Plant-Based Foods Biofortified with Selenium and Their Potential Benefits for Human Health

Selenium (Se) is essential for humans. This element is present in more than 25 proteins related to redox processes, and its deficiency is related to the onset of chronic diseases. One way to incorporate Se into the human diet is by consuming plant foods rich in Se. Crop fortification with Se can be achieved through the agronomic practice of biofortification. This chapter discusses dietary sources of inorganic Se (selenate and selenite), organic Se (selenocysteine, selenomethionine, and methylselenocysteine), and bioactive compounds provided by consuming the edible parts of plants as a result of agronomic biofortification. The benefits to human health from consuming selenium-enriched crops due to their biological functions such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic are also presented. The intake of Se-enriched plant foods is a growing trend. In addition to providing the daily dose of Se, these Se-enriched vegetables are a functional food option that improves human health due to their content of phytochemical compounds

Kwapa: Gente del río. Estrategias transmedia de impacto social

El PAP Alter Código, período Primavera 2023, trabajó con los dos proyectos que se han venido trabajando en semestres anteriores: el videojuego A Orillas del río y el documental Déjennos pescar. Ambos proyectos parten de la metodología interdisciplinaria y colaborativa con miembros de la comunidad Cucapá para crear representaciones audiovisuales no estigmatizantes, que detonen el sentido de comunidad y refuercen su acervo cultural. El videojuego A Orillas del río es del género point and click, de vista isométrica, el cual está inspirado en el cuento oral tradicional El zorro y el coyote, que busca ser una herramienta lúdica de aprendizaje para reforzar el aprendizaje de la lengua Cucapá en los niños. Los resultados obtenidos fueron el demo del nivel uno (escenas uno y dos); colorimetría, arcos de personajes principales; programación de minijuegos. Dentro del documental ‘Déjennos pescar’ los resultados fueron un montaje, una clasificación del material grabado con transcripciones de audio, mientras que en la parte de estrategia de impacto se creó un manual de uso de redes sociales con colorimetría, tipografía, estilo de voz, tipo de contenido según la red social, para los futuros integrantes del equipo.ITESO, A.C

Fertilización foliar y su ruta de penetración en la orquídea Cymbidium sp.

