The Andes berry (Rubus glaucus Benth) has an ongoing production in Colombia and is considered a competitive market product with the potential for exportation and broad applications in agroindustry because of its high content of antioxidants, nutrients, and proteins, which are keys to a balanced diet. In this study, the effect of an Aloe vera gel coating on the preservation of the nutraceutical properties of the Andes berry was evaluated by measuring the antioxidant capacity and the total phenolic content of the fruit using the DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and Folin-Ciocalteu methods, respectively. The antioxidant activities in fruits without and with coating were 95.14 ± 3.28 mmol AAE 100 g-1 sample and 135.94 ± 1.09 mmol AAE 100 g-1 sample, respectively, after ten day of storage. The total phenolic content of the fruits with and without coating did not present significant differences, i.e., the phenol concentrations remained constant over time. Implementation of the gel coating is recommended as a low-cost and highly available option for the preservation of the Andes berry and its nutraceutical properties.

Identificación de Peronospora sparsa y evaluación del contenido de fenoles en frutos de mora de castilla afectados por este microorganismo La enfermedad mildeo velloso en mora de castilla es causada por patógenos pertenecientes al género Peronospora, el cual genera graves pérdidas en periodos cortos y afecta principalmente hojas, tallos y frutos; además, la presencia de agentes infecciosos ocasiona estrés en las plantas, activando la síntesis de metabolitos secundarios como mecanismo de defensa. El objetivo del estudio fue establecer la identidad taxonómica de la especie Peronospora causante de la enfermedad mildeo velloso en mora de castilla (Rubus glaucus Benth) cultivados en la región andina de Colombia y determinar su efecto en el contenido de fenoles totales en los frutos. La investigación se llevó a cabo en los municipios de Santuario y Santa Rosa de Cabal, departamento de Risaralda, Colombia, entre los meses de febrero y mayo del año 2017. Se seleccionaron y analizaron dos cultivos por cada municipio. Se realizó la identificación taxonómica del hongo Peronospora sp., mediante la amplificación por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) y la evaluación del contenido de fenoles totales, por el método de Folin-Ciocalteu. La especie Peronospora sparsa fue la causante de la enfermedad en mora de castilla en el departamento de Risaralda. Además, se encontraron diferencias significativas en el contenido de fenoles totales en el material evaluado (p < 0.05). La presencia del hongo P. sparsa en frutos de R. glaucus produjo un incremento en el contenido de compuestos fenólicos, pasando de 7.75 ± 0.71 mg g -1 de AGE con base húmeda en los frutos sanos, a un valor de 14.70 ± 1.11 mg g -1 de AGE con base húmeda para los frutos afectados.Palabras-clave: determinación de especies; metabolitos secundarios; mildeo velloso; productividad agrícola.

Andean blackberry is cultivated in Colombia due to its national and international commercial importance, in addition to its flavour and high nutritional value. Due to its physicochemical, morphological, and physiological characteristics, it constitutes one of the most unstable fruits in the Colombian fruit and vegetable supply chain, thereby generating economic losses. In this study, a polymer-based coating of Aloe vera and essential oil was designed, and its influence on the shelf life of Andean blackberry stored at 4 °C was studied. Once the appropriate composition was established according to the experimental design, Andean blackberries’ physicochemical parameters, the content of total phenols, and antioxidant activity were monitored over 19 days. The total soluble solids present a change between 5.2 and 5.6° Brix and 5.2 and 7.2° Brix for coated and uncoated fruits between 1 and 19 days, respectively. The coated fruits presented a lower loss compared to the uncoated fruits and the total phenol content presented a higher concentration on day 19 in the coated fruits (412.71 ± 37.5 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents L−1 sample). The coating enabled an increase in the shelf life of the blackberries, from 4 to 19 days, while preserving the physicochemical properties of the fruits. Therefore, the application of coating as a method for the post-harvest preservation of Andean blackberries represents a low-cost, easily available strategy.

This research aimed at performing the molecular characterization of commercial Papelillo avocado (Persea americana cv Lorena) cultivars from the municipality of Marsella (Risaralda, Colombia), as well as the physicochemical analysis and antioxidant activity assessment of the pulp and seed. An evaluation of 50 individuals among commercial varieties and possible patterns was performed using 17 microsatellite markers. Proximate analysis of the pulp was performed, and the fatty acid profile of oils, the antioxidant activity by the DPPH and FRAP methods, and the total phenolic content were evaluated. From the cluster analysis, Dice index, and Principal Coordinates Analysis, it became evident that all the individuals showed a tendency to group by populations. In addition, the pulp revealed high fiber contents (4.96–20.64%) and moisture (80.75–82.96%); however, it showed low oil content (5.97–6.56%). The fatty acid found in the highest proportion in seed oil is linoleic acid and that in pulp oil is oleic acid. The antioxidant activity by the DPPH method for seed oil (87.87 to 91.04%) presented a greater inhibition concerning to the pulp oil (20.34% and 24.43%), this same trend was observed by the FRAP method. Concerning the content of total phenols, the seed oil (31.94–76.30 mg GAE g-1) has a higher value than the pulp (30.18–54.30 mg GAE g-1). The set of samples was characterized as a significant source of genetic variability; thanks to the excellent alternatives they provide as rootstocks for commercial varieties such as the ‘Lorena’ cultivars. The chemical classification carried out in this study is of great importance, due to the lack of information about the oil of the ‘Papelillo’ avocado cultivated in different regions of Colombia.

In Colombia, the Andean raspberry (Rubus glaucus Benth) is of large economic significance because of its use in industry and widespread consumption as a fresh fruit. However, this crop is highly susceptible to disease by Peronospora sparsa, a fungus that causes between 50 % and 70 % production loss. Plants respond to pathogen-induced damage by increasing the production of specific secondary metabolites, such as phenolic compounds, which have broad industrial applications. This work estimated the antioxidant capacity and phenolic content of healthy and Peronospora sparsa-infected Andean raspberry fruits. Antioxidant capacity was analyzed by DPPH and FRAP methods, while phenolic compounds were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). According to the DPPH method, antioxidant capacity increased from 45.9 ± 1.61 µmol TE g−1 fresh sample in healthy fruits to 67.02 ± 0.58 µmol TE g−1 fresh sample in affected fruits. The FRAP method revealed an antioxidant response difference from 5.19 ± 0.8 mmol TE 100 g−1 fresh sample in healthy fruits vs. 10.97 ± 0.27 mmol TE 100 g−1 fresh sample in affected fruits. The phenolic compound content was observed in a range of 4.14 ± 1.16 to 72.03 ± 26.68 mg GAE L−1 for healthy fruits and from 4.48 ± 1.76 to 221.89 ± 1.18 mg GAE L−1 for affected fruits. Phenolic acids were the main phenols detected, encompassing derivatives of gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, ellagic acid, and p-coumaric acid. This work confirmed that the Peronospora sparsa-infected berries contained relatively more antioxidants and phenolic acid compounds than their healthy counterparts, and that this difference was likely due to a defense mechanism to cope with pathogen-induced damage.