Current Situation and Perspectives of Fruit Annonaceae in Mexico: Biological and Agronomic Importance and Bioactive Properties.

The Annonaceae family is one of the oldest angiosperms. The genus Annona is the one with the most species and, together with Asimina, the only ones that contain edible fruits. In the last 10 years, interest in these fruit species has increased, mainly due to their nutritional properties and their application in the treatment of human diseases. Mexico is the center of origin for most of them. However, at present much of the basic agronomic information, postharvest handling of the fruits, and their potential as new crops for areas with poor soils in organic matter or semi-dry climates is unknown. It is considered that these custard apple species may be an option to change towards instead of crops that have lost profitability and sustainability. A review of the current state of knowledge in different areas of the species A. muricata, A. macroprophyllata, A. reticulata, A. squamosa, and A. cherimola was carried out and to focus research efforts on the topics of greatest interest and on those where is required to achieve a sustainable production and use of these resources in Mexico. However, knowledge about the cultivation and potential uses of these species is needed to increase their commercialization; the integration of interdisciplinary and interinstitutional groups is required.

Annonas: Underutilized species as a potential source of bioactive compounds.

The genus Annona belongs to the family Annonaceae and includes several species of tropical and subtropical crops characterized by their edible and exotic fruits. Twenty species of Annona have been reported in Mexico, localized mainly in the tropical southeastern regions of the country. Most species, however, are not marketable and remain underutilized, and are often referred to as wild Annona species, but they are a valuable source of bioactive compounds. According to ethnobotanical evidence, extracts obtained from different Annona species and different parts of the plant (stem bark, leaves, roots, seeds, and peel) have been used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments. Most of their reported health benefits are attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds with various in vitro and in vivo biological activities, such as antidepressant, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, vasorelaxant, antipyretic, anti-ulcer, analgesic, and healing activities. Therefore, further extensive knowledge of these species especially information on their health benefits is essential to increase their cultivation and commercial use. The present review focuses on traditional uses of underutilized Annona species, their bioactive compounds content, and biological activities.

Bacterial Succession through the Artisanal Process and Seasonal Effects Defining Bacterial Communities of Raw-Milk Adobera Cheese Revealed by High Throughput DNA Sequencing.

The bacterial community of the artisanal Adobera cheese from Los Altos de Jalisco was described through high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene libraries. Samples were collected in two different seasons (dry and rainy) during four key steps of the manufacturing process (raw milk, fresh curd, matured curd, and cheese). Bacterial diversity was higher in early steps in comparison with the final elaboration stages. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant phyla, strongly represented by the Streptococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacillaceae families, and core bacteria genera such as Streptococcus spp., Lactococcus spp., and Lactobacillus spp. Undesirable bacteria, including Pseudomonas spp. and Acinetobacter spp., were also detected in raw milk but almost undetectable at the end of the cheese manufacturing process, and seemed to be displaced by lactic-acid bacteria-related genera. Seasonal effects were observed on the community structure but did not define the core microbiota composition. Predictive metabolism was related to membrane transport, and amino-acid, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism pathways. Our results contribute to deduce the role of bacteria involved in Adobera cheese manufacturing in terms of the metabolism involved, cheese microbial safety, and how undesirable bacterial populations could be regulated by process standardization as a potential tool to improve safety.

Evaluation of nutritional characteristics and bioactive compounds of soursop-yoghurt and soursop-frozen dessert.

The nutritional quality, sensory attributes, polyphenols and acetogenins content in yoghurt and frozen dessert formulated with soursop pulp were investigated. The addition of soursop pulp to yoghurt and frozen dessert improved the sensory attributes and the nutritional quality of soursop dairy products resulting in a composition of 0.92 and 2.17% of dietary fiber, 11.25 and 9.84 mg/100 g of vitamin C as well as 243.02 and 490.98 mg/100 g of total polyphenols, respectively. Acetogenins were extracted from both dairy products using maceration, sonication, microwave and Soxhlet. Sonication showed to be faster and safer than the other methods for acetogenins extraction. Higher annonacin (an acetogenin) content was found in yoghurt (38 ng/g) than in frozen dessert (15 ng/g). The quantification of bioactive compounds implied the nutraceutical properties to yoghurt and ice cream when they are added with soursop pulp. The results are useful for the consumers seeking healthier foods.

Effect of TiO2-ZnO-MgO Mixed Oxide on Microbial Growth and Toxicity against Artemia salina.

Mixed oxide nanoparticles (MONs, TiO2-ZnO-MgO) obtained by the sol-gel method were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, (TEM, HRTEM, and SAED) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTGA-DTA). Furthermore, the effect of MONs on microbial growth (growth profiling curve, lethal and sublethal effect) of Escherichia coli, Salmonella paratyphi, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, as well as the toxicity against Artemia salina by the lethal concentration test (LC50) were evaluated. MONs exhibited a near-spherical in shape, polycrystalline structure and mean sizes from 17 to 23 nm. The thermal analysis revealed that the anatase phase of MONs is completed around 480-500 °C. The normal growth of all bacteria tested is affected by the MONs presence compared with the control group. MONs also exhibited a reduction on the plate count from 0.58 to 2.10 log CFU/mL with a sublethal cell injury from 17 to 98%. No significant toxicity within 24 h was observed on A. salina. A bacteriostatic effect of MONs on bacteria was evidenced, which was strongly influenced by the type of bacteria, as well as no toxic effects (LC50 >1000 mg/L; TiO2-ZnO (5%)-MgO (5%)) on A. salina were detected. This study demonstrates the potential of MONs for industrial applications.

Synthesis and Characterization of TiO2-ZnO-MgO Mixed Oxide and Their Antibacterial Activity.

TiO2-ZnO-MgO mixed oxide nanomaterials (MONs) were synthetized via the sol-gel method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen physisorption analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and color (Luminosity (L), a, b, Chrome, hue) parameters. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the MONs was tested against Escherichia coli (EC), Salmonella paratyphi (SP), Staphylococcus aureus (SA), and Listeria monocytogenes (LM). The MONs presented a semi globular-ovoid shape of ≤100 nm. Samples were classified as mesoporous materials and preserved in the TiO2 anatase phase, with slight changes in the color parameters of the MONs in comparison with pure TiO2. The MONs exhibited antimicrobial activity, and their effect on the tested bacteria was in the following order: EC > SP > SA > LM. Therefore, MONs could be used as antimicrobial agents for industrial applications.