Abstract
Psychotria fractistipula L.B.Sm, R.M. Klein & Delprete (Rubiaceae) is found in the existing Atlantic Forest in the South of Brazil, in the Parana and Santa Catarina States. The members of Rubiaceae are characterized chemically by the presence of alkaloids, some pharmacological properties of which include antifungal, antibacterial, analgesic, antioxidant, antimutagenic, and antiviral activities. In this study, we report the results of anatomical, morphological, and histochemical analyses of the leaves and stems of the Rubiaceae family member, P. fractistipula. The anatomical analysis involved of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Morpho-anatomical and histochemical characterization were made using standard methodology. The isolated compounds were identified by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopic analysis. The following structures are highlighted as the distinctive features of the species: presence of petiolate leaves and a petiole base, leaf blade with smooth cuticle on both surfaces, paracytic stomata, and, dorsiventral mesophyll and presence of trichomes on the leaves and stems. Phytosteroids, identified as β-sitosterol and campesterol, were observed in the hexane fraction of the stem. Future studies should focus on the isolation of other fractions of interest and their characterization through specific biological and cytotoxicity assays.
Highlights
The family Rubiaceae is diverse and represented by small trees and shrubs
As there is an absence of morphoanatomical studies and a scarcity of phytochemical studies, the objective of the present work was to characterize the morphology and histochemical properties of Psychotria fractistipula, and the identification of hitherto unidentified steroids produced by this species
A structural analysis of the surface was conducted via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), with material fixed in FAA 70, dehydrated in an ascending ethanol series, and submitted to metallization in gold (Souza, 2007) by means of the Balzers CPD-010 equipment
Summary
The family Rubiaceae is diverse and represented by small trees and shrubs. It includes approximately 630 genera, and is found all over the world, except in Antarctica. The genus Psychotria is considered the largest genus of this botanical family. It is characterized by the presence of alkaloids, it should be stressed that the members of Rubiaceae have the following compounds: coumarins, triterpenes, steroids, saponins, iridoids, and anthraquinones (Souza and Lorenzi, 2005). In Brazil, approximately 252 species of Psychotria can be found spread across the national territory. P. fractistipula is native and endemic to Brazil and is only found in the States of Paraná and Santa Catarina (Taylor et al, 2015)
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