Central America Research Articles

Climate Change Impact on Photovoltaic Production From the Perspective of Climate Models: a Systematic Review

Objective: This study investigates how the researchers approached the theme the climate change impacts on photovoltaic production (PVP) from the perspective of simulations using climate models. Methodology: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to establish correlations between future PV production and climate change susceptibility on regional and global scales. Keywords related to the theme were used in the Web of Science database. Inclusion criteria selected only complete, free, English scientific articles related to the research theme, published between 1965 and 2023. Results and analysis: As a result, it generated a sample consisted of 58 articles on the impact of climate change on photovoltaic production, with 14 included in the final quantitative synthesis. A wide range of results was presented, stemming from both climate change models and models assessing the influence of weather-related factors on PV production. Patterns in the impacts of climate change on photovoltaic production were observed, and the main climate models used to estimate PVP were recognized, grouped, and discussed. Key databases, commonly used simulation periods, and equations linking meteorological variables to PVP were identified and examined. Conclusion: Numerous publications have emerged on the impacts of climate change on PVP, focusing on empirical equations that relate meteorological variables, cell temperature, and cell efficiency. Most studies adopted a forecast period until the end of the 21st century. The majority of the studies focused on Europe and Asia, with little research on impacts of climate changes on PVP in South and Central America.

A new species of Culumana DeLong & Freytag (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Gyponini) from Peru, with two new combinations

Culumana currently comprises fourteen species of which thirteen occur in South America, mainly in Peru and Bolivia, and one on Central America. Culumana maculosa sp. nov. is described from Peru and Curtara picchua DeLong, 1979 is transferred to Culumana. A revised diagnosis of the genus Culumana is provided. In addition, Gypona bipartita Linnavuori & DeLong, 1977 is transferred to Chilenana DeLong & Freytag, 1977.

Conservation priorities for functionally unique and specialized terrestrial vertebrates threatened by biological invasions.

Invasive non-native species (INS) continue to pose a significant threat to biodiversity, including native population declines, which can ultimately disrupt ecosystem processes. Although there is growing evidence of the impacts of INS on functional diversity, most of the existing approaches to prioritization of species for conservation still focus on taxonomic diversity, neglecting the ecological role of species. We developed the functionally unique, specialized, and endangered by invasive non-native species (FUSE INS) score to fill this gap by combining functional irreplaceability (i.e., uniqueness and specialization) of species with their extinction risk due to INS. We calculated this score for 3642 terrestrial vertebrates exposed to INS by assessing how INS affected them based on the IUCN Red List and by evaluating their specialization and uniqueness in a multidimensional functional space. Thirty-eight percent of native species were both at high extinction risk because of INS and functionally unique and specialized, making them priority species for INS impact mitigation. Priority species of amphibians concentrated in Central America and Madagascar and of lizards in the Caribbean islands, northern Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. Priority bird and mammal species were more widespread (birds, mostly in coastal areas, on Pacific islands, and in northern India and New Zealand; mammals, in southwestern Europe, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and eastern Australia). Seventy-eight species were also highly irreplaceable but not yet threatened by INS, suggesting that preventive conservation measures may help protect these species. For the 50 birds of the highest priority, 64% required conservation actions to mitigate the INS threat. The FUSE INS score can be used to help prioritize indigenous species representing large amounts of functional diversity. Incorporating functional diversity into the conservation prioritization of species and associated areas is key to accurately reducing and mitigating the impacts of INS on native biodiversity.

Precipitation variability and environmental change across late Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles in lowland Central America: Insights from Lake Petén Itzá (Guatemala) sediments

Lowland Central America, a biodiversity hotspot in the northern Neotropics, is a region where the climate is influenced by the location and expansion-contraction of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) on seasonal to millennial timescales. Paleo-records from the Caribbean Sea and the eastern equatorial and subtropical Pacific Ocean illustrate the response of regional precipitation to fluctuations in global temperature, driven by glacial-interglacial cyclicity over the past 500 kyr. Here, we present a paleoclimate and paleoenvironment record from Lake Petén Itzá, lowland Guatemala, which spans the last ∼413 kyr. Sediment in the lake recorded lacustrine and terrestrial ecosystem responses to large-scale climate variability. Precipitation patterns during MIS11-9 (∼413-304 ka BP) align with the latitudinal position of the ITCZ, with superimposed effects from the strength of the Caribbean Low-Level Jet (CLLJ). A sediment hiatus, likely attributable to mass removal processes in the lake's shallower areas, spans the period from MIS8 (starting at 304 ka BP) to the end of MIS6 (at 149 ka BP). MIS6 was characterized by humid conditions, perhaps ascribable to a more southerly extension of cold fronts and intensification of the CLLJ. During MIS5, pronounced fluctuations among all sediment variables, accompanied by an abrupt decline in precipitation, may correspond with cold events inferred from North Atlantic Ocean sediment cores. Although discontinuous, the Lake Petén Itzá sediment record provides a window into late Quaternary climate and environmental change in lowland Central America.

