Genetic diversity and structure of Aulonemia aristulata (Döll) McClure, a bamboo species with potential phytotherapic activity

• Grant number: 10/00138-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2010
• End date: June 30, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Maria Imaculada Zucchi
• Grantee: Maria Imaculada Zucchi
• Host Institution: Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil has the highest plant diversity in the world. Although there are around 60,000 higher plant species described, only 8% were surveyed for bioactivity compounds and 1,100 had their properties evaluated. Among plants with increasing interest is bamboo, which has a lot of utilities from construction to cosmetics and pharmacy. Studies in Asian species have already described antioxidant, anti-fatigue, antimicrobian, anti-hypertensive and antiinflammatory activities from bamboo extract. Brazil has the greatest diversity in bamboo species in the New World. A recent study with Aulonemia aristulata (Döll) MacClure detected the presence of acids and flavonoids with inhibitory effect on germination and growth of other plants. These flavonoids could also have antioxidant properties, which could help preventing diseases like cancer, heart diseases, inflammations, arthritis and brain disorder. Aulonemia aristulata is endemics to Brazil, occurring in Southeast and Middle-East regions, generally in Atlantic Rain forest, and is considered vulnerable to extinction according to the official list of endangered species in São Paulo. This project aims to describe the genetic variability of a native, endangered species with economic interest, in order to contribute to its conservation, preservation and management. To this end, we will use nuclear and chloroplast microsatellites. Besides, after the identification of phytochemicals in A. aristulata by another group, we will search for SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) in genes associated with their metabolic routes. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ABREU, ALUANA G.; GROMBONE-GUARATINI, MARIA TEREZA; VAL, TALITA MOREIRA; ZUCCHI, MARIA IMACULADA. Genetic Diversity and Age Class Structure of Seedlings and Saplings after a Mast Flowering of Bamboo in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCES, v. 175, n. 3, p. 319-327, MAR 1 2014. (10/00138-4, 09/06817-3)