Vasconcellea Pubescens Research Articles

Chilean papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens A. DC.) residues as a source of bioactive compounds: Chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and antiglycation effects

The Chilean papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC.) is a climacteric fruit that grows in the north and center of Chile. During its processing, residues formed mainly by mucilage and seeds are produced and mostly discarded, despite being a potential source of bioactive metabolites. This work aimed to apply untargeted metabolic analysis by HPLC-DAD-QToF to study the chemical composition of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts from Chilean papaya residues and evaluate their antioxidant and antiglycation capacities. Twenty-three metabolites were tentatively identified in papaya residues, including one carboxylic acid, one glycosylated hydroquinone, four flavan-3-ols, three proanthocyanidins, twelve glycosylated flavonols, one carbohydrate, and one alkaloid reported for the first time. The antioxidant capacity measured as the scavenging of DPPH• and ABTS•+ radicals was comparable with that of ascorbic acid. Chilean papaya extracts decreased fluorescent Advanced Glycation End (AGE) products and oxidative modifications in proteins induced by glucose.

Appreciation of the Ethnobotany of Carica (Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC.) by the Dieng Plateau Local Community

Carica (Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC.) is a mountain papaya species with limited distribution in Indonesia, found in the Dieng Plateau, Central Java. Carica is well utilized by the Dieng Plateau community based on its local knowledge system. The decline of local knowledge is increasingly worrying, necessitating documentation efforts through ethnobotanical studies. This study aimed to examine the appreciation of the local community of the Dieng Plateau towards Carica ethnobotany. This study was descriptive research employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches, with interview techniques. The study was conducted in three Dieng Plateau villages: Dieng, Sembungan, and Karangtengah villages. The 30 respondents were selected by purposive and snowball sampling. The research instruments included interview guides and questionnaires. Appreciation was analyzed descriptively with a quantitative approach using a Likert scale. The results showed an excellent appreciation for preserving Carica in the surrounding environment (97.3%), while there was a low appreciation for using Carica to treat certain diseases (38%). Based on age, the elderly category showed the best appreciation for Carica utilization. Appreciation as a practice of local knowledge in the management and utilization of Carica can contribute to the conservation of Carica in the Dieng Plateau.

The Heritagescape of Kichwa People of Nizag Built upon Traditional Plant Usage along a Chimborazo Variant of the Andean Road System or Qhapaq Ñan

To document the dynamics of biocultural heritage, we studied traditional uses of plants on a segment of the Andean Road System, or Qhapaq Ñan, within the central Andes of Ecuador, home of the Kichwa community of Nizag. Here, residents preserved a rich diversity of plants within their agricultural fields, or chakra, of the Andean landscapes, upholding a culture steeped in traditional knowledge. Wild and domesticated plants are a cornerstone for the community, prompting the development of ethnobotanical management strategies with a conservation approach. The diverse plant uses aim to revalue their culture, fortify their self-identification as an indigenous community, and ensure the transmission of ancestral knowledge. This research aims to ascertain the ethnobotanical applications of this venerable community. Employing participatory action research, semistructured interviews were conducted with 43 community informants to gather ethnobotanical data on the flora applied within their territory, spanning categories such as food, agriculture, crafts, living fences, construction, fuel, ornamental, environmental, technological, and medicinal services. The findings indicate that age, rather than educational level and gender, significantly influences the variation in plant usage knowledge. In total, 142 plant species were cataloged, comprising herbs (58%), shrubs (23%), trees (15%), and climbers (4%). The most represented families were Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Poaceae. Notably, 96% of these species provide some type of environmental service or fulfill a niche within the socioecological system. Medicinal uses were reported for 89% of the plants, while 56% served agricultural purposes, primarily in fertilizer production and forage. Additionally, 44% of the plants are utilized as food, typically consumed fresh. Among the medicinal plants, leaves are the most used part (58%), prepared as infusions and poultices. The prevalent ailments addressed include respiratory and urinary system conditions, with Borago officinalis, Carica pentagona, Vasconcellea pubescens, and Origanum mejorana being the most frequently employed plants.

