Observations of cells of axenic peach palm (Bactris gasipaes) microplants by light microscopy revealed movements of small particles within the cells. The phenomenon was characterized initially as Brownian movement, but electron microscopy revealed the presence of an intracellular bacterial community in these plants. Microscopy observations revealed the particular shapes of bacterial cells colonizing inner tissues of analyzed plants. Applying a molecular characterization by polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, it was revealed the existence of bacterial rRNA within the plants. Sequencing of the rRNA identified three different phylogenetic groups; two bands had a high degree of similarity to sequences from Moraxella sp. and Brevibacillus sp., and a third sequence was similar to a non-cultivated cyanobacterium. The presence of those endosymbionts, called bacteriosomes, in axenic peach palm microplants raises the question of whether these stable endosymbionts were acquired in the process of evolution and how could they benefit the process of plants micropropagation.

Resumo -A perda de plantas micropropagadas ocorre, principalmente, pela presença de microrganismos, responsáveis pela morte das plantas no início da cultura ou em seu estabelecimento no campo. O trabalho teve como objetivo a identificação, por taxonomia clássica, e por meio de técnicas moleculares, de fungos presentes nos ápices caulinares de pupunheiras sadias, cultivadas no campo, e a comparação com os fungos isolados, em plantas micropropagadas há dois anos. Os isolados da microbiota fúngica endofítica, das plantas cultivadas in vitro, foram: Fusarium oxysporum, Neotyphodium sp. e Epicoccum nigrum; e das plantas in vivo, foram: Fusarium sp., F. proliferatum, F. oxysporum, Colletotrichum sp., Alternaria gaisen, Neotyphodium sp. e Epicoccum nigrum. As sete espécies de fungos foram reintroduzidas in vitro na planta hospedeira, demonstrando diferentes comportamentos. Neotyphodium sp. e E. nigrum estabeleceram uma interação endofítica com a planta, e as demais comportaram-se como patógenos, diminuindo o desenvolvimento das plântulas em relação às plantas sem inoculação. As espécies endofíticas apresentam potencial para o uso no controle biológico de patógenos de pupunha.Termos para indexação: Bactris gasipaes, patógenos latentes, fungos, controle biológico. Endophytic fungi in shoot tip of the pejibaye cultivated in vivo and in vitroAbstract -Losses of micropropagated plants occur in its majority due to presence of microorganisms responsible for plant death both in culture beginning and plant establishment in field. Two years in vitro cultivated pejibaye shoot tips, showed the presence of fungi colonies after transference for new culture medium. This paper aimed at identifying fungi, by classical taxonomy and by molecular methods, present in shoot tip of healthy pejibaye plants, cultivated in the field, and to compare them with isolated ones of in vitro plants. The isolates of endophytic fungi community of the in vitro plants were Fusarium oxysporum, Neotyphodium sp. and Epicoccum nigrum; from the in vivo plants were Fusarium sp., F. proliferatum, F. oxysporum, Colletotrichum sp., Alternaria gaisen, Neotyphodium sp. and E. nigrum. The seven species of fungi were reinoculated in host plant, revealing different behaviour. Neotyphodium sp. and E. nigrum established an endophytic interaction with the host; the other fungi acted as pathogens causing decrease in seedlings development when compared to the non-inoculated plants. Species acting as endophytes present a potential use in biocontrol of pejibaye pathogens.

AELCe showed a moderate bacteriostatic activity and promoted an immunomodulatory status through higher production of Th1 cytokines, nitric oxide release and T CD8 lymphocytes stimulation.

Spondias tuberosa Arruda, popularly named as umbu, is native from savanna-like vegetation and widely used for medicinal purposes, however, the toxicological profile is not available yet. This study evaluated the phytochemical profile and acute toxicity and citoxicity of Ethanolic Extract of Spondias tuberosa Arruda Bark (EEStb) in hematological, biochemical and histopathological parameters. Female Wistar rats were divided into: control (C) and animal treated single doses of 300mg/Kg (EEStb 300 ) or 2.000mg/kg body weight (ESStb 2.000 ) of the EEStb. After 24 hours and 14 days from gavage, the behavior, hematological, biochemical and histopathological parameters were assayed. Cytotoxicity effect was evaluated on HEp-2 cell lines. Neither EEStb 300 nor EEStb 2.000 produced mortality nor changes in body weight during the 14-days of observation, but EEStb 2.000 reduced quietly the food and water intake as well as locomotor activity at first day. There were no changes in macroscopic, histopathological, biochemical and hematological parameters. EEStb in concentrations of 6.25-50μg ml −1 on HEp-2 cell did not produce cytotoxic effect. These results suggest that EEStb did not cause acute toxicity and cytotoxic, suggesting a good safety rate for Spondias tuberosa Arruda.

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