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Eragrostis plana Nees leaves, abundant lignocellulosic biomass, was used as carbon source for preparation of activated carbon, by using microwave-assisted pyrolysis and chemical activation. The novel activated carbon (MWEPN) was characterised by FTIR, CHN elemental analysis, Boehm’s titration method, TGA, SEM, N 2 adsorption/desorption curves and pH of the point of zero charge (pH pzc ). Afterwards, the adsorbent was successfully employed for adsorption of the two emerging contaminants (caffeine and 2-nitrophenol). The results indicated that MWEPN had a predominantly mesoporous structure with a high surface area of 1250 m 2  g −1 . FTIR analysis indicated the presence of carbonyl, hydroxyl and carboxylic groups on the surface of MWEPN. The Boehm analysis showed the existence of the high amount of acid moieties on the surface of activated carbon. Adsorption kinetic indicated that the system followed the Avrami fractional order at the optimal pH of 7. The equilibrium time was attained at 30 min. The Liu isotherm model better described the isothermal data. Based on the Liu isotherm, the maximum sorption capacities ( Q max ) of caffeine and 2-nitrophenol adsorbed onto activated carbon at 25 °C were 235.5 and 255.8 mg g −1 , respectively.

Eragrostis plana Nees (EPN) was used as new and eco-friendly adsorbent for the removal of crystal violet dye (CV) from aqueous solution. Specific surface area (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR), point of zero charge (pH PZC ), and modified Boehm titration method were used to characterize the EPN material. The effects of initial pH of solution, adsorbent mass, contact time and initial dye concentration, and temperature were studied in batch adsorption mode. Kinetic data were evaluated by pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. The result exhibited that pseudo-second-order model well described the adsorption kinetics of CV onto EPN. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Sips isotherm models were used for analysis of the isothermal data. The equilibrium data of adsorption of CV onto EPN was better fitted with the Sips isotherm. Based on the Sips isotherm model, the maximum adsorption capacity was 76.20 ± 1.20 mg g −1 at 333 K. A high desorption of CV from EPN was obtained using 1.00 mol L −1 of CH 3 COOH as eluent. The thermodynamic data indicated that the adsorption was spontaneous, endothermic, and physical process. EPN can be used as alternative adsorbent to remove CV from aqueous solution.

Eragrostis plana is an invasive plant in horticulture that is extremely difficult to control. The use of chemical herbicides causes weed resistance and contamination of crops. Therefore, leaf extracts obtained from E. camaldulensis, C. barbatus, and L. leucocephala were evaluated in the control of this weed. The extracts were obtained from leaves by infusion, pressurized liquid extraction, and ultrasound-assisted extraction using water or ethanol as solvents, which are green methods. The phytochemicals from E. camaldulensis and C. barbatus reduced the germination and growth of the weed, reaching up to 97% inhibition of germination, 52% reduction in shoot length, and 46% reduction in root length for the germinated seeds.

1. Invasive species spread on natural ecosystems is one of the most important causes of biodiversity loss. To disentangle the invasive plant impact on communities it is essential to combine experimental and observation approaches, which enable the correct interpretations of results and lead to the right decisions for management. 2. We examined the invasion of southern Brazil's grasslands by Eragrostis plana, which is currently the most problematic invasive species in the region. By means of an experiment on invaded communities complemented by observation of non-invaded communities, we assessed E. plana impact on vegetation, evaluated community response to its removal and discussed the effectiveness of removal methods. Fifty permanent 1 × 1 m plots were located on natural grassland that was partially invaded by E. plana. Removal was done annually from 2012 to 2015 and consisted of five treatments (n = 10): (i) clipping above-ground biomass on one occasion; (ii) clipping above-ground biomass periodically; (iii) herbicide and (iv) hand-pulling, plus (v) control treatment with no-removal. In addition, 10 plots located in an adjacent noninvaded area were monitored. 3. All removal treatments reduced E. plana cover across years, but were not enough to eradicate it. Our results revealed not only differences between invaded and non-invaded communities, but also an effect of E. plana removal on resident species richness and total cover. 4. At the local scale, we demonstrated the impact of E. plana invasion on grassland vegetation, suggesting a reduction in resident species richness and total cover. Invasive species removal changed communities differently from invaded ones, but not resembling non-invaded references, suggesting that community recovery may need more time for reestablishment or that some restoration strategies are required. 5. Synthesis and applications. This study demonstrated the impact on vegetation of the most important invasive species in southern Brazil's natural grasslands. We highlighted the advantages of combining observations of non-invaded communities and experimental studies on invaded communities, with and without invasive removal, to help infer causal relationships in ecological invasion research.

