb. Hermann material (BM) as type. Although there is material mounted on several pages in volume 2, it appears to have been part of a single gathering. Consequently, theirs is accepted as the first typification (Art. 9.15), with the choice subsequently restricted by Johnston., Published as part of Jarvis, Charlie, 2007, Chapter 7: Linnaean Plant Names and their Types (part C), pp. 370-473 in Order out of Chaos. Linnaean Plant Types and their Types, London :Linnaean Society of London in association with the Natural History Museum on page 396, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.291971 more...

A new species of Colubrina from the Amazon region of Ecuador is described and illustrated. The species is characterized by its elliptical and distichously arranged leaves, 10–18 × 4–8 cm, and the presence of basal, concave elliptical, glands, the short-shoots of the inflorescence with few nodes and seeds with two inner sides flat-concave and third side, as wide as the previous two and convex. The new species has been widely collected in areas below 700 m, and is expected to occur in similar habitats in the border areas of Colombia and Peru. more...

Currently Fabaceae, is one of the dominant families of the Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests or Neotropical seasonal dry forests. Anadenanthera which integrates the family, has wide geographical distribution in South America and the West Indies, but in Argentina it`s only present Anadenantera colubrina var. cebil in the north and their records are represented from the Miocene to the present through palynomorphs and mineralized woods. The main objective of this work is to contribute to the understanding in the context of the history of Anadenanthera during the Neogene and Quaternary in Argentina, on the basis of the review and integration of the paleobotanical history, geological and climatic available that have affected the genre in the country. Studied fossil materials come from different geological formations of Argentina: Chenque Formation (Miocene), Parana Formation (Middle Miocene), San Jose Formation (Middle Miocene), Ituzaingo Formation (Pliocene) and Ibera (Holocene). The material found on the Chenque Formation is referred to Polyadopollenites coincides with the described material for the Middle Miocene of the central-eastern Argentina and the Pliocene of northeast Argentina. On the other hand in Parana and Ituzaingo Formation studied sample of mineralized woods of Anadenantheroxylon villaurquisense , finally the sample found in Holocene of Ibera Corrientes Province corresponds to Anadenanthera colubrina var. macrocarpa . With these data it can be concluded that Anadenathera had a wide geographical record in Miocene and Holocene of Argentina, it was found in sediments from the lower Miocene of Patagonia by integrating a Subtropical Paleoflora. From the Middle-Upper Miocene integrated the vegetation in northeast Argentine constituting xerophiles forests. Their last record is equivalent to the Middle Holocene of sediments from Ibera integrating the regional vegetation and indicating an open vegetation characteristics of dry environments. Finally it`s noteworthy that the spatial and temporal succession of Anadenanthera in Argentina, would have been intimately associated with tectonic and climatic events occurred during the Neogene and Quaternary. more...

The use and management of "angico" (Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan) by a rural community in northeastern Brazil was examined. By employing different techniques of data collection and population structure analysis, it was determined that this species had multiple uses within the local community (especially as timber and for other wood products), and that local management of this species is based on simple maintenance and harvesting of individuals in agroforest homegardens. The study of the population structure of this tree species indicated that management and conservation strategies must include the participation of the local community. more...

In this study, the authors investigated the effect of regular consumption of two tropical food drinks, coconut (Cocos nucifera) water and mauby (Colubrina arborescens), on the control of hypertension. Twenty-eight hypertensive subjects were assigned to four equal groups and their systolic and diastolic blood pressures recorded for two weeks before and then for another two weeks while receiving one of four interventions. One group (the control) received bottled drinking water, the second group received coconut water, the third received mauby and the fourth group, a mixture of coconut water and mauby. Significant decreases in the mean systolic blood pressure were observed for 71%, 40% and 43% respectively of the groups receiving the coconut water, mauby and the mixture (por = 0.05). For these groups, the respective proportions showing significant decreases in the mean diastolic pressure were 29%, 40% and 57%. For the group receiving the mixture, the largest decreases in mean systolic and mean diastolic pressure were 24 mmHg and 15 mmHg respectively; these were approximately double the largest values seen with the single interventions. more...

