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The various isozymes of peroxidase of a range of vegetables and kiwifruit were compared using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by specific activity staining. Peroxidase isozymes were determined in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), kiwifruit [Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson], cauliflower [Brassica oleracea (Botrytis group)], green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and horseradish (Armoracia rusticana Gaertn, Mey Scherb.). There was only one isozyme in cauliflower (70 kDa), two in kiwifruit (45-43 kDa), and a range of isozymes (120-36 kDa) in horseradish. Ascorbic acid inhibited peroxidase activity in the extracts.

COVID-19 is a pandemic disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is potentially fatal for vulnerable individuals. Disease management represents a challenge for many countries, given the shortage of medicines and hospital resources. The objective of this work was to review the medicinal plants, foods and natural products showing scientific evidence for host protection against various types of coronaviruses, with a focus on SARS-CoV-2. Natural products that mitigate the symptoms caused by various coronaviruses are also presented. Particular attention was placed on natural products that stabilize the Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System (RAAS), which has been associated with the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 into human cells.

Fruits and leaves of Vaccinium spp. are known for their high content of bioactive compounds, but the chemical and biological characteristics of mortiño (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth) have not been fully described. In this study, the levels of polyphenols, antioxidant capacity, anthocyanins, antimicrobial activity, and genetic variability were determined in mortiño plants. The Folin–Ciocalteu's, ABTS scavenging, pH differential, and well diffusion methods were used to evaluate the levels of polyphenols, antioxidant capacity, anthocyanins, and antimicrobial activity, respectively. The genetic variability was evaluated by sequencing of the matK and rbcl DNA regions. Polyphenol content was up to 229.81 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g, the average antioxidant capacity was 11.01 mmol Trolox equivalents/100 g, and anthocyanin content was up to 1,095.39 mg/100 g. Mortiño extracts significantly inhibited the growth of Gram‐negative bacteria including Burkholderia gladioli, Burkholderia cepacia, Salmonella Typhimurium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio vulnificus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomona aeruginosa, as well as Gram‐positive bacteria such as Probionibacterium propionicum, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis showing greater inhibition halos than those produced by the antibiotic ampicillin. A polymorphic nucleotide was found in position 739 of the matK region. This study shows the potential of mortiño for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

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Preliminary phytochemical study of methanol extracts from Vernonanthura patens's leaves located in Marcabelí (El Oro province), Ecuador. The methodology consisted of chromatographic column separations with increasing polarity solvents and the analysis of fractions by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry coupled system (GC-MS). The structure of 53 compounds was proposed. Analyzed V. patens species showed the presence of terpene and aliphatic hydrocarbons, free fatty acids and their methyl and ethyl esters, oxygen sesqui, triterpenoids and sugars. For ecuadorian species, there are no records of chemical studies.

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Biomolluscicides development is of great interest in pest management to avoid the effects on the environment caused by synthetic molluscicides. The Species: Solanum mammosum L., Sapindus saponaria L. and Jatropha curcas L. have demonstrated molluscicidal properties against Pomacea canaliculata. This study was carried with mixtures of aqueous extracts of these plants in order to check for a synergistic effect between them. Extracts obtained from each species were evaporated and lyophilized. By using a simplex centroid design were obtained ten mixes for testing. All of them were diluted to 500ppm and tested on adult snails for 24 hours of exposure followed by 24 hours of recovery on tab water. Those mixes that showed the best results of mortality were chosen to determine the median lethal dose. The formulations S. saponaria (100%) and S. mammosum -S. saponaria (50%-50%) showed the best results of mortality with LD50 values of 24.04 ppm and 17.78 ppm respectively, with no significant differences between them (p> 0.05). These results showed that a synergistic effect is not produced in the activity of these plants when the extracts mixture was performed.