Troubling environmental governance: citizen legal experiments with transboundary commons

ABSTRACT Environmental phenomena shed light on the fiction that inter-state borders constitute on some level, and the limitations of state-based environmental governance. Transboundary watersheds, in particular, flow across borders of different kinds, evincing the interdependence of water bodies, both human and nonhuman. The lack of cross-border comprehensive environmental governance imposes regional forms of inequity and inefficient forms of water protection. In Central America, to address such problems, citizens have created a legal prototype for how transboundary watersheds could be governed as a commons going forward. This endeavour has been led by Salvadorans, concerned as they are by their country’s position as a lower co-riparian and their significant interdependence with transboundary water bodies. I argue that, in addition to destabilizing established approaches to environmental governance, the legal prototype opens avenues for forms of earthly politics and multispecies justice by placing the reproduction of life, human and nonhuman, side by side.

To what extent did mortality from COVID-19 in England and Wales differ for migrants compared to non-migrants in 2020 and 2021? A descriptive, observational study.

Seventeen percent of people living in the UK are migrants. In high-income countries, migrants have been shown to have better all-cause mortality but worse mortality for some specific causes such as infectious diseases. This observational study aims to quantify the extent to which mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) differed between migrants and non-migrants for the population of England and Wales, 2020-2021. We use Official National Statistics data to compare mortality from COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 by country/region of birth, expressed as the standardized mortality ratio with those born in England and Wales as the reference population. Migrants from 17 of 19 countries/regions examined had higher mortality from COVID-19 than non-migrants. The highest mortality was those born in Bangladesh (females SMR = 3.39, 95% CIs 3.09-3.71; males 4.41, 95% CIs 4.09-4.75); Pakistan (females 2.73, 95% CIs 2.59-2.89; males 3.02, 95% CIs 2.89-3.14); and the Caribbean (females 2.03, 95% CIs 1.87-2.20; males 2.48, 95% CIs 2.37-2.60). Migrants born in Antarctica and Oceania (females 0.54, 95% CI 0.42-0.40; males 0.71, 95% CI 0.51-0.88), and North and Central America (females 0.95, 95% CI 0.80-1.11; males 0.85, 95% CI 0.72-0.99) had lower mortality than non-migrants. Most migrant populations had higher mortality from COVID-19 than non-migrants in England and Wales. Policy-makers must work to integrate migration status into routine data collection to inform future research and understand the causes of the inequalities seen.

Life history of Mexican species of the genus <i>Tlaloc</i> (Cyprinodontiformes, Profundulidae)

Fish of the genus Tlaloc are distributed from southern Mexico to Central America and are a distinctive example of the endemic fauna of the Mesoamerican highlands, which has been scarcely studied in Mexico. The present study provides basic life-history data for the species Tlaloc hildebrandi, T. candalarius, and T. labialis, which are native to the headwaters of the Grijalva-Usumacinta basin in southeastern Mexico. We collected 918 specimens to determine their Length-Weight Relationship (LWR), Relative Condition Factor (Kr), sex ratio, Gonadosomatic Index (GSI), fecundity, and size at first sexual maturity. Both sexes of all species had positive allometric growth, except for T. candalarius females (isometric). Mean Kr and sex ratio values differed significantly among species. Females’ GSI values differed significantly among species but were highest during the dry season in all three species. Absolute fecundity was positively correlated with standard length and weight. Sexual maturity was reached at different lengths among species. Based on these results, we suggest that all three species present an opportunistic life strategy, which is very common in fish of the order Cyprinodontiformes. These results represent a first contribution on the life-history of this group of fish and provide basic information that is fundamental to ensuring their conservation.

