Volatile compounds contribute to aroma and flavor, these being the main sensory attributes in food acceptance. This work addresses the physicochemical, volatile compounds, polyphenols, and flavonoids content and, antioxidant activity of apple-raspberry (90/10%) juice treated by thermal and ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) alone or in combination with moderate heat-treatment. Nineteen volatile compounds were identified which experienced changes depending on the treatment. Compounds such as α-ionone and β-ionone, that contribute to raspberries characteristic aroma, were present in a greater concentration in the UV-C treatment and lower in the thermal treatment. Likewise, 2-methyl butyl acetate, which give a fruity-sweet aroma typical of apples was present in a greater concentration in the UV-C treatment. Regarding polyphenol content, control and combined treatment presented the greater concentrations. However, after twenty days of storage, control and combined treatment presented the lower flavonoid concentration. Nevertheless, at this time, treatments showed no variations in antioxidant activity. Yeast and mold and total aerobic mesophilic and psychrophilic counts were reduced in the heat and combined treatments. In conclusion, UV-C and moderate heat might successfully be used to process a stable apple-raspberry juice while maintaining its quality and safety.

The market for probiotic foods has grown significantly in recent years. Some microorganisms isolated from food fermentations, mainly lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts, may have probiotic potential. During the fermentation of cocoa and coffee, a plethora of microorganisms are involved, including yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB), several of which may have probiotic potential. For this reason, this study aimed to overview the probiotic potential of some LAB and yeasts isolated from these fermentation processes. For this purpose, a search was conducted in several specialized databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus). As a result of this search, some strains of LAB and yeasts from cocoa were found to be potentially probiotic, with characteristics like those of commercial probiotic strains. The LAB genera that showed the most substantial probiotic potential were Lactiplantibacillus, Limosilactobacillus, and Lactococcus, while for yeasts, it was Saccharomyces and Pichia.

Yeasts have attracted increasing attention as potential alternatives to traditional bacterial probiotic strains due to their physiological resilience and functional versatility. However, the probiotic potential of yeast strains associated with Mexican cocoa bean fermentation remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a preliminary screening of physiological and surface-related traits associated with probiotic functionality in four autochthonous Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (YCTA5, YCTA9, YCTA14, and YCTA16), previously isolated from cocoa fermentation, using Saccharomyces boulardii (Jarrow Formulas^®) as a reference strain. Evaluated parameters included tolerance to temperature, pH, and bile salts; hemolytic activity; survival in vitro under gastrointestinal (GI) conditions; bile salt hydrolase activity; auto-aggregation; co-aggregation; hydrophobicity; and response to antifungal agents (fluconazole, ciclopirox, nystatin, and clotrimazole). All yeast strains grew at 37 °C and at pH 4–8 and showed no hemolytic activity. All strains exhibited high auto-aggregation (>70%) and hydrophobicity values ranging from 55 to 88%. In the coaggregation assay, strains YCTA9, YCTA14, and YCTA16 showed moderate interactions with Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Listeria innocua, with some combinations exceeding 50%. Nevertheless, none of the yeast strains exhibited measurable growth at pH 2; bile salt tolerance was limited to 0.1% Oxgall, and viability decreased by approximately 54–56% after simulated gastrointestinal transit. These findings indicate that although some strains exhibited promising surface-related properties, significant physiological constraints restrict their probiotic potential under the tested conditions. Therefore, the studied yeast strains should be regarded as preliminary candidates requiring further validation. This work provides a first-stage evaluation for identifying functional yeast strains from Mexican cocoa bean fermentation, serving as a basis for future in vitro and in vivo studies.

El trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) y el trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH) son trastornos del neurodesarrollo, cuya prevalencia mundial se estima en alrededor del 1 % y 8 %, respectivamente. Su abordaje clínico es complejo, debido a su heterogeneidad y a la variabilidad en la respuesta a las intervenciones farmacológicas y no farmacológicas. En este contexto, el magnesio ha sido propuesto como tratamiento complementario por su posible papel en la modulación neurológica y la reducción de la hiperexcitabilidad neuronal. La revisión de estudios muestra resultados mixtos: algunos ensayos reportan mejoras significativas en variables emocionales, cognitivas y conductuales, mientras que otros no evidencian beneficios adicionales frente a tratamientos convencionales. Asimismo, se observan deficiencias nutricionales frecuentes y alteraciones en el metabolismo del magnesio, en poblaciones con TEA y TDAH. Aunque la evidencia sugiere un posible rol del magnesio y otros micronutrientes en estos trastornos, aún se requieren estudios más rigurosos y homogéneos para determinar su eficacia clínica y definir qué subgrupos podrían beneficiarse más de su suplementación.

Intensive horticultural production relies heavily on mineral fertilizers, which may negatively affect soil quality and long-term sustainability. Integrated fertilization represents an alternative for reducing these risks; however, its effects on the soil–plant–fruit system remain incompletely understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different integrated fertilization strategies, based on the combination of organic amendments and reduced chemical fertilization, on soil properties, tomato productivity, and fruit nutritional quality. Ten treatments with five replicates were evaluated under a completely randomized design in plants grown under a high-tunnel system. The results showed that integrated fertilization enabled a 40–50% reduction in macronutrient inputs and the complete elimination of micronutrient fertilization, while achieving yields that did not differ significantly from those of the chemical control and were 480–520% higher than those of the unfertilized control. In addition, integrated fertilization increased fruit concentrations of calcium, magnesium, phenolic compounds, and lycopene. Treatments incorporating organic amendments produced with the incorporation of Trichoderma sp. showed higher potassium concentrations in the fruit. Soil organic matter increased by 80–250%. These results indicate that integrated fertilization can reduce the use of mineral fertilizers while maintaining crop productivity and improving both soil quality and the nutritional and functional quality of the fruit.

La escasez hídrica y el desperdicio de alimentos representan desafíos fundamentales para la sostenibilidad global. La agricultura consume cerca de 70% del agua dulce extraída a nivel mundial, y constituye 90% de los usos consuntivos de este recurso, exacerbando la crisis hídrica. Además, se estima que un tercio de la producción alimentaria global se pierde o desperdicia, lo que conlleva un elevado costo en términos del agua utilizada, particularmente en cultivos como frutas y verduras. En México, la situación es especialmente preocupante: el desperdicio de alimentos genera una huella hídrica de 8 817 500 hm³, mientras que el sector agrícola demanda 75.74% del agua total concesionada. En el estado de Chihuahua, donde predominan climas áridos, se destacan iniciativas como la recolección de agua de lluvia y la agricultura familiar para mitigar los efectos de la escasez. Sistemas como camas biointensivas y técnicas eficaces de manejo de agua como el principio de funcionalidad de lisímetros pueden optimizar la producción en pequeñas parcelas y reducir las pérdidas. Promover estas prácticas junto con la reutilización de residuos orgánicos para biofertilizantes podría aliviar la inseguridad alimentaria y mejorar la gestión hídrica en comunidades rurales. La transición hacia una agricultura sostenible requiere políticas integrales, innovación tecnológica y participación comunitaria.