Physicochemical and structural analyses were done of extruded snacks produced with two types of blue corn (hard and soft endosperm) combined with orange bagasse. Chemical composition, expansion index (EI), penetration force, water absorption index, and water solubility index values were calculated for all treatments. They were also analyzed with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Addition of bagasse increased crude fiber content and hardness in the extrudates. It also lowered the EI, resulting in harder products with higher numbers of pores per area but of smaller sizes than in the extrudates without bagasse. Both the X-ray diffraction patterns and infrared spectra showed the starch to lose its semicrystalline structure due to mechanical shearing and high temperature. Orange bagasse was successfully incorporated into extrudated snacks made with blue corn of different endosperm hardnesses. Blue corn is a viable base for extruded snacks, and orange bagasse is a potential source of low cost, natural source fiber.

Worldwide, 13.3% of food was wasted in 2020. Ethylene biosynthesis, responsible for fruit ripening, regulates key processes in plant growth and aging. Aptamers are DNA or RNA molecules with the capacity to bind with high affinity and specificity to proteins due to their three-dimensional structure. Therefore, conventional aptamer selection methods are often costly, inefficient, and time-consuming. In this context, in silico molecular docking offers an efficient alternative, enabling the evaluation of binding potential prior to experimental assays. This research identified aptamers with high predicted affinity for the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACC synthase) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACC oxidase) enzymes, essential in ethylene biosynthesis. Using ZDOCK for preliminary screening and HDOCK for refined analysis, aptamer-enzyme interactions were modeled. Aptamers AB451 and ABR6P.1 showed promising binding to ACC synthase, while RO33828 and O0O6O1 were optimal for ACC oxidase. These results represent a computational foundation for the development of aptamer-based inhibitors to potentially delay ripening and reduce postharvest losses. Experimental validation will be required to confirm their inhibitory function.

It was analyzed the genetic variability of (1) three strains of a pathogenic fungi of the genus Metharhizium anisopliae var anisopliae, named MA22, MA24 and MA25, brand spesifik®; (2) two strains of the product Metasaven®, named MA1A and MAII; one strain of the product Metatron®; and a native strain named MACN. This latter strain was directly isolated from the insect chapulin (Brachystola magna), from the farmer, corn plots in Durango, located in north central Mexico. Studies were conducted in the laboratory of molecular biology of the Technological Institute of the Valley of Guardiana in Durango, Mexico, from September 2008 to june 2011. The (1) genetic variability among strains after using the RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) technique using nine different oligonucleotides to observe DNA polimorphisms; (2) index of similarity among the strains and their phylogenetic relationship, and (3) percentage mortality of chapulin in a bioassay were determined. Polymorphism of the amplified bands varied between 300 and 2000 base pairs. The index of similarity was highest in the strains MAC25 and MAC24. In the bioassay, mortality of chapulin was 62.5% with MACN and 37.5% with Metratron®. Controls showed no significant differences (p>0.05) among them, with a mortality lower than 10%.

The increasing global demand for energy has intensified the need for lithium, a critical component in rechargeable batteries and electric vehicles. However, conventional lithium extraction methods are associated with significant environmental impacts. In this study, a one-step bioleaching approach for lithium recovery from mineral concentrates was evaluated using native microbial consortia and isolated bacterial strains. A suitable culture medium was selected, individual strains were isolated, and bioleaching experiments were conducted using a Box–Behnken experimental design. Lithium solubilization and cell density were assessed under different agitation conditions, pulp concentrations, and initial pH values. The highest lithium solubilization (99%) was achieved under non-agitated conditions, with a pulp concentration of 30% and an initial pH of 6. Three bacterial strains (ITDB101, ITDR102, and ITDN103) were identified. The native microbial consortium and the biotic control exhibited the highest lithium solubilization efficiencies (94.5% and 96.3%, respectively), outperforming the individual strains, which achieved solubilization values ranging from 91.73% to 93.27%. X-ray diffraction analysis identified five mineral phases in the concentrate, and comparisons among treatments revealed changes in these phases following bioleaching, supporting the potential of this process as an environmentally friendly alternative for lithium extraction.