Products of natural origin with potential chelating or reducing Fe+ free become promising in antioxidant research, because they have the ability to soften transition metals that can cause cellular damage by oxidative stress. Thus, the aim of this study is to promote the evaluation of the antioxidant potential of essential oil by the orthophenanthroline method, in addition to promoting phytochemical analysis of the essential oil of M. suaveolens. This vegetable, by other antioxidant methods, has promising properties in inhibiting free radicals. To achieve these objectives, a chromatographic analysis was performed, as well as the orthophenanthroline assays to evaluate the formation of the Fe2+ 1,10-orthophenanthroline complex. The β-Caryophyllene (20.38%) stands out as the major compound of the species. The essential oil interfered with the formation of the complex, suggesting a moderate chelating activity at the highest concentration tested (480 µg/mL), demonstrating that the oil can chelate Fe2+. The addition of ascorbic acid to the mixture significantly increased the absorbance for all tested concentrations, in the evaluation of the reducing power from Fe3+ to Fe2+. Considering a potential source of natural antioxidants, it may be relevant for the management of oxidative stress.

Cerrado is a biome that holds many phytophysiognomies, influenced by the edaphic factors, where the type of substrate is strongly related to the established vegetation. This study aims to verify on how soil physicochemical properties, as well as the presence of rocky outcrops, influence the species distribution of woody plants in a Cerrado fragment located in deep soils and tabular relief at Serra do Boqueirão (289 m elev.) Lavras da Mangabeira municipality (6º72′24″ S; 38º97′73″ W), Northeastern Brazil. Every individual with a DNS ≥ 3 cm in 12 sampling units with an area of 12 × 30 m (0.432 ha) was sampled. PAST v. 3.23 software was used in the Main Component analyses. The physical and chemical analyses of the soil were made with samples collected at 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm depths. Differences in diversity, hierarchy and dominance volume of woody plant populations were found between sites with or without the presence of rocky outcrops. The soil has a tendency for water erosion and the aluminum saturation reached values of concentration of 7.9 cmolc dm-3, with a pH value between 4.1-4.2 in rocky environments. The obtained results suggest that Q. parviflora and A. occidentale probably have some kind of resistance to the toxicity of aluminum in soil with a pH value below 5.0.

The family Vochysiaceae, representative for Brazilian Cerrado, does not stand out in Caatinga environments. Due to the lack of studies that address the behavior of species of this family in disjunct Cerrado environments, this study aimed to investigate structural, ecological and phenological aspects of Qualea parviflora and Callisthene fasciculata populations. The phytosociological and phenological surveys were carried out in a Cerrado enclave at Serra do Boqueirão, Lavras da Mangabeira municipality, Southern Ceará, Brazil. Twelve sampling units of 12.0 x 30 m (0.432 ha) were plotted randomly, including all living individuals with a ground level diameter ≥ 3 cm, also measuring total heights. For the evaluation of phenophases, the Fournier percentage was used, allowing the estimation of intensity of the phenophase in each individual through a semi-quantitative interval scale of five categories (0 to 4), 0 being equivalent to 0%; (1) 1 to 25%; (2) 26 to 50%; (3) 51 to 75% and (4) 76 to 100%. Each sample was composed of 103 and 78 individuals respectively in 66.6% and 91.6% of the plots, of Q. parviflora and C. fasciculata, respectively. The spatial distribution, measured by the Dispersion (ID) and Morisita (IM) indexes reached the values of 17.14 and 18.26 (ID) and 1.08 and 1.16 (IM), respectively, indicating that the species have an aggregate distribution. The phenophases generally correlated with all the climatic variables studied in the region such as rain and preciptation. All data and results presented here collaborate for future projects in the area.

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