Name: ANDERSON MARIQUITO
Type: PhD thesis
Publication date: 20/03/2020
Advisor:

Name	Role
Viviana Borges Corte	Advisor *

Examining board:

Name	Role
Camilla Rozindo Dias Milanez	Internal Examiner *
Carine Coneglian de Farias Colman	External Examiner *
Elias Terra Werner	Internal Examiner *
Hildegardo Seibert França	Co advisor *
Janaína Brandão Seibert	External Examiner *
Valéria de Oliveira Fernandes	Internal Alternate *
Viviana Borges Corte	Advisor *

Summary: Euterpe edulis Martius (Palmeira Juçara) is a native Brazilian palm
(Arecaceae), about which there are very few reports regarding its biological
activity and chemical composition. The objective of this research was to perform
bioprospecting and evaluate the biological potential of the ethanolic extract of
leaves from E. edulis leaves and its fractions: hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl
acetate, butanol and aqueous, determining the chemical classes present in
these extracts. The germination index (GI), initial growth, enzymatic activity,
content of chloroplast pigments and starch in seeds and seedlings of Lactuca
sativa L. (lettuce) and Panicum maximum Jacq were evaluated at
concentrations of 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 mg/mL of these extracts and
their fractions. Interpolating through a regression analysis, we observed that the
hexane 0.75 mg mL and aqueous 1.0 mg/L fractions showed better results in
relation to the GI variables (51.2 and 69.5%), germination speed index (3.45
and 4.55), allelopathy index (39.90 and 18.55) and root growth (2.87 and 3.11
cm), respectively. There was a significant difference in enzymatic activity for all
treatments with the hexane fraction 0.75 mg/mL on lettuce and on colonization
grass and for most aqueous fractions 1.0 mg/mL, with the exception of catalase
on lettuce and peroxidase on colonial grass. Chloroplast pigments, as well as
starch, increased significantly, but it was not enough to protect grass that had
IG and initial growth negatively affected. The contents of phenolics, tannins and
total flavonoids were evaluated. For the ethanolic extract and its polar fractions,
the HPLC test was performed and for the non-polar fractions the GC-MS. The
results obtained for the contents of phenols and tannins were significant for the
crude extract and all its fractions, being thak acetate fraction having showed the
best results. The best results for the phenolic content were obteined for the
aqueous fraction. In the HPLC analysis, the analyzed patterns were not found.
The GC-MS of the hexane and dichloromethane fraction demonstrated the
presence of 3,7,11,15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol (Phytol) and vitamin E.
The antioxidant activity was significant for the crude extract and its fractions in
all concentrations for the ABTS, DPPH, FRAP and TAC-Phosphomolybdenum
assays, having a dose-dependent effect. In the maximum absorbance test, the
crude extract and its fractions could be used in a possible composition in

formulations of a sunscreen, since antioxidants were found in large quantities
and would act as a complement to sunscreens. The results allow concluding a
possible sustainable use of E. edulis leaves due to their allelopathic potential
their antioxidant activity and sun protection factors.
Keywords: Euterpe edulis • allelopathy • bioprospecting • antioxidants •
photoprotection