I am a marine biologist interested in the systematics and ecophysiology of seaweeds. My research focuses on seaweed diversity along the North coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Address: Brazil
We examined the reproductive strategy of two Amazonian quillworts (Isoëtes cangae and Isoëtes ser... more We examined the reproductive strategy of two Amazonian quillworts (Isoëtes cangae and Isoëtes serracarajensis), endemic and threatened species of canga ecosystems. Sexual propagation was examined by in vitro fertilization assays, while asexual propagation was examined by tiller emission. Isoëtes cangae is an outcrossing species that reproduces exclusively by spore germination and is able to propagate by self- and cross-fertilization. Isoëtes serracarajensis reproduces asexually by emitting tillers from the plant corm, despite producing male and female sporangia. These distinct reproductive strategies in the different species may be linked to their contrasting habitats. Isoëtes cangae inhabit a permanent oligotrophic lake with mild environmental changes, while I. serracarajensis are found in temporary ponds facing severe seasonal drought, where asexual propagation may represent an adaptive advantage to the short growth period during access to water. We also observed different relatio...
Abstract South America is the center of diversity of the genus Isoetes and several new species ha... more Abstract South America is the center of diversity of the genus Isoetes and several new species have been described in the last decade, especially in Brazil. Isoetes cangae J.B.S. Pereira, Salino & Stutzel was first recognized in 2016 as an endemic species of a single lake in Serra dos Carajas, Brazil, in the southeastern Amazon region. The climate of Amazon is warm with a seasonal precipitation regime, which affects aquatic ecosystem properties and regulates plant phenology. Understanding how climatic and hydrological drivers affect I. cangae is fundamental for its conservation because the species is quite vulnerable due to its restricted distribution. In this study, we evaluated the effects of seasonal climatic variations and water level on the phenology of I. cangae over two years. The maximum leaf length, the number of sporophylls (fertile leaves), and the total number of leaves were assessed. Sporophylls were classified into mature and immature, megasporophylls and microsporophylls. The number of leaves, leaf length, and the number of sporophylls changed drastically among the hydrological seasons, but not the ratio between sporophylls and leaves, suggesting that reproductive effort is distributed accordingly over the years. All these factors also varied between years, indicating that inter-annual climatic variations affect the morphology and reproduction of I. cangae. Sporophylls are produced throughout the year, but their maturation and release increase in the rainy and early dry seasons, respectively. Megasporophylls predominate over microsporophylls throughout the year, and the peak of sporophyll maturation occurs during the rainy season, but lasts longer (till early dry season) for megasporophylls. The reproductive traits were associated with lake water level, suggesting that development is stimulated during the driest and hottest periods. Therefore, our results show that environmental factors play an important role in I. cangae phenology and must be considered in the management and conservation efforts to preserve this ancient Amazonian plant.
An updated synthesis of cyanobacteria and algae information is presented for Brazil aiming to ref... more An updated synthesis of cyanobacteria and algae information is presented for Brazil aiming to refine the data gathered to date and evaluate the progress of the biodiversity knowledge about these organisms in the country since the publication of the Catálogo de Plantas e Fungos do Brasil. The results of 2015 showed an increase of 1,250 species (35.7%) when compared to 2010, reaching a total of 4,747 species. The most diverse classes in species number were the Bacillariophyceae, Conjugatophyceae, Florideophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Dinophyceae and Euglenophyceae. Bacillariophyceae and Cyanophyceae had the highest increase in species number in the five-year interval. The Southeast and South regions were the most diverse, however, the Northeast, with the states of Piauí and Sergipe, and the Central-west region, with Mato Grosso, Goiás and Distrito Federal, also stood out in the national algal biodiversity scenario. Despite the shortage of taxonomists and limited infrastructure, the results s...
A survey of Boodleaceae from the coast of Bahia State, Brazil, is presented as a contribution to ... more A survey of Boodleaceae from the coast of Bahia State, Brazil, is presented as a contribution to the knowledge of the chlorophytes. Three genera and four species were recognized: Boodlea composita, Cladophoropsis membranacea, Phyllodictyon anastomosans and P. pulcherrimum. An identification key, descriptions, illustrations and comments on taxa as well as distribution maps for the species in Bahia State are presented.
A survey of Siphonocladaceae from Bahia State, Brazil, is presented as a contribution to the know... more A survey of Siphonocladaceae from Bahia State, Brazil, is presented as a contribution to the knowledge of the chlorophytes from its littoral. Four genera and five species are recognized: Chamaedoris peniculum, Dictyosphaeria cavernosa, D. versluysii, Ernodesmis verticillata and Siphonocladus tropicus. A key for species identification, descriptions, illustrations, comments and maps of distribution in the State are presented.
Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, 2010
We evaluated the antiviral activity of the marine alga, Ulva fasciata, collected from Rasa beach ... more We evaluated the antiviral activity of the marine alga, Ulva fasciata, collected from Rasa beach and Forno beach, Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the replication of human metapneumovirus (HMPV). The algae extracts were prepared using three different methodologies to compare the activity of different groups of chemical composites obtained through these different methodologies. Four out of the six extracts inhibited nearly 100% of viral replication. The results demonstrated that the majority of the extracts (five out of six) possess virucidal activity and therefore have the ability to interact with the extracellular viral particles and prevent the infection. On the other hand, only two extracts (from Forno beach, obtained by maceration and maceration of the decoction) were able to interact with cell receptors, hindering the viral entry. Finally, only the extract of algae collected at Forno beach, obtained by maceration presented intracellular activity. To our knowledge, this is a pi...
Abstract. Isoëtes cangae and Isoëtes serracarajensis (Isoetaceae) are species endemic to Carajás ... more Abstract. Isoëtes cangae and Isoëtes serracarajensis (Isoetaceae) are species endemic to Carajás (Pará State, Brazil) that grow on iron-rich substrates of the Amazon basin under a seasonal rainfall regime. In addition to a few distinctive morphological traits, the species differ in terms of habitat and geographical distribution. The influence of the seasonality and habitat characteristics on quillwort morphology is poorly understood. To assess this influence, specimens from one population of I. cangae, and four populations of I. serracarajensis, were sampled in dry and rainy seasons to investigate variation among vegetative and reproductive characters. The megasporangium color, megaspore ornamentation, alae length, velum length and coverage (%), morphometry of sporangial wall cells, and polar/equatorial diameter ratio of megaspores provide consistent characters for species delimitation. The presence of stomata in I. serracarajensis is a new discovery and is related to its amphibious habit. Some characters that have been used in Isoëtes species descriptions, such as the number of leaves, leaf length, sporangium size, number of megaspores, and megaspore diameter were found to be variable. The current findings provide further information on the biology of the species and show the influence of seasonality and habitat characteristics on the morphological diversity of these lycophytes.
Background: Red algae of the genus Laurencia J. V. Lamouroux are a rich source of secondary metab... more Background: Red algae of the genus Laurencia J. V. Lamouroux are a rich source of secondary metabolites with important pharmacological activities such as anti-tumoral, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-leishmanial, anti-helminthic, anti-malarial, anti-trypanosomal, anti-microbial as well as anti-bacterial against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Objective: In the present study, we evaluated the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-α production and the anti-mycobacterial activity of crude extracts from the red Alga Laurencia dendroidea (from the SouthEastern coast of Brazil). Halogenated sesquiterpenes elatol (1), obtusol (2) and cartilagineol (3), previously isolated from this Alga by our group, were also studied. Materials and Methods: The lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) were used as inflammation model. Cytotoxic effect was determined using a commercial lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) kit and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diph...
We examined the reproductive strategy of two Amazonian quillworts (Isoëtes cangae and Isoëtes ser... more We examined the reproductive strategy of two Amazonian quillworts (Isoëtes cangae and Isoëtes serracarajensis), endemic and threatened species of canga ecosystems. Sexual propagation was examined by in vitro fertilization assays, while asexual propagation was examined by tiller emission. Isoëtes cangae is an outcrossing species that reproduces exclusively by spore germination and is able to propagate by self- and cross-fertilization. Isoëtes serracarajensis reproduces asexually by emitting tillers from the plant corm, despite producing male and female sporangia. These distinct reproductive strategies in the different species may be linked to their contrasting habitats. Isoëtes cangae inhabit a permanent oligotrophic lake with mild environmental changes, while I. serracarajensis are found in temporary ponds facing severe seasonal drought, where asexual propagation may represent an adaptive advantage to the short growth period during access to water. We also observed different relatio...
Abstract South America is the center of diversity of the genus Isoetes and several new species ha... more Abstract South America is the center of diversity of the genus Isoetes and several new species have been described in the last decade, especially in Brazil. Isoetes cangae J.B.S. Pereira, Salino & Stutzel was first recognized in 2016 as an endemic species of a single lake in Serra dos Carajas, Brazil, in the southeastern Amazon region. The climate of Amazon is warm with a seasonal precipitation regime, which affects aquatic ecosystem properties and regulates plant phenology. Understanding how climatic and hydrological drivers affect I. cangae is fundamental for its conservation because the species is quite vulnerable due to its restricted distribution. In this study, we evaluated the effects of seasonal climatic variations and water level on the phenology of I. cangae over two years. The maximum leaf length, the number of sporophylls (fertile leaves), and the total number of leaves were assessed. Sporophylls were classified into mature and immature, megasporophylls and microsporophylls. The number of leaves, leaf length, and the number of sporophylls changed drastically among the hydrological seasons, but not the ratio between sporophylls and leaves, suggesting that reproductive effort is distributed accordingly over the years. All these factors also varied between years, indicating that inter-annual climatic variations affect the morphology and reproduction of I. cangae. Sporophylls are produced throughout the year, but their maturation and release increase in the rainy and early dry seasons, respectively. Megasporophylls predominate over microsporophylls throughout the year, and the peak of sporophyll maturation occurs during the rainy season, but lasts longer (till early dry season) for megasporophylls. The reproductive traits were associated with lake water level, suggesting that development is stimulated during the driest and hottest periods. Therefore, our results show that environmental factors play an important role in I. cangae phenology and must be considered in the management and conservation efforts to preserve this ancient Amazonian plant.