Current State of Therapeutics for HTLV-1

Human T cell leukaemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) is an oncogenic retrovirus that causes lifelong infection in ~5–10 million individuals globally. It is endemic to certain First Nations populations of Northern and Central Australia, Japan, South and Central America, Africa, and the Caribbean region. HTLV-1 preferentially infects CD4+ T cells and remains in a state of reduced transcription, often being asymptomatic in the beginning of infection, with symptoms developing later in life. HTLV-1 infection is implicated in the development of adult T cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathies (HAM), amongst other immune-related disorders. With no preventive or curative interventions, infected individuals have limited treatment options, most of which manage symptoms. The clinical burden and lack of treatment options directs the need for alternative treatment strategies for HTLV-1 infection. Recent advances have been made in the development of RNA-based antiviral therapeutics for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 (HIV-1), an analogous retrovirus that shares modes of transmission with HTLV-1. This review highlights past and ongoing efforts in the development of HTLV-1 therapeutics and vaccines, with a focus on the potential for gene therapy as a new treatment modality in light of its successes in HIV-1, as well as animal models that may help the advancement of novel antiviral and anticancer interventions.

Is it all Phacelia pinnatifida? Molecular delimitations and taxonomic revision of Phacelia sect. Glandulosae in South America based on ddRADseq

AbstractPhacelia sect. Glandulosae, with ca. 62 taxa, is the most diverse of the 11 sections of the genus Phacelia (Hydrophyllaceae). The family is largely restricted to North and Central America, but the genus Phacelia has an amphitropical distribution with nine species reported from western South America, five of which have been assigned to P. sect. Glandulosae. These species are found in arid to semi‐arid Andean habitats between 1000 and 5000 m a.s.l. Species delimitation has long been confounded for this plant group in South America by some degree of taxonomic chaos – lack of typifications, dozens of synonyms, different names used for the same taxon between different countries – and poor representation in molecular phylogenies. Here, we try to improve our understanding by employing a ddRADseq strategy to investigate phylogenetic relationships of all South American representatives of P. sect. Glandulosae based on a total of 33 sampled specimens. Both maximum likelihood and species tree inference analyses of the ddRADseq data resulted in a well‐resolved topology. All five species currently recognized in P. sect. Glandulosae in South America form a highly supported monophylum including P. nana, previously considered as belonging to P. sect. Euglypta. However, the currently recognized morphospecies form a clade with very short branch lengths indicating coalescence processes at the level of population, except for P. artemisioides, which is clearly sister to the rest. Additionally, different morphospecies and ecotypes are largely retrieved as poly‐ and/or paraphyletic. Based on these results and on re‐evaluation of the morphological characters traditionally used to delineate species within P. sect. Glandulosae, we argue that these characters are of limited diagnostic value. We recommend recognizing only two South American species within this section: polymorphic P. pinnatifida and its closely related sister species P. artemisioides. A revised formal taxonomy is provided.

Current situation of neuropathology in Central America.

The present situation of neuropathology practice in the Central American region has not been addressed in the past. These are low middle-income countries, and therefore, many do not have a basic immunohistochemistry panel. Cytogenetics and molecular studies are not available in most of Central America. Pediatric brain tumors are diagnosed either by anatomical pathologists or by pediatric pathologists. Access to a weakly Latin American Tumor Board is available to consult cases, but most countries do not participate in these expert meetings. The most recent World Health Organization brain tumor book has a very broad molecular classification of pediatric brain tumors. All these factors make it very difficult to properly diagnose pediatric brain tumors in the region, and this impacts the treatment and overall survival of children with brain tumors.

The United States is a messianic state: rhetorical roots in US foreign policy since 1991

ABSTRACT How do we explain the United States’ interventionist mindset in the international system since 1991? Since the end of the Cold War and the subsequent unipolar moment, America has actively promoted democracy and human rights globally. However, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and the Taliban’s subsequent takeover prompts us to re-think the ideological roots of interventionism between 1991 and 2021. Scholars have taken two broad positions on how they view America: an empire or a hegemon. In this article, I suggest that two conceptions help explain the US actions and behaviour in the international system but do not explicitly outline the rhetorical roots of the US intentions. Drawing on historical instances of messianic tendencies in the global political structure, this paper argues that a messianic state is a nation-state that assumes the global responsibility of saving societies from an impending threat. As a messianic state, the US has used the discursive logic of saving others by drawing on American exceptionalism and the global vision of democratic peace. The messianic content in American foreign policy matured between 1991 and 2010, but it has been in steep decline since 2015 with the rise of China and American inwardness.

