Abstracts
such that one regime is less conducive to efficient carbon utilization in lated to cave environments with absence of light and restricted energy
growth and biomass development, and thus carbon sequestration. These
metrics could prove useful as determinants of ecosystem condition, and
their utility in restoration ecology warrants further investigation.
Medicinal plants recommended by the World Health
Organization: DNA barcode identification associated with
chemical analyses guarantees their quality
Rafael Melo Palhares,1 Marcela Gonçalves Drummond,1
Bruno dos Santos,2 Gustavo Pereira Cosenza,3
Maria das Graças Lins Brandão,3 and Guilherme Oliveira4
1Myleus Biotechnology, Av. José Cândido da Silveira, n° 2100, sl. 11, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
2EMBRAPA Agroenergy, Parque Estação Biológica, Brasília, DF, 70770-901, Brazil.
3School of Pharmacy, UFMG Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, 6627, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG,
31270-901, Brazil.
Genome Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by 181.118.144.200 on 08/24/15
4Vale Institute of Technology, Rua Boventura da Silva 955, Belém, PA, Brazil.
Corresponding author: Guilherme Oliveira (e-mail: oliveirag@gmail.com).
Background: Medicinal plants are used throughout the world, and
the regulations defining their proper use, such as identification of the
correct species and verification of the presence, purity, and concen-
tration of the required chemical compounds, are widely recognized.
Medicinal plants are commercialized mostly as processed materials,
and these materials present a number of challenges for botanical
identification, leading to a high number of species substitutions in the
market. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the use
of incorrect species is a threat to consumer safety. Results: We ob-
tained 257 samples from popular markets commercialized as eight
medicinal species that are of common use in the world (Hamamelis
For personal use only.
virginiana, Matricaria recutita, Maytenus ilicifolia, Mikania glomerata,
Panax ginseng, Passiflora incarnata, Peumus boldus, and Valeriana officinalis). Using
DNA barcode identification, we found over 40% of samples contained
species substitutions. Most of these substitutions were with species
from another genus, or family, from the correct species. Some of the
samples were substituted with species with no previous knowledge of
medicinal use and, therefore, with no studies regarding their safety.
When applying the chemical analyses following procedures indicated
by official Pharmacopoeias and WHO monographs on medicinal
plants, we were able to detect additional problems. We found correct
species without the expected chemical compounds, or with those
compounds, but with lower concentrations than required. More trou-
blesome, we found species substitutions that contained the expected
chemical compounds. Significance: To our knowledge, this is the first
study that made a comparison between DNA barcode identification of
medicinal plants and the chemical analyses to assess the presence and
concentration of their required chemical compounds. This study
showed the complementarity of these tests, and has the potential to
improve the safety of this class of medicine. We urge governments to
recognize and demand the use of these methods from Pharmaceutical
industries.
Recent adaptive origin of the cave fish Ancistrus cryptophthalmus
Izabela Santos Mendes,1 Alex Schomaker Bastos,2
Francisco Prosdocimi,2 Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira,3
Paulo dos Santos Pompeu,4 and Daniel Cardoso de Carvalho1
1PontifíciaUniversidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Conservation Genetics Laboratory, Av. Dom José
Gaspar, 500 - Coração Eucarístico - Belo Horizonte - MG, 30535-901.
2Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Genomics and Biodiversity Laboratory, Instituto de
Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Av. Pedro Calmon, 550 - Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro -
RJ, 21941-901.
3Universidade Federal de Lavras, Subterranean Ecology Laboratory, Av. Doutor Sylvio Menicucci, 1001 -
Kennedy, Lavras - MG, 37200-000.
4Universidade Federal de Lavras, Fish Ecology Laboratory, Av. Doutor Sylvio Menicucci, 1001 - Kennedy,
Lavras - MG, 37200-000.
Corresponding author: Izabela Santos Mendes (e-mail:
izabelasantosmendes@hotmail.com).
Background: Cave fauna hosts a large diversity of species with evolu-
tionary adaptations to extreme conditions. Studies on these species
are important to understand evolutionary and adaptive processes re-
255
resources. Ancistrus cryptophthalmus (Reis, 1987) is a small-sized lorica-
riid fish, found inside cave rivers located in the São Domingos' karst
system of the central-west region of Brazil. The fish possess tro-
glomorphic characteristics such as eye reduction and depigmenta-
tion compared with an undescribed surface species (Ancistrus sp.).
A. cryptophthalmus and the surface species were considered distinct species
due to morphological characteristics, but when using DNA barcoding
analysis no genetic divergences were found. In order to further inves-
tigate the taxonomic status of A. cryptophthalmus, we obtained the
mitogenome of one individual from a cave population and one
individual from the surface population of Ancistrus sp. using next-
generation sequencing (Illumina). We have also investigated the ge-
netic structure of two cave populations from distinct cave rivers and
compared them to one surface population using 570 bp of the hyper-
variable mitochondrial control region (CR). Results: We recovered
eight CR haplotypes and non-significant genetic structuring between
cave and surface populations. Mitogenome sequencing showed a high
genetic similarity between both morpho-species. Significance: We
show the first molecular evidence that the cave species A. cryptophthalmus
represents a recent adaptive origin, derived from the surface-dwelling
morpho-species Ancistrus sp.
Cryptic diversity and geographic patterns revealed by building
the DNA barcode library of Colombian birds
Ángela María Mendoza, Socorro Sierra, Fernando Forero,
María Fernanda Torres, Claudia Medina,
and Mailyn Adriana Gonzalez
Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Calle 28A #15-09 Bogota,
Colombia.
Corresponding author: Ángela María Mendoza (e-mail: amendoza@humboldt.org.co).
Background: Colombia is the country with the largest number of
recognized bird species worldwide, most of them known to be geo-
graphically restricted to the Andean region. This study is the first
effort to build the DNA barcode library of bird species from Colombia.
We focus on species listed in the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) appendices, with
the aim of contributing to global efforts to control illegal species
trading. Results: To date, we have obtained sequences from 287 sam-
ples corresponding to 156 species, representing 48% of the CITES bird
species registered from Colombia. The species analyzed are included
in nine families, with Trochilidae and Psittacidae being the most rep-
resented. We obtained for the first time barcode records for 41 hum-
mingbird, four parrot, two owl, and one hawk species; most of these
species have distributions that are restricted to Colombia or to the
northern Andes. Based on our results, we are able to recognize 85% of
the species using the K2P distance criterion. In general, haplotypes
from single species formed barcode groups that were clearly distin-
guishable from related species. However, seven species showed low
genetic differences, and 16 species showed profound genetic differences.
Significance: This study is the first attempt to build the reference library
of Colombian birds, one of the most trafficked groups in the world.
Futhermore, the divergent specimens found are located in different
mountain systems, which might suggest potential cryptic species.
Progress and prospects in using DNA barcoding to advance
coevolutionary biology
Mark T. Merilo,1 Sarah J. Adamowicz,1 and R. Ayesha Ali2
1Biodiversity
Institute of Ontario & Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone
Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
2Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G
2W1, Canada.
Corresponding author: Mark T. Merilo (e-mail: mmerilo@uoguelph.ca).
Background: Symbiotic interactions between species are pervasive
across all types of ecosystems and range across parasitic, commensal,
and mutualistic relationships. Due to the prolific nature of these rela-
Published by NRC Research Press