Food uses, functional activities, and bioactive compounds of three Ecuadorian Vasconcellea fruits: Bibliometric analysis and review

Vasconcellea, the most abundant genus within the Caricaceae family, encompasses twenty-one out of the 35 species in the family, predominantly found in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, where they are utilized for both culinary and medicinal purposes. This study investigates the research trends, patents, and nutritional and functional potential of three native Ecuadorian species in the genus: Vasconcellea stipulata V.M. Badillo (toronche), Vasconcellea pubescens (V.M. Badillo) (chamburo), and their natural hybrid Vasconcellea x pentagona V.M. Badillo (babaco). Utilizing bibliometric analysis via a Scopus dataset of 117 documents and sixteen unique patents through Patentscope. Our findings reveal V. pubescens as the most studied species, followed by V. x pentagona and V. stipulata, with scientific production primarily originating from Chile, Brazil, Ecuador, and the United States. Patents focus on V. pubescens, particularly in cultivation and applications of protease and alcohol acyltransferase enzymes. Gastronomically, these species find common usage in jams, juices, and preserves and ritual beverages, with limited innovation. Food technology uses are mainly meat tenderization and beer clarification. Rich in nutrients, all three species offer health and dietary benefits, accompanied by diverse functional activities including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiparasitic, and antiseptic properties. Thirty-seven bioactive compounds, including organic acids, carotenoids, esters, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, amino acids, isothiocyanates, alcohols, tocopherols, and phytosterols, were reported across the species. This study underscores the global and local economic, industrial, and health-related significance of Vasconcellea species, while also indicating directions for further research and exploration to realize their full potential.

Effectiveness of Carica (Carica pubescens) marinade on buffalo meat physicochemical

Abstract Carica (Carica pubescens) is a type of mountain papaya that contains the enzyme papain and is proteolytic. Carica fruit also contains flavonoids, alkaloids, polyphenols, and tannins that have antibacterial properties. Buffalo meat has a rough texture, is tough, dark red, and has a distinctive flavour. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of Carica marination on the physicochemical quality of buffalo meat. This study used a completely randomised design with 4 treatments and 6 replicates. The treatments in the study consisted of C0: without Carica marination, C1: buffalo meat marination using 15% Carica, C2: buffalo meat marination using 30% Carica, and C3: buffalo meat marination using 45% Carica. The results showed that marinating buffalo meat using Carica had a very significant effect (P˂0.01) on pH and tenderness and a significant effect (P˂0.05) on protein content, moisture content and cooking shrinkage. The best treatment was sample C2 with pH 5.65, cooking loss 26.3%, moisture content 69.3%, protein content 20.8% and tenderness 0.0560 mm/g/s. This study concluded that 30% Carica marinade effectively improves the physicochemical quality of buffalo meat. Carica can potentially develop as a tenderiser in the meat product industry in a sustainable manner.

Mucilage extracted from Chilean papaya seeds is enriched with homogalacturonan domains.

Chilean papaya, also known as mountain papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens), is a fruit valued for its nutritional value and pleasant fragrance. The oblong fruit, featuring five ridges and a seed-filled mucilage cavity, is typically consumed cooked due to its high protease content. The mucilage and the seeds are usually discarded as byproducts. This study analyzed the biochemical composition of mountain papaya seed mucilage using methods such as HPAEC and immunolabeling. Results revealed that papaya seeds yield nearly 20% of their weight in mucilage polysaccharides, which can be separated into soluble and adherent layers. The mucilage exhibited a high proportion of acidic sugars, indicating that homogalacturonan (HG) is the predominant domain. It also contained other domains like rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) and hemicelluloses, predominantly xyloglucan. The HG-rich mucilage, currently considered waste, emerges as a promising source of polysaccharides, indicating its multifaceted utility in various industrial applications.

