Euphorbia antisyphilitica Zucc: A Source of Phytochemicals with Potential Applications in Industry

Euphorbia antisyphilitica Zucc, better known as the candelilla plant, is one of the 10 non-timber forest products of greatest economic importance in the desert and semi-desert regions of Mexico. Moreover, it is a potential source of some functional phytochemicals such as polyphenolic compounds, wax and fiber, with potential applications in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Thus, this review aims to describe these phytochemicals and their functional properties as antimicrobial, antioxidant, reinforcing and barrier agents. In addition, a suitable valorization of the candelilla plant and its byproducts is mandatory in order to avoid negative effects on the environment. This review provides, for the first time, an overview of the alternative methodologies for improving candelilla plant production, pointing out some of the agricultural aspects of the cultivation of this plant

La cadena productiva de guanábana: una opción para el desarrollo económico en Compostela, Nayarit

Objective: Characterize Compostela’s Soursop Production Chain, describe the risks that represent areas of opportunity, and propose an Intervention Order that settled the critical control points that must be implemented to promote Mexican soursop on international markets. Methodology: The approach to calculate the optimal intervention order for the Soursop Production Chain was designed based on direct and indirect information sources and consisted of five phases. Results: Compostela’s SPC is made up of three primary links: production, processing, and marketing, involving actors for each specific task. High-risk weak points and Critical Control Points were identified. Implementing these Critical Control Points would significantly improve the Soursop Production Chain’s revenue. An intervention order designed to configure the Soursop Production Chain as a successful regional development option was built based on the relevance analysis of each Critical Control Point. Limitations: Available information regarding soursop production and post-harvest is relatively scarce. Gathering this type of information represents an area of opportunity that requires consulting the actors that make up the chain. Conclusions: Compostela’s soursop presence in international high value markets is limited by risks in the Soursop Production Chain. This fruit’s perishable nature stands out as the main risk, which is aggravated by phytosanitary risks, poor interlink coordination, outdated handling techniques, and poor storage and transportation infrastructure. A conservative estimate suggests that by implementing this Intervention Order, Soursop Production Chains’s profits would increase at least 175% in a short to medium term.Objetivo: caracterizar la cadena productiva de guanábana en el municipio de Compostela, Nayarit, México, y describir las áreas de oportunidad y sus riesgos para proponer un orden de intervención de esa cadena productiva que establezca los puntos críticos de control que deben implementarse para impulsar la comercialización de guanábana mexicana en el mercado internacional. Metodología: partiendo de fuentes de información directas e indirectas, se construyó una base metodológica que consta de cinco fases diseñadas para calcular el OI óptimo. Resultados: La Cadena Productiva de Guanábana de Compostela se compone de tres eslabones primarios: producción, procesamiento y comercialización, compuestos por actores que cumplen labores específicas. Se identificaron puntos débiles de alto riesgo, así como los Puntos de Control Críticos en la Cadena Productiva de la Guanábana. En base al análisis de relevancia de cada Punto Crítico de Control se construyó un Orden de Intervención diseñado para configurar a la Cadena Productiva de la Guanábana como una opción de desarrollo regional exitosa. Limitaciones: La información disponible del sistema productivo y poscosecha de la guanábana es relativamente escaza. Generar este tipo de información representa un área de oportunidad que requiere el acercamiento con los actores que conforman la cadena. Conclusiones: La presencia de guanábana de Compostela en mercados internacionales de alto valor se ve limitada por riesgos presentes en su cadena productiva. La naturaleza perecedera del fruto destaca como el riesgo principal, y se agrava por riesgos fitosanitarios, mala coordinación entre eslabones, técnicas de manejo desactualizadas e infraestructura de almacenamiento y transporte deficiente. Se estima que implementar el Orden de Intervención incrementaría las ganancias de la Cadena Productiva de la Guanábana al menos 175% en un corto a mediano plazo

Molecular Biology, Composition and Physiological Functions of Cuticle Lipids in Fleshy Fruits

Fleshy fruits represent a valuable resource of economic and nutritional relevance for humanity. The plant cuticle is the external lipid layer covering the nonwoody aerial organs of land plants, and it is the first contact between fruits and the environment. It has been hypothesized that the cuticle plays a role in the development, ripening, quality, resistance to pathogen attack and postharvest shelf life of fleshy fruits. The cuticle’s structure and composition change in response to the fruit’s developmental stage, fruit physiology and different postharvest treatments. This review summarizes current information on the physiology and molecular mechanism of cuticle biosynthesis and composition changes during the development, ripening and postharvest stages of fleshy fruits. A discussion and analysis of studies regarding the relationship between cuticle composition, water loss reduction and maintaining fleshy fruits’ postharvest quality are presented. An overview of the molecular mechanism of cuticle biosynthesis and efforts to elucidate it in fleshy fruits is included. Enhancing our knowledge about cuticle biosynthesis mechanisms and identifying specific transcripts, proteins and lipids related to quality traits in fleshy fruits could contribute to the design of biotechnological strategies to improve the quality and postharvest shelf life of these important fruit crops