An updated synthesis of cyanobacteria and algae information is presented for Brazil aiming to ref... more An updated synthesis of cyanobacteria and algae information is presented for Brazil aiming to refine the data gathered to date and evaluate the progress of the biodiversity knowledge about these organisms in the country since the publication of the Catálogo de Plantas e Fungos do Brasil. The results of 2015 showed an increase of 1,250 species (35.7%) when compared to 2010, reaching a total of 4,747 species. The most diverse classes in species number were the Bacillariophyceae, Conjugatophyceae, Florideophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Dinophyceae and Euglenophyceae. Bacillariophyceae and Cyanophyceae had the highest increase in species number in the five-year interval. The Southeast and South regions were the most diverse, however, the Northeast, with the states of Piauí and Sergipe, and the Central-west region, with Mato Grosso, Goiás and Distrito Federal, also stood out in the national algal biodiversity scenario. Despite the shortage of taxonomists and limited infrastructure, the results s...
A survey of Boodleaceae from the coast of Bahia State, Brazil, is presented as a contribution to ... more A survey of Boodleaceae from the coast of Bahia State, Brazil, is presented as a contribution to the knowledge of the chlorophytes. Three genera and four species were recognized: Boodlea composita, Cladophoropsis membranacea, Phyllodictyon anastomosans and P. pulcherrimum. An identification key, descriptions, illustrations and comments on taxa as well as distribution maps for the species in Bahia State are presented.
A survey of Siphonocladaceae from Bahia State, Brazil, is presented as a contribution to the know... more A survey of Siphonocladaceae from Bahia State, Brazil, is presented as a contribution to the knowledge of the chlorophytes from its littoral. Four genera and five species are recognized: Chamaedoris peniculum, Dictyosphaeria cavernosa, D. versluysii, Ernodesmis verticillata and Siphonocladus tropicus. A key for species identification, descriptions, illustrations, comments and maps of distribution in the State are presented.
Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, 2010
We evaluated the antiviral activity of the marine alga, Ulva fasciata, collected from Rasa beach ... more We evaluated the antiviral activity of the marine alga, Ulva fasciata, collected from Rasa beach and Forno beach, Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on the replication of human metapneumovirus (HMPV). The algae extracts were prepared using three different methodologies to compare the activity of different groups of chemical composites obtained through these different methodologies. Four out of the six extracts inhibited nearly 100% of viral replication. The results demonstrated that the majority of the extracts (five out of six) possess virucidal activity and therefore have the ability to interact with the extracellular viral particles and prevent the infection. On the other hand, only two extracts (from Forno beach, obtained by maceration and maceration of the decoction) were able to interact with cell receptors, hindering the viral entry. Finally, only the extract of algae collected at Forno beach, obtained by maceration presented intracellular activity. To our knowledge, this is a pi...
Abstract. Isoëtes cangae and Isoëtes serracarajensis (Isoetaceae) are species endemic to Carajás ... more Abstract. Isoëtes cangae and Isoëtes serracarajensis (Isoetaceae) are species endemic to Carajás (Pará State, Brazil) that grow on iron-rich substrates of the Amazon basin under a seasonal rainfall regime. In addition to a few distinctive morphological traits, the species differ in terms of habitat and geographical distribution. The influence of the seasonality and habitat characteristics on quillwort morphology is poorly understood. To assess this influence, specimens from one population of I. cangae, and four populations of I. serracarajensis, were sampled in dry and rainy seasons to investigate variation among vegetative and reproductive characters. The megasporangium color, megaspore ornamentation, alae length, velum length and coverage (%), morphometry of sporangial wall cells, and polar/equatorial diameter ratio of megaspores provide consistent characters for species delimitation. The presence of stomata in I. serracarajensis is a new discovery and is related to its amphibious habit. Some characters that have been used in Isoëtes species descriptions, such as the number of leaves, leaf length, sporangium size, number of megaspores, and megaspore diameter were found to be variable. The current findings provide further information on the biology of the species and show the influence of seasonality and habitat characteristics on the morphological diversity of these lycophytes.
Background: Red algae of the genus Laurencia J. V. Lamouroux are a rich source of secondary metab... more Background: Red algae of the genus Laurencia J. V. Lamouroux are a rich source of secondary metabolites with important pharmacological activities such as anti-tumoral, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-leishmanial, anti-helminthic, anti-malarial, anti-trypanosomal, anti-microbial as well as anti-bacterial against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Objective: In the present study, we evaluated the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-α production and the anti-mycobacterial activity of crude extracts from the red Alga Laurencia dendroidea (from the SouthEastern coast of Brazil). Halogenated sesquiterpenes elatol (1), obtusol (2) and cartilagineol (3), previously isolated from this Alga by our group, were also studied. Materials and Methods: The lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) were used as inflammation model. Cytotoxic effect was determined using a commercial lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) kit and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diph...
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