Callus Formation and Its Characteristics of Mountain Papaya in Vitro Endosperm Culture

Callus Formation and Its Characteristics of Mountain Papaya <i>in Vitro</i> Endosperm Culture

Genetic Diversity and Phylogenetic Relationships of Mountain Papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) in Dieng Plateau Based on Internal Transcribed Spacer Sequence

The Dieng Plateau is an area used to cultivate Mountain Papaya (&lt;em&gt;Vasconcellea pubescens&lt;/em&gt; A.DC.) as a food commodity in Indonesia. Research on diversity and relationships is vital as a first step in Mountain Papaya conservation in the Dieng Plateau. The study aims to determine the genetic diversity and relationship between Mountain Papaya accessions using Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences. Fourteen accessions of Mountain Papaya with different sex distributions and altitudes are amplified using ITS1 and ITS4 primers. The genetic diversity is analyzed using the DnaSP 5.10.1 program. The Maximum Likelihood (ML) approach in MEGA 11 is utilized for assessing phylogenetic tree data based on ITS-rDNA regional sequences. With high haplotype diversity (Hd) values of 1.000 ± 0.027 and high nucleotide diversity (π) values of 0.09674 ± 0.00978, Mountain Papaya exhibits a high level of genetic diversity. Three main clades were identified in the phylogram tree based on the 14 ITS-rDNA sequences of Mountain Papaya. The results of this diversity data can support breeding programs intended to boost Mountain Papaya variety production.

Partial sequence analysis and relative expression of the HSP70 gene of Vasconcellea pubescens

Environmental factors affect nearly all land areas on the planet. Global warming is one of the most destructive of these factors because it has adverse effects on crop production systems. Plants are sessile organisms that have evolved complex mechanisms to cope with stress factors. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are one of those mechanisms. In this study, we analyzed a partial gene sequence that encodes for HSP70 protein in Vasconcellea pubescens. We also measured the relative expression of the gene in plantlets of Vasconcellea pubescens and performed biochemical assays under heat stress. The plantlets were exposed to three temperatures 25° C (control), 45 °C and 55 °C (stress temperatures) for 4 hours. The bioinformatic analysis led to the first description of a partial sequence of the HSP70 gene and its evolutionary history in V. pubescens. We found significant differences for relative expression of theHSP70 gene, percentage of electrolyte leakage, and proline content between plants subjected to heat stress and those in the control group. Our results showed that V. pubescens displays thermotolerance even under extreme temperatures. V. pubescens is a poorly studied species that may contain genes of biotechnological interest (such as HSP70) that could be used for plant genetic modification.

SEX EFFECT ON THE TELOMER LENGTH, ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION, AND PHYTOCHEMICAL CONTENT OF HIGHLAND PAPAYA (VASCONCELLEA PUBESCENS A.DC.) LEAVES

Highland papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC.) is a monoecious and dioecious plant with female and male organs. In Indonesia, three sexes of highland papaya exist with different telomere lengths, which protect chromosomes and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from damage. Therefore, the purposeful study aimed to determine the telomere length, elemental composition, and phytochemical content of highland papaya leaves belonging to their different sexes. The telomere length observed and studied in said leaves (female, male, and monoecious) used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure. A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis provided a more detailed material of leaves, while an energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX) helped observe elemental composition. Phytochemical content analysis ran by histochemical analysis. The results showed that the telomere lengths of young female, male, and monoecious leaves differed at 381, 391, and 396.66, respectively. According to the SEM analysis, nonsignificant differences occurred in the leaf surface of the three sexes of highland papaya leaves. Observation with EDX showed that sodium (1.98%) surfaced in female plant leaves; however, sodium and chlorine did not show in male plants. Monoecious leaves had sodium and chlorine at 0.88% and 0.28%, respectively. The histochemical analysis provided an overview of the distribution of flavonoids and tannins in young leaves of highland papaya. A discovery also noted the existence of both compounds in the adaxial and abaxial epidermis, mesophyll, xylem, phloem, sheath parenchyma, secretory cavities, and trichomes. The study concluded that sex affects telomere length, elemental composition, and the phytochemical content of highland papaya leaves. The study suggests that knowing the highland papaya’s sex is vital in plant breeding and genetics and could help improve plant health and productivity.

