Los pesticidas sintéticos utilizados para combatir las garrapatas pierden su eficacia contra determinadas especies y pueden afectar la salud humana. En el presente estudio se evaluó in vitro e in vivo el efecto del extracto acuoso de semillas de Pimpinella anisum (P. anisum) contra Rhipicephalus sanguineus e Ixodes affinis, garrapatas del perro doméstico. En las evaluaciones in vitro se aplicaron directamente a las garrapatas concentraciones de 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75 y 100 % del extracto acuoso de P. anisum. Las concentraciones que provocaron mayor efectividad en la inmovilización fueron 50%, 75% y 100%, pero esta última provocó una inmovilización por mayor tiempo (55.89 ± 0.16 min). En la evaluación in vivo, el extracto acuoso concentrado se aplicó sobre garrapatas adheridas a la piel de perros domésticos. Se utilizó Amitraz, un garrapaticida comercial, como testigo positivo. Tanto el extracto acuoso concentrado como el Amitraz provocaron el 100 % del desprendimiento de garrapatas. Sin embargo, el extracto acuoso concentrado de semillas de P. anisum fue más efectivo para reducir el tiempo promedio de desprendimiento de las garrapatas (60.81 ± 3.17 min) en comparación con el garrapaticida comercial Amitraz (145.12 ± 15.97 min). Esta investigación sugiere que el p-anisaldehído identificado en el extracto acuoso podría estar relacionado con la inmovilización y desprendimiento de R. sanguineus e I. affinis de los perros domésticos, lo que sugiere que este extracto podría usarse como biopesticida para controlar las garrapatas en perros domésticos.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, creating an urgent need for innovative, scalable, and cost-effective therapeutic strategies. Monoclonal antibodies have transformed modern oncology by enabling highly specific targeting of tumor-associated antigens and immune checkpoint pathways. However, their production in conventional mammalian cell systems remains expensive and requires extensive infrastructure. Plant molecular bioengineering has emerged as a promising alternative platform for the production of recombinant biopharmaceuticals, offering advantages such as rapid scalability, reduced manufacturing costs, biosafety, and flexible expression systems. This review summarizes recent developments in the production of plant-based anticancer biologics, with particular emphasis on therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. The review includes plant-derived antibodies targeting HER2, PD-1, and PD-L1, which have demonstrated structural integrity, antigen-binding capacity, and biological activity comparable to those of their mammalian-derived counterparts. In this study, we performed a comparative computational structural analysis of trastuzumab and pembrolizumab using experimentally determined antibody structures as references and computationally modeled plant-associated Fc glycoforms, with particular emphasis on Fc N-glycosylation and glycan solvent accessibility. Overall, advances in synthetic biology, precision glycoengineering, and controlled cultivation technologies highlight the potential of plant biofactories as promising platforms for the development of next-generation, affordable, and globally accessible cancer immunotherapies.

Microalgal molecular farming represents a promising platform for sustainable recombinant biopharmaceutical production. This review integrates advances in chloroplast engineering, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence with experimental evidence and comparative bioinformatic analyses. Chloroplast genomes from eight representative microalgal species were examined to evaluate genomic organization, phylogenetic relationships, and synteny relevant to genetic engineering. Experimental studies involving recombinant therapeutic proteins, antibodies, and vaccine antigens were reviewed to assess the potential of different microalgal expression systems. Additionally, ten biomedically relevant proteins were comparatively analyzed to characterize structural complexity, receptor-binding interfaces, and evolutionary conservation. Detailed structural analyses of erythropoietin (EPO), interferon-α2b (IFN-α2b), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) evaluated glycosylation-site accessibility, solvent-accessible surface area, intermolecular interactions, disulfide bonds, and structural conservation. The findings highlight protein-specific requirements for folding, post-translational modifications, and receptor recognition, emphasizing the importance of matching therapeutic protein characteristics with suitable microalgal expression strategies. Overall, this integrated approach provides a framework for rational host selection and the development of next-generation microalgal biofactories for recombinant biopharmaceutical production.

Anthracnose produced by Colletotrichum gloeosporioidesis a post-harvest mango disease causing big economic losses worldwide. Plant pathogens have increased their resistance to chemical fungicides. The use of natural formulations for disease control represents a healthier alternative. Therefore, testing new natural antimicrobial agents is necessary. Several natural agents for phytopathogen control have been described. Their effectiveness depends on various factors such as their composition, concentration and the environment. We evaluated the antifungal activity of organic crude extracts of Citrus x paradisi(grapefruit), Citrus reticulata(tangerine) and Citrus aurantium(sour orange) and a treatment with chitosan in mango fruits cv. Tommy Atkins against C. gloeosporioides. The extracts obtained with hexane from dried sour orange peels had a considerable fungicidal effect on the radial growth of the fungus. Also, the parameters evaluated in mango fruits demonstrate that the chitosan treatment delays the development of symptoms of anthracnose.

In the SARS-CoV-2 lineage, RNA elements essential for its viral life cycle, including genome replication and gene expression, have been identified. Still, the precise structures and functions of these RNA regions in coronaviruses remain poorly understood. This lack of knowledge points out the need for further research to better understand these crucial aspects of viral biology and, in time, prepare for future outbreaks. In this research, the in silico analysis of the cis RNA structures that act in the alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and deltacoronavirus genera has provided a detailed view of the presence and adaptation of the structures of these elements in coronaviruses. The results emphasize the importance of these cis elements in viral biology and their variability between different viral variants. Some coronavirus variants in some groups, depending on the cis element (stem-loop1 and -2; pseudoknot stem-loop1 and -2, and s2m), exhibited functional adaptation. Additionally, the conformation flexibility of the s2m element in the SARS variants was determined, suggesting a coevolution of this element in this viral group. The variability in secondary structures suggests genomic adaptations that may be related to replication processes, genetic regulation, as well as the specific pathogenicity of each variant. The results suggest that RNA structures in coronaviruses can adapt and evolve toward different viral variants, which has important implications for viral adaptation, pathogenicity, and future therapeutic strategies.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of B vitamins and cysteine on the formation and development of shoots in Stevia rebaudiana (S. rebaudiana) Morita II, without the addition of plant growth regulators. Design/methodology/approach: The starting material consisted of nodal segments, subjected to eight different vitamin treatments. The results were analyzed using mean comparisons and Tukey's test to identify statistical differences. Results: The most effective treatment was treatment number two, which yielded an average of 7.5 shoots per explant, demonstrating its efficiency for multiplication. For explant elongation, treatment five proved to be the most effective. Limitations of the study/implications: This study aims to establish a multiplication protocol with enhanced efficiency; however, a limitation is the transferability of the results to temporary immersion bioreactors. Findings/conclusions: Thiamine and cysteine are two organic compounds that induce multiple sprouting, while nicotinic acid and pyridoxine promote the elongation of Stevia explants. This research represents a significant step towards transferring this knowledge to grassroots technological enterprises.