A CASE OF PERCEIVED BLACK MAGIC ATTACK: SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT, RECOVERY, AND REHABILITATION USING YOGA PRANA VIDYA (YPV) HEALING PROTOCOLS

Unquestionably, several modern rising societies continue to use magic, as do most traditional tribes in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and the Pacific. Medical education believes that a great deal of traditional beliefs are unscientific. Some studies tried to identify the typical symptoms of perceived black magic. this paper describes the case of a middle-aged woman affected by a perceived black magic attack whose symptoms have been treated successfully using Yoga Prana Vidya Healing Protocols. The qualitative research method is used in this study of an in-depth case research. Data was collected from the victim’s perspective through a self-narrated story supplemented with an interview transcript. Triangulation is used in the form of interview transcripts to collect relevant data from the perspectives of the two YPV healers to verify and confirm the case details for validity and confirmability. Analysis of data collected from all sources confirms the reported symptoms and the circumstances that led to the patient’s ordeal. The primary symptoms of physical pain, mental and emotional agony were healed within 25 sessions spread over 1 ½ months. The secondary symptom of panic attacks took about 6 months to recede and the patient feels fully normal. This study shows that the YPV system has powerful protocols to deal with psychic and black magic attacks successfully. YPV system offers healer training programmes to all recovered patients to become healers themselves for healing self and others. Further research may be conducted with appropriate samples to learn more about this phenomenon.

Alternative drying method for chontaduro pulp (Bactris gasipaes) by pulsed microwaves: Physicochemical analysis and kinetic model

Chontaduro (Bactris gasipaes), is a species of palm common in Central and South America. This perishable fruit is classified as a drupe. The objective of this research was to evaluate pulsed-microwave drying effect on physicochemical properties and kinetic models of two chontaduro varieties (yellow and red). The results showed that fresh yellow and red chontaduros contained 55.01 % and 64.6 % of moisture, and 6.85 % and 7.03 % of protein, respectively. Both pulsed-microwave and convective drying (control) successfully produced dehydrated materials with moisture contents below 10 % and water activities around 0.2, indicating stable products. The pulsed-microwave drying required significantly less time to reduce the water content in the fruits than convective process. In drying kinetics, all mathematical models were suitable to describe the experimental data, with the Page model showing the highest accuracy according to R2 and lowest RSEM and χ2 values. pH, acidity, fat, fiber, and ash content did not show changes after drying. However, thermally sensitive compounds, as protein and β-carotenes, were affected. Samples after pulsed-microwave drying presented 3.63 % and 5.19 % of protein for yellow and red samples, respectively. β-carotenes were reduced until to 55.51 % by pulsed-microwave and 56.96 % for convective drying. Pulsed-microwave drying is an alternative method to obtain dried products with appropriate physicochemical properties, where the heat mechanism does not adversely affect food characteristics during a short processing time. The non-traditional drying methods are a viable alternative to obtain new dried products from conventional or non-conventional sources with good physical, chemical and nutritional properties, as an increasingly demanding market.

The Political Theology of Calvinism and the Decline of American Exceptionalism

The Political Theology of Calvinism and the Decline of American Exceptionalism

Implementation of a Nurse-Initiated Antibiotic Time-Out (NATO) in Childhood Cancer Patients in Central America

