Plants have been used for thousands of years for various purposes because they have a wide variety of activities with biological significance. Mexican oregano is an aromatic plant of great importance to Mexico and north of Jalisco state as a spice with important economic value. Chromatographic identification and quantification of phenolic compounds and evaluation of their antioxidant activity were important tools to obtain a better characterization of this spice. Phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of flavonoids, triterpenes, saponins, quinones and tannins, the latter at high concentrations. Through chromatographic assays of Mexican oregano extracts, 62 compounds were identified, the major ones being quantified as: taxifolin, apigenin 7-O-glucoside, phlorizin, eriodictyol, quercetin, naringenin, hispidulin, pinocembrin, galangin and genkwanin (compound for the first time reported for this species). The results can be useful as a precedent to establish the bases of new quality characterization parameters and they have also suggested that Mexican oregano contains a wide variety of compounds with untapped importance for the development of new high value-added products.

Spray-drying technology is a suitable process for large-scale production of various advanced materials. This study describes the effect of the concentration (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%) of novel carrier agents, agave fructans (FOS) and maltodextrin (MD), in a chlorophyll extract spray-drying process on colour, antioxidant activity, and stability. A pilot plant was employed with a spray-dryer feed flow rate of 13% and an atomisation level of 28000 rpm. The air inlet and outlet temperatures were 180 and 80°C, respectively. A MD concentration of 0.5% was enough to obtain a chemically and physiochemically stable encapsulated chlorophyll powder. High inlet air temperatures reduced the chlorophyll content from 18 to 6 mg/g; high concentrations of the carrier agent also decreased the chlorophyll content. The results showed that, under conditions of low inlet temperature and concentration, both wall materials were efficient in microencapsulating chlorophyll for potential use in the food industry.

First record from Mexico for Antispastis xylophragma Meyrick, 1926 as a leaf miner of Solanum umbellatum Mill. This Lepidoptera species was previously reported on several Solanum species for Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru and South Africa.

First record from México for Rifseria fuscotaeniaella (Chambers, 1878) as a leaf miner of Montanoa tomentosa Cerv. This Lepidoptera species was previously reported on several weeds of Asteracea family in the United States and Canada.

The essential oil profile of Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) makes it a spice with significant economic potential. However, its high concentration of compounds water-soluble phenolic (pinocembrin and galangin), flavonoids with important therapeutic properties little used. The content of these flavonoids remains in significant quantities in the residual bagasse obtained after the essential oil extraction process. This bagasse, being rarely used and due to its inadequate disposal, represents a source of contamination. This research focused on taking advantage of the residual bagasse, extracting the flavonoid compounds (pinocembrin and galangin) evaluated by HPLC-DAD. As extraction pretreatments, the use of ultrasound and microwaves at different powers was evaluated, followed by extraction with agitated maceration. The extraction kinetics could be adjusted to a second-order model, revealing a two-stage extraction process: diffusion and washing. The maximum extraction capacity (Cs) and recovery of pinocembrin and galangin were obtained using ultrasound at 325W for 5 minutes, reducing the total extraction time by 59%. The total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu) and antioxidant capacity (ORAC, DPPH and FRAP) of the extracts obtained were evaluated. This approach represents an alternative use of residual bagasse and a significant improvement in the efficiency of the conventional extractive process.

Caloptilia stigmatella (Fabricius) is recorded for the first time as part of the flora-mining microlepidoptera in the Chapala riviera in Jalisco, Mexico on a climbing plant identified as Serjania recemosa Schumach, new host plant. To obtain the adults, larvae and pupae of Caloptilia stigmatella, collections of leaves with signs of damage due to mining caused by the larvae were made, which were placed in an incubation chamber with controlled temperature and humidity. This gracilarid was originally described in England and is currently distributed throughout Europe, Asia, Russia, China, Canada and the United States of America, feeding on several species of the Salicaceae family, mainly the Salix spp. and Populus spp. genera. Although reports indicate that Caloptilia stigmatella shows a Holarctic distribution, we can see a migration trend towards the Neotropical zone and despite its preference for feeding on plants of the Salicaceae family, here we find it feeding on a species of Sapindaceae. Se registra por primera vez a Caloptilia stigmatella (Fabricius) como parte de la entomofauna de microlepidópteros minadores de la flora en la Rivera de Chapala en Jalisco, México, sobre una planta trepadora identificada como Serjania recemosa Schumach, nueva planta hospedera. Para la obtención de los adultos, larvas y pupas de Caloptilia stigmatella, se realizaron colectas de hojas con señales de daños por minaduras causadas por las larvas, las cuales fueron colocadas en una cámara de incubación con temperatura y humedad contraladas. Este gracilárido fue originalmente descrito en Inglaterra y actualmente se distribuye por toda Europa, Asia, Rusia, China, Canadá y en los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica, alimentándose en varias especies de la familia Salicaceae, principalmente en los géneros Salix spp.y Populus spp. Aunque los reportes indican que Caloptilia stigmatella muestra una distribución Holártica podemos ver una tendencia de migración hacia la zona Neotropical y a pesar de su preferencia de alimentación por plantas de la familia Salicaceae, aquí la encontramos alimentándose de una especie de Sapindaceae.