Phaseolus vulgaris L. is one of the most consumed and documented legumes in regard to its grain composition, but little is known about P. coccineus L. To evaluate and compare the phenolic compound content and antioxidant activity between landraces of P. coccineus and P. vulgaris, a total of 14 accessions of P. coccineus and P. vulgaris were collected from farmers in Oaxaca, Mexico. Based on reference standards and spectrophotometry, the polyphenol, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents were quantified, and the antioxidant activity was determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The results showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between species and accessions, where P. coccineus and P. vulgaris significantly differed in their contents of polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, as well as their antioxidant activity in the seed coat and cotyledons. Higher concentrations were found in the seed coat than in the cotyledons for both species. P. vulgaris had a higher anthocyanin content in the seed coat and a higher flavonoid content in the cotyledons than P. coccineus, but it did not for the other compounds tested. There was high variability among the accessions that were classified into four phenotypic groups: Two of P. coccineus, one of a P. coccineus–vulgaris mixed group, and one group of P. vulgaris.

The green bean is an important crop worldwide, because it is rich in protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as bioactive compounds that provide it with important functional properties; however, the composition of many landraces is still unknown. The purpose of this project was to characterize Phaselus vulgaris and coccineus L. landrace green beans on pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, total sugars, color parameters, total phenols, monomeric anthocyanins, and in vitro antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP). Regarding the content of total sugars, differences were registered between both species, as opposed to results observed in total soluble solids. Color parameters showed higher reddish tones for P. vulgaris landraces, though P. coccineus had a higher total phenolic content, especially the reddish landraces, which correlated directly to a higher antioxidant activity by DPPH and FRAP. In the protein content, the species P. vulgaris registered the highest content. These results could contribute to a greater use and even promote the genetic improvement of the outstanding pods that serve as one of the main food products in rural regions for higher benefits.

The excessive use of pesticides in agriculture causes problems related to public health; biodiversity; the contamination of water bodies, soil and air; and general environmental degradation, including interactions with climate change effects. The aim of this work was to describe the patterns of pesticide use in 17 Latin American countries and their associations with the total harvested area and the harvested areas of the five main crops on the basis of statistics reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization from 1990 to 2021. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed four different patterns among countries according to the magnitude of pesticide application: Brazil (G1) > Argentina (G2) > Colombia and Mexico (G3) > Central and South America (G4). Together, more than 1.2 million tons of active ingredients is applied annually, carrying harmful effects and risks. In the joint analysis of both datasets (applied pesticides and harvested area), different correlations were observed between the amount of pesticides applied and the harvested area; for example, in G1 and G2, positive and significant correlations were detected between the applied amounts of total pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and bactericides and the total area harvested by the main crop, but in G3, there was a negative correlation with the five main crops.

Las preferencias de consumo de las personas son de tipo afectivo - cognitivo con base en la percepción de estímulos, y se transforman en necesidades dentro de su contexto sociocultural y territorial. Con el objetivo de evaluar la preferencia de consumo de chiles regionales en 18 centros poblados de los Valles Centrales de Oaxaca, se aplicaron encuestas a 1287 personas mayores de 15 años. Los resultados mostraron que los entrevistados prefieren consumir chile ‘Jalapeño’ (37.7 %), ‘Chile de Árbol’ (18.9 %), ‘Chile de Agua’ (15.8 %) y ‘Serrano’ (13.1 %). En referencia a los chiles regionales, los consumidores prefieren ‘Chile de Agua’ (67.1 %), ‘Paradito’ (13.8 %) y ‘Tusta’ (8.2 %), por su sabor y grado de picor. Las formas preferidas de consumo son: en salsa (36.5 %), relleno (28 %), asado (21.9 %) o rebanado en rajas (11.2 %). Las familias compran desde algunos frutos (62.3 %) hasta un kilogramo (27.3 %) por semana de chiles locales, y existe cierta regionalización de las preferencias de consumo: hacia el sur de los Valles Centrales, además de ‘Chile de Agua, se prefiere ‘Tusta’, ‘Solterito’ y ‘Tabiche’, y en las zonas este, norte y centro se prefiere a ‘Chile de Agua’, ‘Paradito’ y ‘Piquín’. Los encuestados percibieron que los chiles ‘Tusta’ (40.1 %), ‘Piquín’ (37.1 %) y ‘Paradito’ (14 %) son los acervos genéticos que se están perdiendo. La percepción de demanda y utilización documentada en este trabajo muestra que la cocina local puede favorecer la conservación de los chiles regionales.

Medicinal plants grown in natural settings are exposed to different adverse environmental conditions that determine their growth and development as well as the composition and concentration of secondary metabolites in their organs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of environmental conditions associated with localities and annual growth cycles on the contents of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, antioxidant activity and potentially bioactive phenolic acids in the roots of Eryngium montanum, a medicinal species from temperate Mexico. The samples for composition analysis were collected using a bifactorial design: Factor A consisted of the localities (Morelos and La Unión de San Martin Huamelulpam, Mexico) and Factor B was represented by the annual growth cycle (2020 and 2021). In each sample, the contents of polyphenols and equivalent flavonoids of quercetin and catechin and antioxidant activity were evaluated using spectrophotometry. Subsequently, chlorogenic, caffeic and rosmarinic acids were identified and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). The annual growth conditions and, to a lesser extent, the locality of origin of the samples significantly influenced the contents of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. The environmental conditions that occurred in 2021 favored an increase in the contents of phenolic compounds compared to those in 2020, and the same pattern was observed for chlorogenic acid; however, for caffeic and rosmarinic acids, the opposite pattern was observed. The content of phenolic acids in the roots of E. montanum follows different and independent patterns between cycles based on the interaction between the locality of origin and annual growth cycle. This study quantifies the magnitude of the total environmental effect on the phenolic compound concentrations in E. montanum roots, which was measured via sampling during two annual growth cycles, where the sampling locations factor had little influence. The bioactive compounds identified in E. montanum roots have the potential for use as alternative medicines, as mentioned by different families from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Secondary metabolites, in addition to playing an essential role in the adaptation of plants to the environment and phytochemical responses in recovery processes to stress conditions, are the base material of the healing effect of medicinal plants. In this study, the effect of growth conditions and localities of origin of Ageratina petiolaris on phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity was evaluated; the plant is used for medicinal purposes in Oaxaca, Mexico. Samples of stem and young leaves were collected from plants growing naturally (in situ) in two locations in Oaxaca and from propagules collected in situ; plants were grown ex situ to obtain a set of equivalent samples to the first sampling (in situ). In both sets of samples, total polyphenol and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity were evaluated by spectrometry, and later the phenolic acids and flavonoids were also identified and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). The growth conditions of A. petiolaris significantly influenced its phenolic composition and antioxidant activity, where samples collected in situ had a higher phenolic compounds content than did plants grown ex situ. Five phenolic acids and five flavonoids were identified, eight of which had not been reported in A. petiolaris: caffeic acid, ρ-coumaric acid, robinin, rutin, luteolin-7-glucoside, apigenin-7-glucoside, rosmarinic acid and kaempferol, in terms of HPLC-DAD analysis.