Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T18:57:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5432.pdf: 4366223 bytes, checksum: cefd8da6f38998dd2acc2b32f85b8151 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-27 / A study on the population behavior of insects of the order Coleoptera was performed, more precisely with the families Curculionidae (Scolytinae) and Bostrichidae, in a plantation of Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) Morton, a Malpighiaceae vine known as mariri. The liana, native from the Amazon region, is the component of the beverage Ayahuasca used by the indigenous tribes in the Amazon, and more recently by religious movements in Brazil and abroad. This plant is rich in β-carboline alkaloids, secondary compounds of interest in human medicine. The study was conducted in a plantation belonging to the Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal (UDV), in Campinas city, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The area consists of four sectors, two of which are in a more urbanized area, reforested with fruit trees. The other two sectors are in an area composed of forest fragments in different stages of succession. For this study, 32 flight intercept traps were used, eight in each sector, baited with ethanol, with weekly inspections during the period from February 12, 2010, to February 18, 2011. A total of 55 samples were collected, by means of which we determined the seasonal fluctuation of these beetles and attack patterns in the lianas. A total of 68 species were identified, where Scolytinae were the dominant group, with 90.2% of the species, followed by Bostrichidae with 9.4%, and Platypodinae, with 0.4%. No beetle was found alive inside the lianas during the study. The reforestated sectors, especially in the border region, were the most attacked by beetles. The attacks were concentrated in the lower part of the stems, and in lianas with larger diameter. The variety of liana named tucunacá was more attacked than the second variety, caupuri. A national survey in plantations of mariri was also performed, where beetles of the family Cerambicidae were also found. / O estudo foi realizado com populações de insetos da ordem Coleoptera, mais precisamente das famílias Curculionidae (Scolytinae) e Bostrichidae em um plantio de Banisteriopsis caapi (Spruce ex Griseb.) Morton, cipó pertencente à família Malpighiaceae, conhecido por mariri. O cipó, nativo da região amazônica, é um componente da bebida Ayahuasca, usada por tribos indígenas na Amazônia, e mais recentemente por movimentos religiosos no Brasil e exterior. Esta planta é rica em alcalóides β-carbolina, compostos secundários de interesse na medicina humana. O estudo foi desenvolvido em um cultivo do cipó pertencente ao Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal (UDV), localizado em Campinas/SP. A área é composta por quatro setores, dos quais dois ficam em uma zona mais urbanizada, reflorestada com frutíferas. Os outros dois setores ficam em uma área composta por fragmentos florestais em distintos estágios de regeneração. Para isso foram usadas 32 armadilhas de intercepção de vôo, oito em cada setor, modelo ESALQ-84, iscadas com etanol, com inspeções semanais durante o período de 12 de fevereiro de 2010 a 18 de fevereiro de 2011, totalizando 55 coletas, onde se determinou a flutuação sazonal desses besouros e padrões de ataque nos cipós. Obteve-se um total de 68 espécies, sendo Scolytinae a subfamília mais representativa, com 90,2% das espécies coletadas, seguida da família Bostrichidae com 9,4 % e Platypodinae com 0,4%. Nenhum besouro vivo foi encontrado dentro dos cipós durante a pesquisa. O setor de reflorestamento, especialmente na região de borda, foi o mais atacado pelos besouros. Os ataques se concentraram na parte mais baixa dos caules, e em cipós com maior diâmetro de haste. Dentre as duas variedades cultivadas, o cipó tucunacá foi mais atacado que o caupuri. Também foi feita uma pesquisa nacional em plantios de cipó mariri em outras regiões, onde foram encontrados besouros da família Cerambycidae.

Harmine is a beta-carboline present in medical plants such as Peganum harmala that have been used traditionally as anticancer therapy. In this study, the aim was to examine if it really does have an effect on cancer and if so, mechanism of action. To do so several earlier studies on the subject have been examined. The result is promising but there is still a lot to study on the subject. Harmine really does inhibit tumour growth. It has been tested on both cellcultures and mice and has proven to decrease tumourgrowth significantly with little effect on normal cells. There have also been studies were harmine has been modified to be more efficient and less harmful. One way to make Harmine more effective is to put a 2-amino-2deoxy-D-glucose on the molecule. Since the cancer cell uses a lot of energy for its growth a big proportion of the medicine will end up here. Another way is to attach a methionin-group to it. This is also taken up exccessively by the cancer cells. Substitution in different areas may reduce it’s toxicity; Substitution with a formiat at R3 for example decreased its toxicity so that no side effects were seen in the mice in the study whereas harmine in large doses gave neurotoxic symptoms. Harmines antitumour activity seems to be due to several mechanisms of action. For example a higher level of p53 has been observed efter treatment with harmine. P53 has been called ”the guardian of the genome” because of its role in preventing genome mutation. In some studies a decrease in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has also been seen. This is an important factor for the growth of new vessels toward the tumour-site. A reduction in COX-2 has also been seen. Inhibition of COX-2, for example by NSAID, is associated with lower risk for coloncancer. A fourth possible mechanism of action could be a decrease or inhibtion of CDKs/Cyklins wich are necessary for the cellcycle-progression. Although a promising substance, there is still a lot to study. It would be interesting to se comparations to established drugs on the market and also what the long term side effects of Harmine could be. The studies so far have only been done under a short period of time, i.e., weeks or months.