The objective of the study was to estímate the quantification of air biomass in forest plantations 6,5 years old, multietáneos, of the species Shaina Colubrina glandulosa Perk, located in the sector Lagoon Venice", District of the Band of Shilcayo, County and Region of San Martin - Peru. Coordinated Geographical: 06º 32' South Latitude and 76º22' Longitude West, half altitude of 350 msnm. The biomass was determined by means of a combination of the crop methods and alométrico. In the forest three parcels of inventory silvícola settled down, 38 trees were selected far a destructive sampling, distributed in three phases of growth: Latizal under, high Latizal and Fusta!. Each tree was turned, trozado and separated in the component bark and wood of the shaft, foliage and branches of the glass, being obtained its dry pesos. With 23 trees of the forest, equations alométricas were adjusted that estimated the dry weight of the components and total of the trees, using how variable predictoras the diameter to the height of the chest and the height fusta! of them. The rest of the trees muestreados allowed to validate those equations. The pattern of the described equations was ANO= to X. The equations of biomass of the shaft, it surrounds and total tree was applied on charts volumétricas of the forest in study, the total biomass accumulated by tree being determined, components and far the forest in general far hectare. The values total dasométricos of the forest were: 2 157 arbores/ha; basal areas of 8,20 m2 /ha; dominant heights of 10,5 m and gross volumes of 35,5 m3/ha. The accumulated biomass air total is of 109,9 t/ha; of which 82,8% corresponds to shafts (6,6% bark and 76,2% wood) and 17,2% to glasses (5, 1 % foliage and 12, 1 % branches). The total biomass in the phases of growth of the forest: Latizal Under, High Latizal, and Fusta! contributes 12, 1 %, 51.3% and 36,6% respectively. El objetivo del estudio fue estimar la cuantificación de biomasa aérea en plantaciones forestales de 6,5 años de edad, multietáneos, de la especie Shaina Colubrina glandulosa Perk, ubicado en el sector "Laguna Venecia", Distrito de la Banda de Shilcayo, Provincia y Región de San Martín - Perú. Coordenadas Geográficas: 06º 32' Latitud Sur y 76º22' Longitud Oeste, altitud media de 350 msnm. La biomasa se determinó mediante una combinación de los métodos de cosecha y alométrico. En el bosque se establecieron tres parcelas de inventario silvícola, se seleccionaron 38 árboles para un muestreo destructivo, distribuidos en tres fases de crecimiento: Latizal bajo, Latizal alto y Fustal. Cada árbol fue volteado; trozado y separado en los componentes corteza y madera del fuste, follaje y ramas de la copa, obteniéndose sus pesos secos. Con 23 árboles del bosque, se ajustaron ecuaciones alométricas que estimaron el peso seco de los componentes y total de los árboles, utilizando cómo variables predictoras el diámetro a la altura del pecho y la altura fustal de ellos. El resto de los árboles muestreados permitió validar esas ecuaciones. El modelo de las ecuaciones descritas fue Y = a. Xb. Las ecuaciones de biomasa del fuste, copa y árbol total fueron aplicadas sobre tablas volumétricas del bosque en estudio, determinándose la biomasa total acumulada por árbol, componentes y para el bosque en general por hectárea. Los valores dasométricos totales del bosque fueron: 2 157 árboles/ha; áreas basales de 8,20 m2 /ha; alturas dominantes de 10,5 m y volúmenes brutos de 35,5 m3/ha. La biomasa aérea total acumulada es de 109,9 tlha; de las cuales el 82,8 % corresponde a fustes (6,6 % corteza y 76,2 % madera) y 17,2 % . a copas (5, 1 % follaje y 12, 1 % ramas). La biomasa total en las fases de crecimiento del bosque: Latizal Bajo, Latizal Alto, y Fustal aportan 12, 1 %, 51,3% y 36,6 % respectivamente. more...