PLANT SEGREGATION AND POLLEN CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGHLAND PAPAYA (VASCONCELLEA PUBESCENS A.DC.) BASED ON SEX TYPES

Highland papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC.) is a member of the family Caricaceae and native to Ecuador. The plant’s introduction and cultivation were successful in specific highland areas of Indonesia but with limited growing areas. V. pubescens has monoecious and dioecious characteristics and allows fruit production from female dioecious and monoecious plants. This plant is valuable, and the knowledge about its sex pattern, though still limited, is crucial for its efficiency, productivity, and development. Hence, the presented study aimed to explain the patterns of plant segregation, as well as, pollen morphology and germination based on sex in V. pubescens. The investigations began by recognizing the total population of V. pubescens in its cultivated area for grouping and mapping according to sex. Observations on the pollen characteristics, such as, morphology and germination, used light microscopy and a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The results revealed that the basis for plant segregation pattern depended on sex in male and female dioecious and monoecious plants of V. pubescens (1:5:1). In both sexes, the pollen morphological characteristics showed that the unit of monads, prolate spheroidal, radial, tricolporate, isopolar, reticulate, and P/E index of male dioecious pollen was 0.70, while monoecious was 0.52. Anthers and pollen grains from the male plant were round, but those of monoecious elongate more. However, no significant differences occurred among the sexes for pollens. The pollen grains from male flowers on male dioecious plants showed faster germination than monoecious individual plants, having a difference of 25.14 days.

Various macro and micro-morphological characters of three sex types of highland papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) in Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Laily AN, Daryono BS, Purwantoro A, Purnomo. 2022. Various macro and micro-morphological characters of three sex types of highland papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) in Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 6238-6246. Highland papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC.), locally called karika, is a fruit plant successfully introduced to Java, Indonesia. V. pubescens plays an essential role as it contains various substances that can be used as ingredients in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. This plant is dioecious and monoecious as it contains three sex types, namely female, male, and monoecious. It grew from seed and began to bear fruit two years after sowing. The consumer preference for fruit is produced from female plants because female plants produce fruit faster, more abundantly, and with maximum fruit size under suitable environmental conditions. Sex differentiation is important for farmers to ensure the growth of female plants. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the variation in macro and micro-morphological characters. The results showed that leaf and flower differ in macromorphological characters among the three sex types. Similarly, there were considerable differences in the trichomes of female and monoecious plants based on micro-morphological characteristics. There was no significant difference in seed shape between those. Seeds from female and monoecious plants differed in macro and micro-morphological characters. Macro and micro-morphological characters might have potential applications in early sex determination in V. pubescens. Macro and micro-morphological characters have many potential applications in early sex determination in V. pubescens.

Effect of High- and Low-Temperature Drying Methods on Fatty Acid Profile and Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Traits of Papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens)

Effect of High- and Low-Temperature Drying Methods on Fatty Acid Profile and Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Traits of Papaya (<i>Vasconcellea pubescens</i>)

The Hypolipidemic Effect of Mountain Papaya and Bitter Melon Fruit Ethanolic Extract in Diabetic Rats

Traditional medicine has been developed rapidly throughout the world to treat hyperlipidemia. However, the use of a single compound in hyperlipidemia treatment usually have low efficacy. Therefore, a combination of ingredients is bound to have more synergistic impact in therapy. This research aimed to examine the hypolipidemic potential of mountain papaya (MPE) and bitter melon fruit ethanolic extract (BME) in alloxan-induced rats. Forty rats divided into eight groups were used in this study. Groups are divided into normal control, negative control, positive control, as well as MPE and BME groups which divided into single doses and three combination doses. Induction of 150 mg/kg alloxan intraperitoneally were performed to generate a model of diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The treatment was carried out for four weeks of the experiment. The single and combination doses of both extracts sufficiently exhibited hypolipidemic activity (p &lt; 0.05). The levels of lipid profiles total such as cholesterol, triacylglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and very high-density lipoprotein were decreased after MPE and BME administration (p &lt; 0.05). The combination of MPE and BME also has hypolipidemic action equivalent to simvastatin. The single and combined doses of mountain papaya, as well as bitter melon fruit ethanolic extracts, have the potential to improve the biochemical (lipid profile) modifications of alloxan-induced.