Abstract Background Children with cancer are at high risk for infection and frequently require antimicrobials. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions can mitigate toxicity and development of antibiotic resistance yet the pharmacy and infectious diseases specialists who usually perform AMS are often absent in global settings. We report our experience testing a novel intervention to shift the antibiotic timeout to nurses in six pediatric oncology units in Central America. Methods The Nurse-initiated Antibiotic Timeout (NATO) is a scripted conversation between nurses and physicians to reevaluate antibiotic appropriateness after 48 to 72 hours of empiric use for febrile neutropenia. First, we performed a baseline assessment of AMS capacity using the WHO Practical Toolkit for AMS Programmes checklist. Based on these results, sites tailored a generic implementation plan emphasizing educational and documentation tools and iterative PDSA (Plan-Do, Study-Act) cycles to improve implementation and effectiveness outcomes. Results All sites collected antimicrobial use data for a minimum of two months. Four sites then piloted NATO, producing change ideas, including changes to documentation tools, antimicrobial decision categories, communication processes, and times. From August 2022 – October 2023, NATO was performed in 53.4% of febrile neutropenia episodes in the three sites reporting data. Sites had substantial NATO performance rate variation from month to month. Sites reported changes in antimicrobial therapy in 47% of episodes after a 6-month period (Figure 1). Conclusion The difference in performance rate of NATO underscores the importance of real-time reporting to adjust AMS implementation strategies. The change ideas developed by each site differed, however, core tools emerged, which will support AMS in other global settings. Next steps include comparing antimicrobial use pre- and post-intervention and determining a sustainability and scalability plan. Figure 1. Incidence of change in antibiotic therapy over time.

Exploring variations in quality parameters of Theobroma cacao L.beans from Eastern Amazonia

The cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L.) is a native crop of the tropical forests of Central America and the Amazon. It plays an important role in the economy of producing regions; however, the infrastructure remains incipient, leading to inadequate processing practices and affecting the quality of the cocoa beans. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the quality of 55 samples of Amazonian cocoa beans produced in five regions of state of Pará (Lower Tocantins River, Northeast, West, Southeast, and Trans-Amazon) through physical and physicochemical evaluations (proteins, lipids, moisture, ash, pH, acidity, and water activity), and a questionnaire with producers about fermentation and drying practices. This was followed by physical, physicochemical, antioxidant capacity, quantification of total polyphenols, and bioactive compound evaluations. According to the physical evaluation, the samples met the acceptable commercial standard, but the cut test results showed a lack of standardization in the pre-processing of cocoa beans according to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO). Among the physicochemical parameters, moisture was within the limit tolerated by legislation, and only lipids showed significant differences. Regarding antioxidant capacity, total polyphenols, and bioactive compounds, only the bioactive compounds showed significant differences, with the Lower Tocantins River region exhibiting higher values for all studied compounds. Inadequate processing practices, such as poor fermentation and drying, may lead to quality deficiencies in cocoa beans. Therefore, this study emphasizes the need for characterization of commercial cocoa beans, as well as standardization in the pre-processing of these beans. It also highlights potential variations in the quality of the beans among producing regions, owing to the vast territorial expanse of Pará, diverse cultivation conditions, variety of cocoa trees, and different methods of cocoa bean pre-processing.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Among Deported Guatemalan Migrants in Tecun Uman, Guatemala

Abstract Background Migrant populations in Central America face complex disease burdens, including respiratory viruses. A frequently overlooked sub-group within the migrant populations is the returned migrants. Assessment of COVID-19 disease burden and associated risk factors are important for identifying high-risk groups, as well as for informing disease reduction efforts, including vaccination programs. Methods As a sub-study within a larger (AGRI-CASA) cohort study, we screened and offered enrollment to returned migrants on a weekly basis in El Centro de Retornados de Ayutla, located in the Tecun Uman community along the Guatemala-Mexico border. The existing screening program includes symptomatic screening of all returnees for cough or fever; we then performed SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen testing from nasopharyngeal swab on all symptomatic and 10% of asymptomatic individuals. In our sub-study of this screened population, we collected additional clinical and exposure data and a second mid-turbinate nasal swab on all consenting adults available with COVID-like illness (CLI). The samples underwent PCR testing at the Trifinio Center for Human Development (CHD) laboratory. We did not enroll minors due to uncertainty of legal guardians. Results From January-September 2023, 10,570 Guatemalans were deported through El Centro de Salud de Ayutla, of which 5,373 (50.8%) were tested for SARS-CoV-2 and 42 (0.8%) were positive, a decrease from 2021 (n=40,927 migrants, 12,181 tested, and 714 [5.9%) positive) and 2022 (n=36,865 migrants, 12,406 tested, 403 [3.2%] positive). Our sub-study enrolled 197 (30.1%) of 655 symptomatic participants with CLI from January-September 2023. Of those, median age (SD) was 26 (7.87) years and 174 (88%) were male. The most commonly reported symptoms were cough (34.5%) nasal congestion (27.9%), sore throat (21.3%), and headache (19.3%). Of 197 participants, 163 samples were available for testing; 4 (2.5%) of those were SARS-CoV-2 antigen positive via POC testing and 5 (3.1%) of those samples were PCR-positive at the Trifinio Center for Human Development (CHD) laboratory. The PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive samples contained XBB1.15, XBB1.5.11, and XBB.1.5 variants. According to Guatemala’s Laboratorio Nacional de Salud, the main variant in the country in February and June 2023 was Omicron, especially the XBB variant. Conclusion Despite the crowding conditions for deported migrants returning from Mexico, SARS-CoV-2 positivity for symptomatic individuals was relatively low. Further studies should evaluate additional pathogens and migrants traveling in both directions to characterize the full disease burden of this vulnerable population. Combined with additional information on the vaccination status of the deported migrants, these results will be crucial in calculating the number-needed-to-vaccinate (NNV) among the departed migrant populations and the local Guatemalans as well as assessing the cost effectiveness of vaccination programs targeting these populations.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial investigation of the essential oil isolated from Montanoa bipinnatifida (Kunth) K. Koch leaves