   Eragrostis plana Nees is an invasive species in Brazilian territory, known for its high levels of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, making it a valuable raw material for activated carbon (AC) production. In this study, AC derived from Eragrostis plana Nees leaves was investigated as an adsorbent for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Kinetics, equilibrium, and thermodynamic assays were conducted to assess AgNPs adsorption onto AC. The AC exhibited a substantial surface area of 1030 m 2  g −1 and demonstrated significant adsorption capacity for AgNPs. Both the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models were found to best describe the kinetics and equilibrium of adsorption, with the highest adsorption capacity observed at 55 °C, reaching 140.19 mg g −1 according to the Langmuir model. Thermodynamic analysis revealed an enthalpy change (∆H°) of 60.75 kJ mol −1 and an entropy change (∆S°) of 0.2711 kJ mol −1  K −1 , indicating that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. Additionally, the AgNPs/AC composite exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the 4-nitrophenol reduction, achieving a conversion rate of 97% within 10 min.

Natural compounds that have the potential to act as antimicrobials and antitumors are a constant search in the field of pharmacotherapy. Eragrostis plana NEES (Poaceae) is a grass with high allelopathic potential. Allelopathy is associated with compounds generated in the primary and secondary metabolism of the plant, which act to protect it from phytopathogens. Tabernaemontana catharinensis A DC (Apocynaceae), a tree in which its leaves and bark are used for the preparation of extracts and infusions that have anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects, is attributed to its phytochemical constitution. The objective of this study was to elucidate the phytochemical constitution, the antibacterial potential, the toxicity against immune system cells, hemolytic potential, and antitumor effect of methanolic extracts of E. plana and T. catharinensis. The phytochemical investigation was carried out using the UHPLC-QTOF MS equipment. The antibacterial activity was tested using the broth microdilution plate assay, against Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains, and cytotoxicity assays were performed on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and in vitro hemolysis. Antitumor activity was performed against the colon cancer cell line (CT26). Results were expressed as mean and standard deviation and analyzed by ANOVA. p<0.05 was considered significant. More than 19 possible phytochemical constituents were identified for each plant, with emphasis on phenolic compounds (acids: vanillic, caffeic, and quinic) and alkaloids (alstovenine, rhyncophylline, amezepine, voacangine, and coronaridine). Both extracts showed antibacterial activity at concentrations below 500 µg/mL and were able to decrease the viability of CT26 at concentrations below 2000 µg/mL, without showing cytotoxic effect on PBMCs and in vitro hemolysis at the highest concentration tested. This is the first report of the activity of E. plana and T. catharinensis extracts against colon cancer cell line (CT26). Studies should be carried out to verify possible molecular targets involved in the antitumor effect in vivo.

Biodiversity has suffered from various threats associated with human land use. One significant threat is the spread of exotic plant species. A current paradigm is to develop effective management strategies to eradicate exotic plants with minimal impact on ecosystems. Commonly used strategies, such as manual removal or chemical treatments, often pose risks to biodiversity. Alternatively, some studies have highlighted the allelopathic effects of some plant species in controlling exotic or weed species. We investigated the potential allelopathic effects of two plant species (Baccharis crispa and Melaleuca alternifolia) on the seed germination and seedling performance of Eragrostis plana. We used bioinputs derived from essential oils of these two plant species in different concentrations. Our results indicated a significant difference in germination rates over the experimental period, with decreased rates observed in E. plana seeds exposed to both plant bioinputs compared with the control treatment. Additionally, the overall germination percentage and seedling performance were lower in seeds exposed to both bioinputs. Allelopathic properties of the bioinputs were evident in their ability to inhibit the growth of invasive E. plana. Moreover, the bioinputs could be used as an alternative method for exotic plant control, mitigating negative effects on plant communities commonly associated with usual techniques.

