Carlos Culqui-Arce

Spontaneous fermentation of Criollo cacao involves temporal changes in culturable microorganisms and in the volatile compound profile, with potential implications for the development of aroma-related characteristics. This study aimed to characterize culturable microorganisms, assess their apparent pectinolytic potential, and evaluate the temporal dynamics of volatile compounds during spontaneous fermentation of Criollo cacao from the Lagunas rural community, Amazonas, Peru. Microorganisms were isolated at different fermentation stages, and pectinolytic potential was evaluated by screening for pectin-degradation halos on a mineral medium supplemented with pectin. Selected isolates were molecularly identified by sequencing the ITS region for yeasts and the 16S rRNA gene for bacteria. Volatile compounds were analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). All isolates evaluated in the pectin assay produced visible degradation halos, although halo diameter and area varied among isolates, indicating differences in apparent pectinolytic potential. Molecular characterization showed frequent recovery of Pichia kudriavzevii, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Hanseniaspora opuntiae among yeasts, whereas Acetobacter species were frequently recovered among bacteria. Volatile profiling revealed temporal changes in the relative abundance of alcohols, esters, aldehydes, ketones, terpenes, acids, and other compound families. Exploratory Spearman correlation analysis identified several strong temporal associations between microbial recovery frequency and VOC families, particularly involving P. kudriavzevii, Acetobacter pasteurianus, A. tropicalis, and Bacillus subtilis. However, these associations did not remain significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Overall, the integrated culture-dependent, molecular, pectinolytic screening, and volatile profiling approach provides preliminary evidence of coordinated temporal patterns between culturable microorganisms and volatile compounds during spontaneous Criollo cacao fermentation and identifies candidate isolates for further functional evaluation.

Climate change is expected to reshape the climatic suitability of Neotropical plant taxa, particularly in topographically complex regions such as the tropical Andes, yet no nationwide assessment exists for the genus Clusia L. (Clusiaceae) in Peru. We modeled its current and future potential distribution using MaxEnt, based on 245 spatially thinned occurrence records (GBIF) and bioclimatic variables from WorldClim 2.1 selected through Pearson correlation and variance inflation factor filtering. Model complexity was tuned with ENMeval using spatial block cross-validation, and future projections were generated under the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios for 2041–2060, 2061–2080, and 2081–2100 across three Global Climate Models. The model showed acceptable, stable performance (training AUC = 0.824, test AUC = 0.825), with elevation and precipitation seasonality (Bio15) as the leading predictors, together with Bio19 and Bio3 accounting for over 80% of the total contribution. Currently, only 16.61% of Peru is climatically suitable (medium–high) for the genus, concentrated discontinuously along Andean slopes and inter-Andean valleys. Both future scenarios project progressive contraction and fragmentation of suitable habitat, most severe under SSP5-8.5, where high-loss areas reach 50.43% of the evaluated territory by 2081–2100; these projections should be interpreted as plausible scenarios rather than validated forecasts, given the absence of independent data for future periods. Habitat gains were restricted to higher elevations, consistent with an altitudinal range shift. These results provide a coarse-scale spatial baseline that highlights broad patterns of climatic vulnerability for the genus, intended to guide exploratory conservation attention and future species-level research in the Andean region, rather than site-specific management decisions.

Temperature abuse during storage represents a critical factor influencing microbial behavior in meat products, particularly in non-conventional matrices such as guinea pig meat. This study aimed to characterize and compare the primary growth kinetics of Aerobic mesophilic bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in guinea pig meat burgers under controlled temperature abuse conditions (30, 35, and 40 °C). Microbial growth was monitored over 96 h and described using the modified Gompertz model to estimate key kinetic parameters, including maximum specific growth rate (µ_max) and lag phase duration (λ). Aerobic mesophilic bacteria exhibited increasing µ_max values with temperature, indicating enhanced metabolic activity under elevated thermal conditions. In contrast, S. aureus showed reduced µ_max and prolonged λ at 40 °C, suggesting stress-induced modulation of growth dynamics. These findings demonstrate that temperature increases do not uniformly accelerate microbial proliferation across different populations within the same food matrix. The contrasting kinetic responses indicate that Aerobic mesophilic bacteria and S. aureus respond differently to temperature abuse conditions, highlighting that total aerobic counts alone may not reliably predict pathogen behavior in guinea pig meat burgers.

