Salinity is one of the main limiting factors for agricultural production worldwide. Nanotechnology has emerged as a possible tool to improve plant tolerance to salt stress. However, the application of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles in agriculture raises questions about their safety and long-term impact. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of foliar application of ZnO nanoparticles on the physiology and defense systems of coffee plants in the presence/absence of NaCl (150 mM). A foliar spray of ZnO-NPs (0, 50, and 100 mg L⁻¹) was applied to coffee plants individually and in combination with simulated stress conditions. The results showed that the application of ZnO-NPs to plants under salt stress had both positive and negative effects. An increase in proline content ranging from 33% to 77% was detected in stressed plants treated with ZnO-NPs, in contrast to stressed plants that did not receive the application. CAT activity increased by 69.4% to 152.8% with the application of ZnO-NPs compared to plants under salt stress that did not receive the treatment. Additionally, the application of ZnO-NPs decreased H₂O₂ levels by up to 18.7% with respect to the control group. On the other hand, 45% higher Na⁺ accumulation was observed in NaCl-stressed seedlings treated with ZnO-NPs (50 mg L⁻¹). MDA levels in stressed plants treated with ZnO-NPs increased by 3% to 50%. Furthermore, the combined effect of ZnO-NP (100 mg L⁻¹) and salt resulted in a significant reduction in carotenoids, limiting their photoprotective function. The results obtained indicate the complex interaction between the application of ZnO-NPs and various physiological processes in coffee plants, including photosynthesis, antioxidant enzyme activity, and the generation of reactive oxygen species. This phenomenon requires detailed analysis to fully understand the response of coffee plants to ZnO-NPs’ application.

Direct somatic embryogenesis represents a fundamental tool for obtaining genetically homogeneous clones; however, its commercial scaling faces critical challenges at various stages of the process. In this study, a protocol is standardized for the induction and germination of somatic embryos from leaf segments, rooting, and acclimatization of four Coffea arabica hybrids: Casiopea, Excelencia, H3, and Milenio. The results show that the Casiopea and Excelencia hybrids achieve the highest induction rates (71.64% and 74.43%) and embryo production (8.74 and 10) per explant in the M1 medium, while these values are significantly lower for H3 and Milenio. In addition, the germination and conversion of embryos into plantlets are more efficient in the woody plant medium (WPM), while rooting is optimized using indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) concentrations between 1 mg L⁻¹ and 3 mg L⁻¹, regardless of the hybrid. During the acclimatization phase, plantlets treated with mycorrhizae exhibit improved morphological, physiological, and nutritional indicators, achieving a superior quality according to the Dickson index. These findings significantly reduce production times by establishing precise standards for each genotype, thereby overcoming existing gaps in production protocols and providing a solid foundation for industrial growth.

The study examined the efficacy of freeze-dried papain enzyme obtained from three Vasconcellea species (V. pubescens, V. chachapoyensis, V. heilbornii) as a natural coagulant in cheese making. Notably, the enzyme V. pubescens demonstrated the most promising results when concentrations of 2 g/L, 4 g/L, and 6 g/L were used to produce fresh cheese, while other enzyme species exhibited lower efficacy. The optimal yield of fresh cheese with minimal residual enzyme was achieved when a 2 g/L dose of papain enzyme was employed at a coagulation temperature of 30 °C, resulting in physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics comparable to those produced with commercial Hansen’s rennet. Nevertheless, an increase in the coagulation temperature (42 °C) and a higher dose of papain enzyme (4 g/L) resulted in a reduction in the yield of fresh cheese and; consequently, the residual enzyme increased. Further studies are required to determine the purity of freeze-dried papain and the most effective dosage to increase profitability for producers and consumers. Such findings could facilitate the ecological application of this alternative in producing of fresh cheese.

The figleaf gourd (Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché) is an underutilized horticultural resource of food and cultural importance in the Andes, yet its phenotypic diversity remains poorly documented. This study characterized 16 accessions collected in the Amazonas region of Peru and examined trait relationships relevant to conservation and utilization. Phenological variables, quantitative fruit characteristics, and yield components were estimated. Genotypic variance, single-environment broad-sense heritability ($H^2$), and genetic advance as a percentage of the mean (GAM) were calculated. Significant differences among accessions were detected for most evaluated traits. Days to germination ranged from 6 to 8 days, while physiological fruit maturity was reached between 120 and 150 days. Fruit mass ranged from 1.81 kg to 7.62 kg, and fruit length from 14.44 cm to 46.56 cm. Fruit mass (H² = 76.92%; GAM = 68.18%) and fruit length (H² = 87.94%; GAM = 63.67%) exhibited high broad-sense heritability and genetic advance under the evaluated conditions, indicating that these traits may be informative for preliminary phenotypic selection. However, their stability and response to selection require validation across multiple environments and cropping seasons. In conclusion, significant agromorphological and genetic variability exists in the C. ficifolia germplasm from the Amazonas Region. However, as this study corresponds to an experiment conducted at a single site and across a single cropping season, these results require further validation across multiple environments and seasons before consolidating selections for breeding programs.

The genus Vanilla (Orchidaceae) holds significant economic value due to its production of aromatic compounds; however, numerous species are increasingly threatened by overexploitation and habitat destruction, underscoring the need for comprehensive genomic resources to support evolutionary and conservation efforts. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of eight Vanilla species from Peru and Brazil. Additionally, two genomes were assembled from publicly available data. These were analyzed alongside seven chloroplast genomes from NCBI, yielding a dataset of 17 cp genomes. Genomic DNA extracted from young leaves was sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. Chloroplast genomes were assembled through a combination of de novo and reference-guided strategies and subsequently annotated using online platforms. The assembled cp genomes displayed the typical quadripartite structure, ranging from 147,372 to 163,306 bp in length and encoding 121–122 genes. Three highly variable regions (π > 0.3) and four genes ( clpP , rpl32 , rps18 , and infA ) with high nucleotide diversity were identified and proposed as promising molecular markers. Codon-based likelihood analyses provided convergent evidence of positive selection in five genes ( atpA , atpB , cemA , clpP , and ycf2 ), supported by significant likelihood-ratio tests and high-probability Bayesian Empirical Bayes (BEB) sites. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated coding sequences confirmed Vanilla as a monophyletic genus, with three well-supported clades corresponding to the current subgenus classification. These results provide important insights into the molecular evolution of Vanilla cp genomes, with relevant implications for phylogenetic, taxonomic, and conservation studies. Main Conclusion This study expands the genomic resources for Vanilloideae, increasing the number of complete chloroplast genomes in Vanilla from 7 to 17, including the first plastid genomes in Subgenus Membranacea.