Food security is essential to ensure everyone can access sufficient nutritious food. Cereals and legumes are fundamental foods worldwide. Phaseolus vulgaris L., the common bean, is an essential staple food in many nations worldwide. However, it is vulnerable to fusariosis, a disease caused by the fungus Fusarium spp. that can significantly decrease crop quality and yield. To combat plant diseases, industrial residues and plant residues are valuable due to their bioactive compounds with biotechnological applications. This study proposes using ethanolic extracts with phytochemical compounds, such as flavonoids, different from those reported in essential oils, to reduce the growth of Fusarium species both in vitro and in vivo. Industrial residues that are produced after extracting essential oils offer a promising alternative to develop organic biopesticides, promoting more sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungus capable of forming biofilms that are resistant to conventional antifungal treatments. This study evaluated the antibiofilm activity of an ethanolic extract from Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) stem and its impact on the protein composition of the C. albicans cell wall (CW). The proteomic analysis was restricted to the adherent cells that persisted after treatment, representing the more tolerant subpopulation. First, the biofilm-forming capacity of 18 clinical isolates was characterized. Subsequently, the effect of the Lippia graveolens Kunth stem extract on biofilm formation was assessed in clinical isolates of C. albicans with high and moderate biofilm-forming capacities. The results showed an MIC₉₀ of 16 mg/mL against C. albicans isolates in planktonic growth. Furthermore, the extract exhibited an antibiofilm effect, showing a 77% inhibition in the highly biofilm-forming C. albicans 2400H strain at 1.6 mg/mL. To assess how the extract influences CW composition, we analyzed the CW proteome of the adherent biofilm cells of C. albicans that persisted after exposure to the stem extract. Mass spectrometry identified 1006 total proteins, where 156 were up-regulated, and 94 were down-regulated. Of the differentially expressed proteins, we identify 40 CW proteins (CWP’s) associated with dimorphic transition, adhesion, oxidative stress, and biofilm formation. These findings provide the potential of the L. graveolens Kunth stem as a natural antifungal agent against C. albicans biofilms. In addition, we identified CWP’s associated with tolerance to the extract’s antibiofilm activity, offering mechanistic insight into persistence and potential targets for improving antibiofilm interventions.

Climate change and soil degradation represent a threat to essential crops such as maize. In Mexico, this grain is of strategic importance, yet yields are often low. Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) can help mitigate this problem. The potential of Paenibacillus dendritiformis, isolated from the “El Chichonal” volcano (Chiapas, Mexico), was evaluated as a PGPB under laboratory conditions using infertile soil. Its capacity for nitrogen fixation (NF), phosphate solubilization (PS), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, biocontrol activity, and tolerance to different pH levels, temperature, and salinity were assessed. The effect of inoculation on maize seed germination and vigor was examined in vitro through morphological variables and dry weight. Completely randomized and randomized block designs were used, along with Duncan’s test (p < 0.05) for mean comparison. Cohen’s d was used to estimate the size of the treatment effect. P. dendritiformis demonstrated NF, PS, and IAA production, a wide range of environmental tolerance, and promoted root length and number of root hairs in maize at seven days, as well as increased leaf length and area and foliar and root dry weight at 14 days. It is concluded that P. dendritiformis has potential as a PGPB for infertile soils, based on laboratory evaluations.

La salud del suelo es esencial para la estabilidad ecosistémica, biodiversidad y seguridad alimentaria. La degradación y contaminación del suelo afectan su fertilidad, por lo que es necesario el continuo monitoreo de indicadores fisicoquímicos y biológicos con finalidad de aspirar a una agricultura sostenible. A través de los biosensores es posible detectar analitos en suelo y agua, proporcionando alertas rápidas y complementando métodos analíticos convencionales. Estos biosensores, que incluyen tejidos, cultivos de microorganismos, enzimas y anticuerpos, son útiles en el sector ambiental, seguridad alimentaria y medicina para detectar diversos analitos. Para esto, se recomienda utilizar genes reporteros que están presentes de forma endógena en un organismo, los cuales se utilizan para detectar compuestos en condiciones específicas y son ampliamente utilizados por su precisión y exacta cuantificación de concentraciones de contaminantes. Este artículo de revisión presenta compilación de información global actualizada con el objetivo de reunir información más relevante sobre los aspectos que afectan al suelo y limitan su potencial productivo; asimismo, pretende proyectar amplio panorama de la importancia y alternativas que se han generado en diversas investigaciones para detectar la salud del suelo que permitan tomar decisiones de manera oportuna para su tratamiento inmediato.