Mechanisms that maintain species isolation within sympatric congeners have attracted analysis in many kinds of organisms, but not in snakes. We studied two sibling species of amphibious sea snakes (Laticauda colubrina and L. frontalis) on the island of Efate, in the Pacific Ocean republic of Vanuatu. The two taxa are almost identical morphologically, except that L. colubrina grows much larger than L. frontalis. No natural hybrids have been reported, and geographic distributions of the two taxa suggest the possibility of sympatric speciation. Our fieldwork shows that the two taxa are often syntopic and overlap in breeding seasons. Behavioral studies in outdoor arenas show that the separation between these two taxa is maintained by species-specific cues that control male courtship. Males of both species courted conspecific females but not heterospecific females. The proximate mechanism driving this separation involves chemical cues. Adult females of both taxa possess distinctive lipids in the skin. Males directed courtship behavior (chin-pressing) to hexane-extracted samples of lipids from conspecific but not heterospecific females. Males of the dwarf species (L. frontalis) were more selective courters than were those of the larger taxon (L. colubrina), perhaps because a preference for courting larger females means that L. colubrina males would be unlikely to court L. frontalis-sized (i.e., small) females even in the absence of pheromonal barriers. more...

Hawaiian dry and mesic forests contain an increasingly rare assemblage of species due to habitat destruction, invasive alien weeds and exotic pests. Two rare Rhamnaceae species in these ecosystems, Colubrina oppositifolia and Alphitonia ponderosa, were examined using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers to determine the genetic structure of the populations and the amount of variation relative to other native Hawaiian species. Relative variation is lower than with other Hawaiian species, although this is probably not a consequence of genetic bottleneck. Larger populations of both species contain the highest levels of genetic diversity and smaller populations generally the least as determined by number of polymorphic loci, estimated heterozygosity, and Shannon's index of genetic diversity. Populations on separate islands were readily discernible for both species as were two populations of C. oppositifolia on Hawai'i island (North and South Kona populations). Substructure among Kaua'i subpopulations of A. ponderosa that were ecologically separated was also evident. Although population diversity is thought to have remained at predisturbance levels, population size continues to decline as recruitment is either absent or does not keep pace with senescence of mature plants. Recovery efforts must focus on control of alien species if these and other endemic dry and mesic forest species are to persist. more...

A comparative analysis of the use of psychoactive plants in northern Chile, specifically San Pedro deAtacama and the Middle Loa and its tributaries ( Caspana, Toconce, Lasana, Chiu-Chiu), with NW Argentina, as a proba ble diagnostic tool of shifting patterns of interaction. This work presents a review of the evidence for the ingestion of psychoactive plants in northern Chile and NW Argentina with particular emphasis on chronology, iconography and modes of ingestion. The iconographie and stylistic differences, as well as the divergence in chronology, suggest shifts in patterns of interaction between northern Chile and NW Argentina. RESUMEN Un an?lisis comparativo del uso de plantas s ?coactivas en el norte de Chile, especialmente San Pedro deAtacama y Loa medio y sus tributarios (Caspana, Toconce, Lasana, Chiu-Chiu) en relaci?n al noroeste argentino, se presenta como una posible herramienta de dign?stico de cambios de los patrones de interacci?n entre ambas regiones. Este trabajo es una revisi?n de las evidencias de ingesti?n de plantas sicoactivas en el norte de Chile y noroeste argentino con ?nfasis en la cronolog?a, iconograf?a y modos de ingesti?n. Las diferencias iconogr?ficas y estil?sticas, as? como la divergencia cronol?gica, sugieren cambios en los patrones de interacci?n entre el norte de Chile y el noroeste argentino. Palabras claves: Vilca, inhalaci?n, plantas sicoactivas, rap?. This work presents a comparative analysis of the evidence provided by the use of psychoactive plants in San Pedro de Atacama, the Middle Loa and its tributaries, and NW Argentina (Figure 1), as a probable diagnostic tool of shifting patterns of interaction. The criteria used include modes of ingestion, iconographie variables, and chronology. The modes of ingestion easily identified in an archaeological context are snuffing and smoking. The paraphernalia employed in these activities is specific to the task. However, the probable use of liquid preparations is not easily distinguishable, since its paraphernalia cannot be separated with any certainty from the wide array of vessels present in these areas. Chemical analysis of archaeological snuffs and of smoking preparations in northern Chile and NW Argentina have detected the presence of several psychoactive alkaloids, most notably bufotenine (5-hydroxy-dimethyltryptamine). The finding of bufotenine in the Atacama snuff suggests that the plant source of this material was a species of the genus Anadenanthera (formerly Piptadenia Benth.; see Reis Altschul 1964; 1972). This is the only genus implicated in the snuffing complex that contains bufotenine (Torres et al. 1991). The species of Anadenanthera present in the South Central Andes is A. colubrina var. Cebil (Figure 2). Small pouches containing Anadenanthera seeds have been found in several burials at the site of Solcor 3, San Pedro de Atacama. Anadenanthera seeds in association with smoking pipes have been found at the preceramic site of Inca Cueva in the Puna de Jujuy (Fern?ndez Distel 1980), and at the late period site of Cusi-Cusi (after 950 A.D.? more...

