Effects of Agave Fructans, Inulin, and Starch on Metabolic Syndrome Aspects in Healthy Wistar Rats.

Healthy Wistar rats were supplemented during 20 weeks with commercial inulin (I) and Agave tequilana fructans (CAT), experimental fructans from A. tequilana (EAT) and A. salmiana (AS) mature stems, rice starch 10% (RS), and standard feed for rodents (C). Feed intake was kept steady, but with I, body weight and abdominal adipose tissue (6.01 g) decreased at the end. Glucose (mg/dL) (C, 120.52; I, 110.69; CAT, 105.75; EAT, 115.48; AS, 101.63; and RS, 121.82), total cholesterol (C, 89.89; I, 64.48; CAT, 68.04; EAT, 68.74; AS, 68.04; and RS, 82), and triglycerides (C, 84.03; I, 59.52; CAT, 68.56; EAT, 59.08; AS, 75.27; and RS, 81.8) kept being normal and without differences between fructans. At the end, there was a significant increase in lactic acid bacteria when the I and AS groups were compared to the C group (C, 9.18; I, 10.64; CAT, 10.34; EAT, 10.36; AS, 10.49; and RS, 9.62 log 10 CFU/g of feces). In addition, with fructans, there was an accelerated process in feces emptiness, Lieberkühn crypts kept their morphology, and there was an increment of goblet cells.

Silvopastoral systems of the Chol Mayan ethnic group in southern Mexico: Strategies with a traditional basis.

Silvopastoral systems combine trees and/or shrubs with grazing cattle. In the municipality of Salto de Agua, Chiapas, Mexico, some indigenous communities have developed silvopastoral systems based on their traditional knowledge regarding use of local natural resources. Through analysis of classification based on the composition of tree vegetation, two groups of grazing units were identified in the study area. Different attributes of tree and herbaceous vegetation, as well as of agricultural management and production, were compared between the two groups. Results indicate that at least two strategies of silvopastoral management exist. The first - LTD - is characterized by an average density of 22 adult trees ha(-1) in grazing units with an average surface area of 22.4 ha. The second - HTD - has an average of 54.4 trees ha(-1) in grazing units with an average surface area of 12.2 ha. Average richness per grazing unit for the LTD strategy was 7.2 species, and for HTD strategy it was 12.7 species. Average basal area for LTD was 1.7 m2 ha(-1), and for HTD 3.8 m2 ha(-1). Finally, the average level of fixed carbon for LTD was 2.12 mg ha(-1), and for HTD 4.89 mg ha(-1). For all variables, there was a significant difference between the two strategies. In addition, both strategies differ in prairie management. In the HTD strategy, growers spare their preferred spontaneously growing tree species by clearing around them. Many of these species, particularly those harvested for timber, belong to the original vegetation. In these prairies, average coverage of native grasses (60.8 ± 7.85) was significantly greater than in the LTD strategy (38.4 ± 11.32), and neither fertilizers nor fire are used to maintain or improve the pastures; by contrast, in HTD prairies, introduced grasses, principally Cynodon plectostachyus, have a higher average coverage (43.4 ± 13.75) than in the LTD prairies (17.08 ± 9.02). Regardless of the differences in composition of tree and herbaceous vegetation, in both types of grazing units a similar animal load is maintained. Many attributes of these silvopastoral strategies - based on traditional technology of the Chol farmers of the Tulija River Valley - concord with sustainable agriculture and provide a wide variety of services to the farmer and the environment. Diffusion of this technology in areas similar to that of this region could have a positive impact on the economy of conventional cattle raisers while generating environmental services.

Spatial configuration of land-use/land-cover in the Pujal-Coy project area, Huasteca Potosina region, Mexico.

This article analyzes the relationship between the configuration and spatial reorganization of land-use and land-cover in the Pujal-Coy project area, Huasteca Potosina region, eastern San Luis Potosí, Mexico, as well as the relationship between these changes and the environmental conditions prevailing in the area. Land-use and land-cover changes were determined through the analysis and interpretation of satellite images from different dates. The changes identified in the different study periods were correlated with the prevailing physical factors. The results show that the spatial configuration of farming activities, initially induced by the implementation of a regional development project, is highly correlated to the presence of limiting factors such as soil type, slope, and climate. Particularly, the former represents the element that has led to the establishment of the current distribution pattern of farming activities.

