Abstract
Himatanthus tarapotensis (Apocynaceae) known in Peru as "bellaco caspi", is a common tree from several habitats in the Peruvian Amazon, where is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. Medicinal properties from species of Himatanthus have been mainly related to the presence of a bioactive terpene plumericin. The pharmacological potential of plumericin and reproductive success of H. tarapotensis gave rise to the present study to explore the production patterns of this compound in function of environmental gradients determined by the different habitat types where this species grows in nature. However, the delimitation of Himatanthus species has long been problematic, and much confusion remains as to which names should be used and which species delimitations should be adopted. Consequently, a part of this study was dedicated to a taxonomic revision of Himatanthus species occurring in Peru. Therefore, in chapter 1 is presented a synoptic revision of Himatanthus species from the Peruvian Amazon, with the aim of introducing taxonomic stability of those species in Peru. Three species of Himatanthus are present in Peru: H. tarapotensis, H. phagedaenicus and H. revolutus, distinguished among themselves mainly by reproductive traits. In chapter 2, leaves collected from juvenile individuals of H. tarapotensis growing on two Amazonian habitats were used to evaluate the plumericin production in relation to environmental factors: soil type, period of precipitation, and insects pressure, keeping in mind their relation with the growth patterns of the plant. Plumericin production in H. tarapotensis was not affected by differences in soil types. However, it was observed a temporal variation in the concentration of this compound correlated positively to the insects pressure, mainly with the herbivorous larva of Isognathus leachii (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) and negatively to the growth pattern of the plant. These two factors were correlated to the rainfall, thus suggesting that precipitation would be affecting indirectly on plumericin production. The bioactive compound plumericin would have a production pattern determined by its mediator role in interactions phenomena of H. tarapotensis and its environment.