Montanoa bipinnatifida is a perennial shrub belonging to family Asteraceae and geographically distributed in Mexico, Central America and Northern South America. This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oil isolated from M. bipinnatifida leaves through GC-MS analysis accompanied by in-depth investigation of antimicrobial properties against wide arrays of microbial strains via agar diffusion method and disk diffusion method. The GC-MS analysis of the tested oil revealed presence of sixteen components (∼99.99%), predominated by germacrene D (37.22%), β-caryophyllene (30.73%), α-pinene (4.56%) and β-germacrene (4.48%). The undiluted oil exhibits varying levels of activity against different microbes. The leaf oil showed a significant inhibition against Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis (both vegetative and spores), Mycobacterium phlei, and Candida albicans. However, its activity against Sarcina lutea, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae appears to be less pronounced. Thus, the leaf oil of M. bipinnatifida demonstrates broadspectrum antimicrobial activity and is recommended in the pharmaceutical industry to overcome the current problem related to the microbial resistance to antibiotics. Further experimental studies are warranted to investigate the underlying mechanism of action and the responsible individual components.

The externalization of legal categories: how U.S. immigration law shapes Central American youth migrants’ journeys through Mexico

ABSTRACT This article explores the relationship between the categorization of migrants under U.S. immigration laws and how Central American migrant youth understand and make decisions about their journeys through Mexico on their way to the U.S. Drawing from four years of ethnographic research in Mexico and Central America, this article shows how youth migrants learn about different legal classifications of migrants under U.S. immigration laws while transiting through Mexico and assess how such categories take (or do not take) into account their experiences during the migration journey. These assessments transform the migrant youths’ journeys – they change their routes through Mexico, and families split before crossing to the U.S. – and make them less likely to denounce or call attention to the violence they suffer in Mexico. This article ultimately shows how U.S. immigration law has an externalized effect that transforms migrants’ journeys well before migrants ever reach the U.S.

Amaranth: Multipurpose Agroindustrial Crop

Amaranthus cruentus L. (varieties: Juana, Aurelia, Elena) and Amaranthus viridis L. (variety: Callaloo) have long been utilized in food products for human consumption in Central and South America. However, there is limited information on the chemical composition of these species’ leaves and grains grown in Puerto Rico. This study aimed to fill this gap by evaluating the nutritional profile of these four amaranth varieties cultivated in Puerto Rico. A compositional analysis was conducted using official methods, focusing on lysine, protein, dietary fiber, and mineral content. The results showed high lysine content in both species. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in crude protein levels among the leaves, with Elena (23%) and Aurelia (21%) showing the highest values. While protein content among grains averaged 19%, there were no significant differences between varieties. The analysis of dietary fiber revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) and total dietary fiber (TDF) for the leaves and in IDF, soluble dietary fiber (SDF), and TDF for the grains. Additionally, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus concentrations differed significantly (p < 0.05) in the leaves, while iron, potassium, and zinc showed no significant variation. Significant differences were found in the grains for calcium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus. This research highlights the excellent nutritional value of amaranth leaves and grains grown in Puerto Rico, with Elena and Aurelia having exceptionally high protein content in their leaves.