Question: How do climate and landscape structure affect plant invasion process in south Brazilian natural grasslands? Location: Natural grasslands across Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil. Methods: We selected 20 plots (2 km × 2 km each), situated in ten different grassland types in southern Brazil. In each grassland type, one plot was located in a region with remnant grassland cover <30% (not conserved landscapes) and another in a region with remnant grassland cover >60% (conserved landscapes), in a paired design. In each plot, we surveyed the presence and cover of the four most important invasive species of grasslands in Rio Grande do Sul (Cynodon dactylon, Eragrostis plana, Senecio madagascariensis and Ulex europaeus). We used 12 variables related to climate and landscape structure (i.e. composition and configuration) for testing causal models of plant invasion using Akaike's information criterion for path analyses. Results: Empirical evidence on how climatic conditions and landscape structure can cause plant invasion in subtropical grasslands was provided through six causal models validated with path analysis. The models indicated that increased water deficit, higher density of roads and losses in natural grassland cover caused an increment of invasive plant cover. Further, invasion differed between plots located in conserved vs not conserved landscapes, resulting in not conserved grasslands having a higher level of invasion. E. plana, a perennial grass from South Africa, was the most important invasive species in the grasslands, in terms of frequency and cover. Conclusions: Our results identified the general conditions that promote successful population growth of invasive plants in subtropical grasslands: water deficit, road density and land use, highlighting the effects of climate, landscape structure and human activity in the level of invasion across grassland types.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the entomotoxic activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of Eragrostis plana Nees in an experimental model of cockroaches (Nauphoeta cinerea Olivier), for a possible bioinsecticide. For this purpose, aerial parts of E. plana were grounded to obtain the hydroalcoholic extract (EACA), after preparing the concentrations of (0.5; 2.5; 5.0; 12.5; 25.0; 50.0 100.0 μg g-1 per animal) a saline solution was used to control the treatment. To determine the receptors and pathways involved in responses to EACA doses of E. plana, a treatment with the drug octopamine and its inhibitor phentolamine were prepared. The effect of EACA on behavioral activities (grooming) and on cardiac activity were tested. All data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation, being analyzed by the two-way ANOVA test, followed by the Tukey test, considered significant when p<0.05. After carrying out the experiment, it was found that EACA induced a significant effect on leg grooming at all concentrations, except for the concentration of 100 μg g-1 per animal, but the same did not modulate antenna grooming. Regarding the receptors and pathways involved, it was observed that octopamine alone and together with the extract, had a significant effect on leg grooming, while phentolamine, together with the extract, influenced antennae grooming. Regarding the effect of the extract on the semi-isolated heart, it was noticed that the same doses that affected grooming, affected heart rate by decreasing it. At no concentration, at the end of the treatment, there was no recovery of the heart rate. The results point to a direct modulation of octopaminergic and cholinergic pathways in the insect nervous system.

The current study evaluated the efficiency of mechanical, physical, chemical and cultural methods, used exclusively or integrated, to control tough lovegrass. The experimental design was completely randomized, with 15 treatments and four repetitions. Physical control of tough lovegrass was based on the application of fire, whereas mechanical controls consisted in mowing and harrowing/plowing procedures. The herbicide clethodim and different glyphosate salts were evaluated for chemical control. Glyphosate and soil fertility correction were applied as cultural and integrated methods, in addition to isopropylamine + potassium salts combination, soil fertility correction and implantation of one of the following forage plants: Elephant grass, Pangola grass, Forage peanut and Birdsfoot trefoil. The effect of treatments on the incidence of tough lovegrass and on its botanical composition was evaluated one year after their applications. Isolated control methods, except for glyphosate using, did not present efficient tough lovegrass control. Glyphosate salts could control tough lovegrass plants, but their association with improved soil fertility and Pangola grass implantation was the best strategy to control the invasive plant. RESUMO: O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a eficiência de métodos mecânicos, físico, químicos e culturais de forma isolada ou integrada, no controle de capim-annoni. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, com 15 tratamentos e quatro repetições. O controle físico do capim-annoni foi baseado na aplicação de fogo enquanto os controles mecânicos consistiram em roçada e gradagem/aração. Para o controle químico, foram testados os herbicidas clethodim e diferentes sais de glifosato. Para os métodos culturais e integrados, foi realizada aplicação de glifosato isopropilamina + potássio e correção da fertilidade do solo, além dos tratamentos com combinação de isopropilamina + potássio, correção de fertilidade do solo e implantação das seguintes espécies forrageiras: Capim-elefante, Capim Pangola, Amendoim forrageiro e Cornichão. Avaliou-se o efeito dos tratamentos sobre a ocorrência de capim-annoni e sobre a composição botânica, um ano após suas aplicações. Métodos de controle isolados, com exceção do uso de glifosato, não apresentam controle eficiente de plantas de capim-annoni. Os sais de glifosato controlam plantas de capim-annoni, mas sua associação com a melhoria da fertilidade do solo e implantação de Capim Pangola é a melhor estratégia para controle da planta invasora.