Quantitative characterization of nonstructural carbohydrates of mezcal Agave (Agave salmiana Otto ex Salm-Dick).

Fructans are the reserve carbohydrates in Agave spp. plants. In mezcal factories, fructans undergoes thermal hydrolysis to release fructose and glucose, which are the basis to produce this spirit. Carbohydrate content determines the yield of the final product, which depends on plant organ, ripeness stage, and thermal hydrolysis. Thus, a qualitative and quantitative characterization of nonstructural carbohydrates was conducted in raw and hydrolyzed juices extracted from Agave salmiana stems and leaves under three ripeness stages. By high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), fructose, glucose, sucrose, xylose, and maltose were identified in agave juice. Only the plant fraction with hydrolysis interaction was found to be significant in the glucose concentration plant. Interactions of the fraction with hydrolysis and ripeness with hydrolysis were statistically significant in fructose concentration. Fructose concentration rose considerably with hydrolysis, but only in juice extracted from ripe agave stems (early mature and castrated). This increase was statistically significant only with acid hydrolysis.

Variación morfológica de Opuntia (cactaceae) en relación con su domesticación en la altiplanicie meridional de México / Morphological variation of Opuntia (cactaceae) in connection with its domestication in meridional highland plateau of México

En la Altiplanicie Meridional se localiza el 35 por ciento de las especies mexicanas de Opuntia y unas 144 variantes, con distinto grado de humanización, que se usan por sus cladodios para forraje, nopalitos como verdura y sus frutos. Para contribuir a dilucidar la taxonomía del género y el proceso de su domesticación, se analizaron 42 atributos morfológicos de cladodios desarrollados, nopalitos y frutos de 243 variantes de Opuntia, recolectadas en 31 localidades de siete estados de la Altiplanicie Meridional de México. El primer eje de ordenación correspondió a un gradiente de domesticación hacia plantas con frutos grandes y cladodios sin espinas; el segundo eje de ordenación mostró otra tendencia de domesticación hacia plantas, también con frutos grandes, pero con cladodios con espinas prominentes. El tercer eje resaltó dos tendencias opuestas en las variantes menos humanizadas, caracterizadas a su vez por atributos probablemente más relacionados con la selección natural. En la clasificación se obtuvieron 76 grupos. Los atributos más importantes para su clasificación fueron la cantidad de espinas radiales y el número de espinas por aréola en los cladodios, así como el color y peso de la pulpa de los frutos. La clasificación revela los elementos del síndrome de domesticación de Opuntia para fruto; el peso de la pulpa aparece como el elemento principal, secundado por las características de las aréolas y espinas, seguidos por la longitud y color del fruto

Tendencias de la mecanización agrícola en el estado de San Luis Potosí, México / Tendencies of agricultural mechanization in san Luis Potosí state, México

Uno de los factores económicos de mayor importancia en la agricultura es el suelo y su preparación, realizada de manera eficiente y oportuna, con los medios de producción adecuados, y estándares de calidad aceptable. Sin embargo, cuando esto se hace de manera inadecuada, se presentan problemas graves debido a la alteración de los ciclos naturales de reposición de nutrientes y a la afectación de la relación de equilibrio dinámico entre el suelo, la flora y la fauna silvestre. El deterioro físico, químico y biológico del suelo se manifiesta en problemas de disminución de la fertilidad, erosión y contaminación, que se revierten hacia el hombre y los propósitos que lo llevaron a transformar el medio. Para formular una estrategia estatal de mecanización y desarrollo agrícola, este trabajo se enfocó a nocecer la situación de la mecanización agricola en el estado de San Luis Potosí, México, para lo cual se acopió información de bibliotecas y directamente de campo. Se concluye que existe una relación estrecha entre los cultivos de autoconsumo y los instrumentos agrícolas de tracción animal, así como entre los cultivos comerciales y las máquinas agrícolas motorizadas. Sin embargo, dentro de estos últimos se presentan prácticas que sólo pueden realizarse con instrumentos manuales y de tracción animal, ya que el uso de la maquinaria motorizada requiere el cambio de toda la tecnología. Esto explica la existencia de ambos medios de producción en la agricultura comercial de San Luis Potosí; los cambios de cultivo y las prácticas tradicionales, implican que los animales de tiro tiendan a ser desplazados