La presente investigacion se dividió en tres experimentos, dos realizados en el Colegio de Postgraduados en Ciencias Agrícolas, Campus Montecillo Edo. México y la tercera en la Facultad de Agrobiología “Presidente Juárez” Uruapan Michoacan. Dada la importancia de la fertilización foliar como práctica común en los medios de producción y escasa información disponible sobre la absorción de nutrientes a nivel foliar en orquídeas, en el primer estudio se caracterizó la anatomía foliar de Cymbidium sp. e dentificó las rutas de penetración de un fertilizante foliar 10-10-10 NPK. En esta etapa se encontró que el grosor de la cutícula varía a lo largo de la hoja. La porción media fue más gruesa (29.90 µm) que la apical y basal (26.91y 25.75 µm). El número de estomas fue constante a lo largo de la hoja. En la región media de la hoja, el grosor de tejido epidérmico y el diámetro de los haces de fibras subepidérmicas (63.045 y 184.55 µm) mostraron los mayores valores, mientras que el mayor diámetro de haz vascular (1031 µm) y mayor grosor del mesófilo (3777.91 µm) se registró en la porción basal. En la ruta de penetración del fertilizante foliar con los colorantes azul negro de naftol más verde rápido y calcofluor. El fertilizante foliar penetró vía cutícula y estomática a partir de los 30 min después de haber asperjado. A los 120 min, se observó su absorción en los pseudobulbos. Por lo tanto, se demostró que la fertilización foliar es una alternativa viable que puede implementarse en las prácticas de producción de esta ornamental. En el segudo experimento, los aceites esenciales de la flor, ovario pedicelado y residuo acuoso se obtuvieron por hidrodestilación. Para la identificación y cuantificación relativa de los componentes químicos se realizó el perfil cromatográfico por cromatografía en capa fina (CCF), en combinación con la cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas (GC/MS). Con CCF, se identificaron cinco componentes en la flor, siendo los más abundantes; terpineol, linalool y zingibereno, los más abundantes en el ovario pedicelado: borneol, cineol y β-bisaboleno, para el residuo acuoso el más abundante fue el geraniol. Mediante GC/MS, se identificaron 25 componentes volátiles asociados con la flor, de estos los más abundantes fueron: linalool (22.92%), 4-metil fenol (15.07%) y p-ment-1-en-8-ol (12.32%). En el ovario pedicelado se identificaron 13 componentes: 4-metil fenol (31.24%), biciclo [4.4.0] dec-1-eno, 2-isopropil-5-metil-9-metileno- (17.74%) y linalool (4.62%); mientras que, en el residuo acuoso se encontraron 18 componentes siendo los más abundantes 4-metil fenol (18.71%) y 2-cyclohexen-1-ol (14.60%). En el tercer experimento, se cuantificó el desarrollo y floración de la orquídea en función de las relaciones de NO3-/NH4+ (100/00, 80/20, 60/40 y 00/100) en la solución nutritiva, en combinación con fertilización foliar (FF) y frecuencia de aplicación de la solución una vez martes (M) o dos marte y viernes (MV) a la semana. Bajo condiciones de invernadero, en plantas de cuatro años de edad. La combinación NO3-/NH4+ influyó en las lecturas SPAD (79.76 en enero), el mayor número de brotes vegetativos (5.04), y número de pseudobulbos (4.95) se presentó con la relación 60/40. La mayor longitud de escapos florales y vigor se presentó en plantas con la solución nutritiva relación 80/20. Las relaciones NO3-/NH4+ influyeron en la concentración de nitrógeno y manganeso en la planta. _______________ FOLIAR FEEDING AND ITS PENETRATION PATHWAY IN THE ORCHID Cymbidium sp. ABSTRACT: This paper presents the results of three experiments, two carried out at the Postgraduate College in Agricultural Sciences, Montecillo Campus, State of Mexico, and the third at the "Presidente Juarez" Faculty of Agrobiology in Uruapan, Michoacán. Given the importance of foliar feeding as a common practice in the means of production and the scant information available on the absorption of nutrients at leaf level in orchids, the first study characterized the leaf anatomy of Cymbidium sp. and identified the penetration pathways of foliar fertilizer 10-10-10 (N-P-K). At this stage it was found that cuticle thickness varies along the leaf. The middle portion (29.90 µm) was thicker than the apical and basal sections (26.91and 25.75 µm). The number of stomata was constant throughout the leaf. In the middle region of the leaf, the thickness of the epidermal tissue and the diameter of the subepidermal fiber bundles (63,045 and 184.55 µm) showed higher values, while the largest vascular bundle diameter (1031 µm) and thickest mesophyll (3777.91 µm) were recorded in the basal portion. The penetration pathway of the foliar fertilizer was identified with naphthol and calcofluor fast green-black blue dyes. The foliar fertilizer entered via cuticles and stomata beginning 30 min after having been sprayed. At 120 minutes, their absorption into the pseudobulbs was observed. Therefore, it was demonstrated that foliar feeding is a viable alternative that can be used in the production practices of this ornamental. In the second experiment, the essential oils in the flower, pedicellate ovary and aqueous residue were obtained by hydrodistillation. For the identification and relative quantification of the chemical components, the chromatographic profile was obtained by thin layer chromatography (TLC), combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). With TLC, five components were identified in the flower, with the most abundant being terpineol, linalool and zingiberene; the most abundant in the pedicellate ovary were borneol, cineole, and β-bisabolene, while for the aqueous residue the most abundant was geraniol. Using GC/MS, 25 volatile components associated with the flower were identified, of which the most abundant were linalool (22.92%), 4-methylphenol (15.07%) and p-Menth-1-en-8-ol (12.32%). In ovaries 13 components were identified, with the most abundant being 4-methylphenol (31.24%), bicyclo [4.4.0 ] dec-1-ene, 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-9-methylene- (17.74%) and linalool (4.62%), while in the aqueous residue 18 components were found, with the most abundant being 4-methylphenol (18.71%) and 2-cyclohexen-1-ol (14.60%). In the third experiment, the development and flowering of the orchid was quantified as a function of the NO3-/NH4+ ratios (100/00, 80/20, 60/40 and 00/100) in the nutrient solution, in combination with foliar feeding (FF) and the application frequency of the nutrient solution, which was once a week (every Tuesday) or twice a week (every Tuesday and Friday). Under greenhouse conditions, in four-year-old plants. The NO3-/NH4+ combination influenced SPAD readings (79.76 in January); the highest number of vegetative buds (5.04) and number of pseudobulbs (4.95) occurred with the ratio 60/40.The longest and most robust floral scapes were presented in the plants watered with nutrient solution ratio 80/20. The NO3-/NH4+ ratios influenced the concentration of nitrogen and manganese in the plant.Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias, especialista en Edafología).- Colegio de Postgraduados, 2013.Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT)

