The Fungal, Nutritional, and Metabolomic Diagnostics of the Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis Affected by Bud Rot Disease in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.

The oil palm Elaeis guineensis represents one of the most important crops in Ecuador. Considering that bud rot disease is deadly in Ecuador, more attention has been given to identifying possible causes for palm debility from this disease. We studied the involvement of fungi and nutrients in triggering bud rot disease in E. guineensis. Special emphasis was given to the molecules synthesized by the plant to protect against this devastating disease. Techniques like Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) and metagenomic analysis were used to understand the possible implications of biotic and abiotic factors in the development of bud rot disease in oil palm in Ecuador. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis was used to identify the phenolic protection barrier of the palm facing the disease. Our results indicate that fungi from Ascomyceta phylum were found in the tested samples. The species directly involved are different in soil compared with plants. The results indicate a deficiency of chemical elements, such as Ca, Mn, Mg, and Fe, which are responsible for palm debility from bud rot disease. More than 30 compounds with protective roles were identified in the leaves of symptomatic plants from the first stage of the infection.

Influence of Soil Nutrient Toxicity and Deficiency from Three Ecuadorian Climatic Regions on the Variation of Biological, Metabolic, and Nutritional Properties of Moringa oleifera Lam.

Moringa oleifera Lam. contains numerous essential constituents found in all plant parts (leaves, pods, and seeds). From all its edible parts, the leaf represents an effective remedy with high potential for medicinal applications. Ecuador is part of the new promising cultivation areas for Moringa, and therefore our study is emphasized to determine the influence of soil nutrition, toxicity (excess), and deficiency, from three main areas of this country, correlated with its climatic characteristics, on the mineral components, bioactive compounds' synthesis, and antioxidant capacity of Moringa. Different analyses were performed in soil and especially leaf samples for phytochemical content, antioxidant activity, calcium, protein, and vitamin C determination to identify the relationship between soil nutrients, abiotic conditions, and the therapeutic potential of this species cultivated in Ecuador. The obtained values using methods such as DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS showed a high antioxidant capacity of the leaves from the Coastal Ecuadorian region, related with total phenolic compounds' content (through the Folin-Ciocalteu method) and flavonoids in samples, with results obtained under the positive influence of high soil nutrients such as Ca, Mg, Mn, and Fe. We can conclude that M. oleifera from the coastal area of Ecuador presents the right environmental and soil conditions to positively influence its mineral and phytochemical content, making it suitable for incorporation into foods and medicines to solve the nutritional and medical problems in Ecuador and worldwide.

Abiotic Factors from Different Ecuadorian Regions and Their Contribution to Antioxidant, Metabolomic and Organoleptic Quality of Theobroma cacao L. Beans, Variety "Arriba Nacional".

Fine flavor cocoa is a unique category of cocoa that produces almonds with high aromatic potential and several sensory benefits that make it different from the basic or ordinary cocoas. Ecuador is the world's leader in the production and export of fine flavor cocoa, responsible for 63% of the world's total production due to the commercialization of the Arriba Nacional variety, known to possess an intense aroma that is unique in the cocoa world market. Besides its organoleptic specificity, this variety represents a source of important bioactive compounds associated with both sensory and health properties. This study evaluates the influence of an abiotic factor, nutritional soil status, on the phytochemical composition (methylxantines and phenolic compounds), and antioxidant and sensory properties of Arriba variety cocoa beans originating from three different geographical regions of Ecuador. We used the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS), Folin-Ciocalteau, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ABTS free-radical-scavenging activity, the α, α-diphenyl-ß-picrylhydrazyl free-radical-scavenging method (DPPH), and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) analysis to reveal a significant correlation between Mn ions and total phenolic content, a positive implication of N in methylxanthine composition and antioxidant properties, and the importance of Ca, Mg, and K ions in increasing the flavonoid and anthocyanin content of raw cocoa beans. We showed that these nutritional elements can interfere with the nutraceutical and sensory properties of cocoa beans, as Cu, Mg, and K are correlated with anthocyaninic content, while Fe, Ca, P and Zn influenced the flavonoid content. We underline that the Arriba variety is suitable not only for the production of high-quality chocolate, but also for the increasing worldwide nutraceutical market, generating qualitative and competitive products.