The plant-pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri is the causal agent of Asiatic citrus canker, a serious disease that affects all the cultivars of citrus in subtropical citrus-producing areas worldwide. There is no curative treatment for citrus canker; thus, the eradication of infected plants constitutes the only effective control of the spread of X. citri subsp. citri. Since the eradication program in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, is under threat, there is a clear risk of X. citri subsp. citri becoming endemic in the main orange-producing area in the world. Here we evaluated the potential use of alkyl gallates to prevent X. citri subsp. citri growth. These esters displayed a potent anti-X. citri subsp. citri activity similar to that of kanamycin (positive control), as evaluated by the resazurin microtiter assay (REMA). The treatment of X. citri subsp. citri cells with these compounds induced altered cell morphology, and investigations of the possible intracellular targets using X. citri subsp. citri strains labeled for the septum and centromere pointed to a common target involved in chromosome segregation and cell division. Finally, the artificial inoculation of citrus with X. citri subsp. citri cells pretreated with alkyl gallates showed that the bacterium loses the ability to colonize its host, which indicates the potential of these esters to protect citrus plants against X. citri subsp. citri infection.

Ethanolic extract of Casearia sylvestris is thought to be antimutagenic. In this study, we attempted to determine whether this extract and casearin X (a clerodane diterpene from C. sylvestris) are protective against the harmful effects of airborne pollutants from sugarcane burning. To that end, we used the Tradescantia micronucleus test in meiotic pollen cells of Tradescantia pallida, the micronucleus test in mouse bone marrow cells, and the comet assay in mouse blood cells. The mutagenic compound was total suspended particulate (TSP) from air. For the Tradescantia micronucleus test, T. pallida cuttings were treated with the extract at 0.13, 0.25, or 0.50 mg/ml. Subsequently, TSP was added at 0.3mg/ml, and tetrads from the inflorescences were examined for micronuclei. For the micronucleus test in mouse bone marrow cells and the comet assay in mouse blood cells, Balb/c mice were treated for 15 days with the extract-3.9, 7.5, or 15.0 mg/kg body weight (BW)-or with casearin X-0.3, 0.25, or 1.2 mg/kg BW-after which they received TSP (3.75 mg/kg BW). In T. pallida and mouse bone marrow cells, the extract was antimutagenic at all concentrations tested. In mouse blood cells, the extract was antigenotoxic at all concentrations, whereas casearin X was not antimutagenic but was antigenotoxic at all concentrations. We conclude that C. sylvestris ethanolic extract and casearin X protect DNA from damage induced by airborne pollutants from sugarcane burning.

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RESUMO Entre as espécies sinantrópicas de baratas, a barata alemã, Blattella germanica (L., 1767), é a mais importante por desenvolver altas populações em habitações. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a mortalidade de B. germanica exposta a diferentes áreas tratadas, com quantidade equivalente de inseticidas e verificar a mortalidade provocada por inseticidas em superfícies lisa e rugosa, antes e após lavagem. Os experimentos foram conduzidos no Departamento de Fitossanidade da UNESP/FCAV de Jaboticabal, SP. No primeiro experimento, a aplicação dos inseticidas foi realizada sobre placas de Petri, com áreas de exposição ao inseticida de 25, 50, 75 e 100%. No segundo, a aplicação foi realizada com pulverizador costal pressurizado, sobre superfícies lisa (de azulejo) e rugosa (de cimento), que posteriormente foram lavadas com detergente e água corrente. Foram utilizados os inseticidas cypermethrin (Cynoff 400 PM) 2,5 g p.c./L; deltamethrin (Deltagard WG 250) 1,0 g p.c./L; lambda-cyhalothrin (Icon 5 CE) 5,0 mL p.c./L e uma testemunha sem aplicação. Foram confinadas, por quinze minutos, cinco baratas adultas no primeiro experimento e dez no segundo. As avaliações de mortalidade foram realizadas 0, 1, 2, 4, 24, 48 e 72 horas após o confinamento. Assim, conclui-se que os inseticidas aplicados em 50%, 75% e 100% das áreas resultaram em alta mortalidade de B. germanica. Os inseticidas cypermethrin , deltamethrin e lambda-cyhalothrin foram eficientes no controle de B. germanica, antes da lavagem, na superfície lisa. A eficiência de controle dos inseticidas foi maior na superfície lisa que na superfície rugosa. Após a lavagem, a eficiência diminuiu em ambas as superfícies.