The sustainable processing of coffee requires not only improving the efficiency of conventional operations but also advancing the recovery and valorization of bioactive compounds across the coffee value chain. In this context, emerging technologies offer eco-efficient alternatives to conventional extraction methods. This review summarizes recent advances in ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), high-pressure extraction (HPE), cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) applied to coffee beans and major coffee side streams, including pulp, husk, parchment, silverskin, and spent coffee grounds. The physicochemical principles of each technology, the main operating parameters, and their influence on extraction yield, phenolic composition, antioxidant capacity, and heat-sensitive compound preservation are discussed. Furthermore, potential synergies between combined techniques (UAE-MAE or HPE-UAE) and trends toward industrial scaling and integral valorization within a circular economy framework are highlighted. Overall, the evidence indicates that emerging technologies can intensify coffee extraction processes, increase phenolic recovery (often achieving up to two-fold improvements in total phenolic content compared to conventional techniques), and significantly reduce processing times (commonly reaching 2.5–15 min), supporting more sustainable and industrially relevant value chains.

The growing demand for fresh fruit, coupled with high postharvest losses, highlights the need for sustainable and effective preservation technologies. In this context, polymeric biocoatings are emerging as a promising alternative to conventional synthetic packaging, thanks to their biodegradability, film-forming capacity, and potential to incorporate bioactive compounds. This review article summarizes recent advances in the development of coatings based on polysaccharides, proteins, and nanomaterials, analyzing their physicochemical, functional, and sensory properties, and the main conventional and emerging application methods used in fresh fruit. It also highlights the role of phenolic compounds and essential oils as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents, along with the valorization of agro-industrial by-products under circular economy schemes. Finally, it discusses the challenges associated with standardization, industrial scaling, and consumer acceptance, proposing future perspectives aimed at designing multifunctional systems that extend the shelf life and improve the quality of fresh products, in line with environmental sustainability objectives. Unlike recent reviews, this work unifies structure–function relationships with quantitative comparisons of coating performance across fruits. It further contributes a critical evaluation of emerging application technologies and their technological and regulatory readiness, offering a distinctly more integrated perspective.

This review explores the potential of biopolymers as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics in food packaging. Biopolymers derived from plant or animal sources are crucial in extending food shelf life, minimizing degradation, and protecting against oxidative and microbial agents. Their physical and chemical properties, influenced by the raw materials used, determine their suitability for specific applications. Biopolymers have been successfully used in fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products, offering antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits. Consequently, they represent a functional and eco-friendly solution for the packaging industry, contributing to sustainability while maintaining product quality.

Essential oils exhibit antioxidant properties but are prone to oxidative degradation under environmental conditions, making their preservation crucial. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to evaluate the physicochemical properties of nanoencapsulated essential oils (EOs) extracted from the peel of sweet lemon, mandarin, lime, and orange using four formulations of wall materials consisting of gum arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MD), and casein (CAS). The results showed that EOs from sweet lemon, mandarin, lime, and orange showed higher solubility (79.5% to 93.5%) when encapsulated with GA/MD. Likewise, EOs from sweet lemon showed the highest phenolic content when using GA/CAS (228.27 mg GAE/g sample), and the encapsulated EOs of sweet lemon and mandarin with GA/MD/CAS (1709 and 1599 μmol TE/g) had higher antioxidant capacity. On the other hand, higher encapsulation efficiency was obtained in EOs of lime encapsulated with GA/MD (68.5%), and the nanoencapsulates of EOs from sweet lemon with GA/MD had higher D-limonene content (613 ng/mL). Using gum arabic and maltodextrin increased the encapsulation efficiency and D-limonene content in EO of sweet lemon. On the other hand, the formulations with casein were the most efficient wall materials for retaining D-limonene from the EOs of mandarin, lime, and orange.