This study aimed to characterize the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial properties of oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oil, as well as its chemical composition. To our best knowledge, there are few studies on oregano grown in the arid Andes region, but none on the metabolites produced and their bioactivity. This work identified fifty metabolites by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)—monoterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes, phenolic monoterpenes, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, and oxygenated sesquiterpenes—present in the essential oil of oregano collected in the Atacama Desert. The main components of essential oregano oil were thymol (15.9%), Z-sabinene hydrate (13.4%), γ-terpinene (10.6%), p-cymene (8.6%), linalyl acetate (7.2%), sabinene (6.5%), and carvacrol methyl ether (5.6%). The antibacterial tests showed that the pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica and the phytopathogenic bacteria Erwinia rhapontici and Xanthomonas campestris were the most susceptible to oregano oil, with the lowest concentrations of oil necessary to inhibit their bacterial growth. Moreover, oregano oil showed antibacterial activity against bacteria associated with food poisoning. In conclusion, O. vulgare from the arid Andean region possesses an important antibacterial activity with a high potential in the food industry and agriculture.

The Lamiaceae family is an important source of species among medicinal plants highly valued for their biological properties and numerous uses in folk medicine. Origanum is one of the main genera that belong to this family. The purpose of the study was to determine the phenolic composition of the Origanum vulgare extract and evaluate the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and inhibitory activities of this species that grows in the Andean region of the Atacama Desert. High-performance liquid chromatography was performed to determine the main phenols. Rosmarinic acid was identified as the predominant phenolic compound in this species (76.01 mg/100 g DW), followed by protocatechuic acid, which to our knowledge, no previous study reported similar concentrations in O. vulgare. The oregano extract exhibited a content of total phenolic (3948 mg GAE/100 g DW) and total flavonoid (593 mg QE/100 g DW) with a higher DPPH antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 40.58 µg/mL), compared to the same species grown under other conditions. Furthermore, it was found to inhibit α-glucosidase activity with an IC₅₀ value (7.11 mg/mL) lower than acarbose (129.32 mg/mL). Pseudomonas syringae and Pantoea agglomerans (both MIC 0.313 mg/mL and MBC 1.25 mg/mL) were the bacteria most susceptible to oregano extract with the lowest concentration necessary to inhibit bacterial growth. These results open the door for the potential use of this plant to manage chronic diseases, and they expand the knowledge of the species cultivated in arid environmental conditions.

We analyzed the mitigating effect of NO3 - and salicylic acid (SA) on the detrimental effects of salt stress by studying the water status of plants of maize grown in Hoagland´s medium with NaCl 100 mM as the saline component, to which SA and NO3 - were added in different concentrations as mitigating agents. We evaluated water potential (Ψw), osmotic potential (Ψs), relative water content (RWC), turgor potential (Ψp), and the osmotic adjustment (OA) of leaves and roots. SA 0.5 mM mitigated the effects of salinity by increasing the Ψw of the leaf, the Ψs of the root, the Ψp of the leaf, RWC and OA of the leaf; while NO3 - was only effective in combination with SA, mitigating the effects of salinity by increasing RWC and OA. However, the interaction SA-NO3 - reduced leaf Ψw and Ψs of leaves and roots. Mitigation of salt stress was also detected by a positive effect on plant growth. The greatest effect on growth was produced by the NO3 - treatments and SA 0.5 mM combined with NO3-.

The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of saline-boron stress on the vegetative growth, dry leaf weight, water potential (Ψw), relative water content, and leaf and root B and Cl- contents in 8 accessions of olive. Rooted one-year-old plants were cultivated for 132 days with 50% shading in 5-L pots containing sand substrate and watered with Jensen’s nutrient solution. After eight days of uniform ferti-irrigation, the plants were exposed to saline-boron stress, which was administered in three successive stages to condition them to a final stress of 0.49 mM B(OH)3 and 200 mM NaCl. The accessions were identified by their place of origin as Suca, Chiza, San Pedro I (SPI), Taltal, Azapa, San Pedro II (SPII), Frantoio and Lluta. The results showed that saline-boron stress decreased vegetative growth and dry matter in all accessions. The levels of Cl- in leaves and roots increased significantly, although Suca and SPI experienced the least increases. B increased in leaves and roots but did not reach toxic levels. Water potential decreased except in the accession Taltal. RWC decreased in all accessions. Cv. Frantoio, known internationally for its high salt tolerance, was used as a reference for the observed responses in the other accessions.

Las exportaciones de aceituna para consumo de mesa desde Chile entre los años 1993-2005 muestran una tendencia decreciente, la cual responde principalmente al patrón de consumo que presenta Brasil, país que corresponde al principal destino, con más del 63% de los envíos. También la región de América del Sur reúne el 72% del destino de las exportaciones chilenas. Este artículo analiza la evolución de las exportaciones a los diferentes países y regiones del mundo. En atención a la importancia del mercado brasileño, el desarrollo del sector olivícola chileno depende fundamentalmente de la evolución del consumo de las aceitunas en este mercado.