Eleven new species of the spider genus Belisana are reported from South China: Belisana galeiformis sp. nov., B. bawangensis sp. nov., B. chaoanensis sp. nov., B. diaoluoensis sp. nov., B. longinqua sp. nov., B. parallelica sp. nov., B. erromena sp. nov., B. lata sp. nov., B. colubrina sp. nov., B. tianlinensis sp. nov., and B. yangi sp. nov. Somatic and genitalic features are described and illustrated. more...

The genus Kali is a member of the deep-sea fish family Chiasmodontidae with seven valid species. A taxonomic revision of Kali was recently conducted by Melo (2008), which included the description of two new species: K. colubrina and K. falx . I was unaware that parallel to that revision, Prokofiev (2008) was describing K. caribbaea . Both publications were published during a very short time interval. Upon having access to Prokofiev (2008), it became clear that K. colubrina and K. caribbaea are actually synonyms. After further investigation about the date of publication of both works, K. colubrina Melo, 2008 is herein placed as the senior synonym of K. caribbaea Prokofiev, 2008. more...

This study investigates the influence of gamma radiation on the total phenols, tannins and antimicrobial activity of ethanolic plant extracts of the bark and leaves of Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan (angico). The extracts were separated into four groups (0, 5, 7.5 and 10 kGy) to quantify total phenols (Folin-Ciocalteu method), tannins (precipitation of casein), and antimicrobial activity (disk diffusion of Gram-positive, Gram-negative, acid-alcohol-resistant bacteria and yeasts; Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of Gram positive and alcohol-acid resistant bacteria). Tannin levels were 52% to 57% of total phenols in bark, and 58% to 60% in leaves, and there was no statistically significant difference between groups. There was antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and alcohol-acid-resistant bacteria (bark and leaves) and Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts (leaves). However, the gamma radiation had no influence on the levels of total phenols and tannins or the antimicrobial activity of extracts of bark and leaves of A. colubrina. more...

A new jujubogenin saponin was isolated from the stems of Colubrina retusa and identified as jujubogenin 3-O-alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl (1-->2)-[3-O-(trans)-p-coumaroyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->;3)]-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside (4) on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic data. The antimycobacterial activity expressed as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for compound 4 was 10 microg/mL. more...

The Laticauda colubrina complex previously consisted of three species, Laticauda saintgironsi from New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands, Laticauda frontalis from Vanuatu, and Laticauda colubrina, a widespread species ranging from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Myanmar-Thai-Malaysian peninsula, through the Indonesian archipelago to New Guinea, north to Palau, the Philippines, Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands, and southeastward along the island-chain of the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga. Their geographic variation, based on 1515 specimens involving 33 characters of coloration and scutellation, was analyzed in two different ways: (1) an hierarchical analysis and (2) an analysis of principal components and discriminant function. Sexual dimorphism occurred in many characters and for those, females and males were analyzed separately. The results confirmed the distinctiveness of the three original species. Within L. colubrina different characters displayed slightly different geographic... more...

Leaf and mast material was collected from mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr.), huisache (Acacia smallii Isely), granjeno (Celtis pallida Torr.), and hog plum (Colubrina texana (T.& G.) Gray) on both root-plowed and untreated sites in south Texas. Forages were analyzed for nitrogen (N), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). Forages differed among species for N, NDF, and IVDMD. Leaf IVDMD of huisache and hog plum was higher on untreated sites. Huisache mast was higher in N and NDF concentrations, but not IVDMD, on untreated sites. Browsers on root-plowed sites may be forced to use forages of fewer digestible nutrients than on untreated sites. The cause of changes in browse quality following brush manipulation should be examined. more...