Fertigation: Nutrition, Stimulation and Bioprotection of the Root in High Performance

Temperature changes, drought, frost, and the presence of pest and diseases place enormous stress on crops, which implies that the potential performance of these crops may be affected. One of the main goals for agronomists, horticulturists, growers, physiologists, soil scientists, geneticists, plant breeders, phytopathologists, and microbiologists is to increase the food production on the same cultivable area and to ensure that they are safe and of high quality. Understanding the biophysical changes in soil will help to manage the crop’s ability to cope with biotic and abiotic stress. Optimization is needed in the nutrition of crops, which involves the use of biostimulants to counter oxidative stress and the management of strain bioformulations (bacteria and fungi) that protect and stimulate roots for the acquisition of nutrients. The implementation of these strategies in fertigation programs improves crop yields. This article addresses the importance of the stimulation and the bioprotection of the root as a fundamental pillar in ensuring the high performance of a crop

Impact on Yield, Biomass, Mineral Profile, pH, and Electrical Conductivity of Cherry Tomato Fruit Using a Nutrient Solution and a Silicon-Based Organomineral Fertilizer

Cherry tomato “Atomic Grape” belongs to the Solanaceae family, an important species due to its economic value and high nutritional content. The impact on performance, weight, and nutritional profile of root, stem/branches, and leaves using the nutrient solution (NS), alone or combined with an organomineral fertilizer (F), whether granulated or in powder form was evaluated: NS, NS + F-granulated, and NS + F-powder. Best commercial fruits were obtained with NS + F-powder. Higher weights of both fresh and dry roots were obtained with NS + F-granulated and NS + F-powder. Mineral profile showed that the root builds up mostly nitrogen and silicon. Potassium was higher in stem/branches. Carbon, calcium, and sulfur were higher in the photosynthetic organ. NS increased the pH of the tomato juice by 9.81% and 10.90% compared to NS + F-granulated and NS + F-powder treatments. The organomineral fertilizer provides greater benefits due to its long-lasting effect on the soil and cherry tomato plant. In this experiment, we conclude that the combination of NS + F-powder obtained the best marketable fruits. It must be taken into consideration the greatest demand for nutrients in tomato given to developing organs such as leaves, flowers, and fruits. The leaves should be used for nutritional diagnosis, to confirm symptoms of deficiency or optimal nutritional ranges, which is of utmost importance for agronomists, growers, horticulturists, and physiologists

The Chilhuacle Chili (Capsicum annuum L.) in Mexico: Description of the Variety, Its Cultivation, and Uses

The chilhuacle chili (Capsicum annuum L.) is a Mexican native variety whose production has been highly valuable because it is the main ingredient of the Oaxacan black mole, a typical Mexican dish. It is basically grown in the Cañada Region of the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, within the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve. Importantly, it is cultivated under traditional agricultural systems, where a range of agronomic constraints associated with the production process and the incidence and severity of pests and diseases represent significant impediments that hinder the yield potential. Additionally, the genetic basis of the crop is highly restricted. Under such environmental and production conditions, the mean crop yield of chilhuacle chili can reach 1 t ha−1 of dehydrated fruits, which can be used in the food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. In this review we summarize the current progress on chilhuacle chili cultivation and outline some crucial guidelines to improve production, as well as other research topics that need to be further addressed

Fertigation: Nutrition, Stimulation and Bioprotection of the Root in High Performance

Temperature changes, drought, frost, and the presence of pest and diseases place enormous stress on crops, which implies that the potential performance of these crops may be affected. One of the main goals for agronomists, horticulturists, growers, physiologists, soil scientists, geneticists, plant breeders, phytopathologists, and microbiologists is to increase the food production on the same cultivable area and to ensure that they are safe and of high quality. Understanding the biophysical changes in soil will help to manage the crop’s ability to cope with biotic and abiotic stress. Optimization is needed in the nutrition of crops, which involves the use of biostimulants to counter oxidative stress and the management of strain bioformulations (bacteria and fungi) that protect and stimulate roots for the acquisition of nutrients. The implementation of these strategies in fertigation programs improves crop yields. This article addresses the importance of the stimulation and the bioprotection of the root as a fundamental pillar in ensuring the high performance of a crop