Hydrothermal–microwave processing for starch extraction from mexican avocado seeds: operational conditions and characterization

Avocado seeds are an agroindustrial residue widely produced in Mexico that are causing various environmental problems due to their accumulation. The evaluation of avocado residues to recover biopolymers by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and the characterization of avocado starch properties were studied in the present work. A central-composite design was used to optimize the MAE process. Moreover, a comparison was performed between MAE non-isothermal mode (NO–ISO) and conventional extraction. Starch optimization by MAE was obtained at 161.09 °C for 56.23 min with an extraction yield of 49.52% ± 0.69%, while with NO–ISO at 161 °C was obtained 45.75% ± 2.18%. Conventional extraction was 39.04% ± 2.22%. Compared with conventional starch, MAE starch showed similar proprieties and molecular spectra. In contrast, MAE starch showed high solubility, low water absorption capacity, a non-granular structure with small particle size (<2 μm) and polydispersity of fragments at different sizes of polymers. Therefore, MAE is a viable technology to extract the starch, and avocado seed can be considered an excellent starch source for the development of novel functional foods, contributing to promoting sustainability across the food chain.N/Ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enzymatic preparation , purification and antioxidant potential of polyphenolic oxidation products from apple juice

International audienc

Genetic variability of sotol (Dasyrylion cedrosanum) populations in the Mexican Coahuila southern area

In the Chihuahuan desert area, in Mexico, exist an endemic plant denominated Sotol (Dasylirion spp); which is used by rural producers to manufacture a liqueur named Sotol. This beverage has origin denomination but it industrial application has lack scientific reports,  as well as the plant genetic information. This is the first study about ecological distribution of sotol plants and, may be, a first step to continue the scientific investigation of a Mexican endemic plant, with many potential industrial applications. In this paper, we used AFLP molecular markers to calculate population genetics parameters  as genetic diversity, a conglomerate analyses, poblational structure based in Wright´s statistics and analysis of molecular variance. Differences in soil composition and weather conditions, of the sampling region, may affect sotol plants growth and their morphologic characteristics; as consequence the organisms generate ample genetic variability, which ensures the species permanence. Genetic diversity values were similar to the average for cross-pollinated plants, while the heterozygosis detection was deficient; Wright statistics suggest plants genetics interchange in the subpopulation; AMOVA found significant differences within and between collections. These results help us to maintenance the genetic diversity, in order to prevent potential extinction and guarantee sustainable development; the preservation of the endemic plants is necessary to the ecosystems conservation and after Sotol origin denomina- tion, by the Mexican government, the importance of D. cedrosanum plants was increased

Microbial biotransformation and biomineralization of organic-rich waste

Purpose of Review: Improper discharge of industrial effluents would lead to direct contamination of our water, air, and soil systems. Without proper treatment, both these inorganic and organic-matter-containing waste would pose harmful effects towards aquatic organisms, overall water quality, reduction in soil health, and increase in greenhouse gasses from anaerobic microbial degradation activities. Recent Findings: Current treatment technologies involve the use of combined chemical, biological, and physical approaches, which has been proven very effective. Another useful alternative is to utilize the high organic content present in the waste as substrate for the metabolism of microbes as catalyst in industrial processes including water treatment as well as production of useful microbial secondary metabolites such as pigments. Summary: This review highlights some example for the microbial biotransformation and biomineralization of organic-rich industrial discharges. This is important based on its potential to be applied as useful alternative techniques to dispose huge volumes of industrial waste as well as reducing high cost of sustaining biological-based industrial processes that would require substantial investment notably for the microbial growth medium. Nevertheless, clear insight into the engineering aspects of such processes and sufficient knowledge on its feasibility to function properly at pilot-scale level are of paramount importance prior to any commercialization attempts

PUTATIVE LOCI ASSOCIATED TO POLYEMBRYONY IN MAIZE POPULATIONS

Polyembryony (PE) is a reproductive phenomenon that produces more than one plant per seed in maize and other species. The objective of this study was to identify polymorphic DNA bands associated to the genetic expression of this trait using AFLPs. The genetic materials used in this study were 19 Polyembryonic experimental maize lines from two populations, identified as BAP (dwarf, high PE frequency genotypes) and NAP (normal height, high PE frequency) and 16 non-polyembryonic commercial genotypes (NPE). Results showed that the PE seeds had a germination rate of 89.47 %, where 28.23 % were single seedlings and 71.76 % were polyembryonic seedlings. Most of the polyembryonic seeds produced double plants although some triple plants cases were also observed. In addition, twenty nine putative loci were identified associated to the maize polyembryony; this association may be related to the differential origins of the maize populations. In addition, the rate of genetic diversity between the groups PE and NPE was estimated at the locus level using the Shannon index, getting a range of polymorphism from 29% to 53%, this could be related to the origin of the tested samples and their phenotypic and genotypic traits. These results suggest that the polymorphic bands may be related to the expression of genes linked to polyembryony in maize