A revision of the genus Lasiodiscus Hook. f. is presented and the delimitation of this genus from Colubrina L. C. Rich. ex Brongn. is discussed. Twelve species are recognised. Two new species, L. lebrunii E. Figueiredo and L. palustris E. Figueiredo, are described and the new combination L. pervillei ssp. ferrugineus (Verdc.) E. Figueiredo is made. L. articulatus Capuron is transferred to Colubrina (C. articulata). One neotype and four lectotypes are selected. more...

El presente artículo representa el primero de una serie con descripciones de especies nuevas e información relativa a la flora de la Zona de Uxpanapa del sureste de Veracruz y partes colindantes de Oaxaca, México. Se describe la especie nueva Colubrina johnstonii (Rhamnaceae), relacionada con C. elliptica y otras especies. El recuento cromosómico de n = 16 para la especie nueva es extraordinario para la familia y representa el primero para el género. more...

Ether extracts of Colubrina granulosa heartwood yield the polyphenolic coumaranone maesopsin and 3 pentacyclic triterpene acids of the lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid group, alphitolic, betulinic and ceanothic acids. Two new compounds, granulosic and colubrinic acids, which belong to a very small class of A ring contracted triterpenes were also isolated. The co-occurrence of maesopsin, alphitolic, betulinic and ceanothic acids suggests that C. granulosa (from Panama) may be closely related or identical to the Australian species, Alphitonia whitei , in which these relatively rare compounds also occur. more...

The genus Paraheterotyphlum is upheld, the type species, australe Johnston and Mawson, 1948, is redescribed from the type material and compared with specimens collected from the following sea snakes from Australian waters: Pelamis platurus, Hydrophis elegans, Aipysurus laevis, Astrotia stokesii, Disteira kingii. These specimens were also compared with specimens from Laticauda semifasciata and colubrina from Taiwan waters.Two species are differentiated: P. australe and P. ophiophagos Schmidt and Kuntz, 1973 mainly by the larger and more distinct interlocking facets on the lips of the latter species. Third and fourth stage larvae, probably of P. australe are described and the distribution and affinities of these species is discussed. more...

Two new flavonol triosides have been isolated from the leaves of Colubrina faralaotra (Rhamnaceae) and their structures elucidated as kaempferol-3- O -[β- d -glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-4″′- O -acetyl-α- l -rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)-β- d -galactopyranoside] and the corresponding quercetin analogue mainly by 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy (including T 1 , measurements). more...

Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil es una especie forestal nativa de América del Sur. Presenta una distribución amplia y disyunta que se corresponde con la distribución de los Bosques Tropicales Estacionalmente Secos. Para estudiar el posible efecto de los cambios climáticos del Pleistoceno sobre la distribución de A. colubrina var cebil se analizó la secuencia del intrón trnL del ADN cloroplástico en 48 individuos provenientes de las Provincias Fitogeográficas Paranaense y de las Yungas. Se identificó un SNP en la posición 501 que permitió definir dos haplotipos fijados cada uno de ellos en la región fitogeográfica de origen de los individuos. Las secuencias del intrón trnL para estos haplotipos fueron contrastadas con secuencias de esta región disponible en la base pública de datos GenBank. A partir de este conjunto de secuencias se definieron otros tres haplotipos. Se construyó una red para determinar las relaciones filogenéticas. Las estimaciones de distancia genética entre los haplotipos tomados de a pares presentaron valores entre 0 y 0,017 en tanto que el tiempo de divergencia entre los haplotipos presentó valores comprendidos entre 0 y 5.600.000 años, aproximadamente. Fil: Calonga Solís, Verónica. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas; Argentina Fil: Barrandeguy, Maria Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales. Departamento de Genética; Argentina Fil: García, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales. Departamento de Genética; Argentina more...

An A-ring contracted triterpenoid produced by suspension cultures of Colubrina texensis was shown to be 2β-formyl-3α-hydroxy-nor-A(1)-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid by X-ray crystallography. The methyl ester derivative was shown to be identical with methyl colubrinate, a compound previously isolated from a methylated acidic fraction from C. granulosa heartwood. more...