IPerforma Larva Lalat Tentara Hitam (Hermetia illucens) sebagai Biokonversi Limbah Industri Pengolahan Carica Dieng (Vasconcellea pubescens) di Wonosobo

Waste in the form of skins and seeds originating from the Dieng carica (Vasconcellea pubescens) processing industry can be an environmental problem if not handled properly. BSF (Hermetia illucens) larvae as a bioconversion agent are expected to be a solution to this problem. The study was conducted experimentally using a completely randomized design (CRD) with 6 treatments and 4 replications including control treatment, P1 = 100% husk, P2 = 75% husk + 25% seed, P3 = 50% shell + 50% seed, P4 = 25% skin + 75% seeds, and P5 = 100% seeds. The observation time of the study was carried out for 21 days. The main parameters observed were the value of feed consumption and waste reduction index (WRI), while the supporting parameters were larval biomass, head capsule diameter and survival rate. The data obtained were analyzed using ANOVA with an error rate of 5%, and if the treatment had a significant, continued with the DMRT test with an error rate of 5%. The results of the study with various types of feed showed that the value of digested feed consumption by BSF larvae ranged from 60.42% - 81.26%. Meanwhile, the value of the waste reduction index (WRI) ranged from 2.82% - 3.73%. Waste reduction value of more than 50% indicates the effectiveness of BSF larvae in degrading organic waste. Thus the use of this type of feed in the form of feed using BSF larvae is effective in reducing the processing waste of Carica Dieng (V. pubescens).

Low-temperature vacuum drying as novel process to improve papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) nutritional-functional properties

A novel dryer operating at low temperatures under vacuum conditions was used to study the drying kinetics and resulting physical and nutritional-functional properties of papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens). Drying experiments were carried out at 10, 20, 30 and 40°C and constant vacuum (1 kPa). Proximate composition, dietary fiber content, color and non-enzymatic browning changes were determined. The drying time of the fruit was significantly influenced by the temperatures. After drying, proximate and dietary fiber compositions slightly varied in value. Dried samples were brighter and exhibited low Maillard potential. The retention percentages of dried samples at different drying temperature with respect to the fresh sample ranged from 71.8 to 131.3 % for total phenolic content (TPC), 73.7 to 137 % for β- carotene content, 76.1 to 85.5 % for vitamin C content and 48.7 to 86.9 %, for total flavonoids content (TFC). Antioxidant properties of papaya decreased significantly after drying. Overall, this study demonstrated that low temperature vacuum drying (LTVD) improved the retention of dried papaya bioactive compounds. However, the combination of this drying technique with other techniques is suggested to improve drying rate.

Callus induction of mountain papaya endosperm (Vasconcellea pubescens A. DC) with different combination of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and Kinetin

Endosperm as a result of double fertilization in Angiospermae shows high level chromosomes and polyploidy. It is also considered as dead tissue that unable to be generated to form plantlet. The aim of this research is to determine the effect of kinetin and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in induction of callus formation of mountain papaya. This research used A factorial randomized block design with 18 groups, 1 fruit was used for 1 experimental group. Culture using Murashige and Skog (MS) media with combination of three level of kinetin (0, 2, 4 mgL-1) and six level of 2,4-D (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 mgL-1). Maximum endosperm callus induction (0.88%) was achieved from endosperm explant cultured on MS medium fortified with 2.0 mgL-1 Kinetin and 4.0 mgL-1 2,4-D. The fastest day induction (24,66 day) was observed with 5.0 mg L-1 2,4-D. The maximum number of browning (0,10) was induced by 2.0 mgL-1 Kinetin and 5.0 mgL-1 2,4-D. Combination Kinetin and 2,4-D proved could induces callus formation from mountain papaya endosperm.

'Candidatus Liberibacter' Pathosystems at the Forefront of Agricultural and Biological Research Challenges.

'Candidatus Liberibacter' Pathosystems at the Forefront of Agricultural and Biological Research Challenges.

Potencial nutricional da farinha de frutos verdes de Vasconcellea quercifolia A. St.-Hil.

Abstract Non-conventional food plants have a variety of bioactive compounds with nutritional value. Vasconcellea quercifolia A. St.-Hil., belonging to the Caricaceae family, is a dietary alternative with excellent nutritional composition. This study aimed at characterizing the nutritional composition of mountain papaya (V. quercifolia) green fruit flour, in order to incorporate it in a functional food. For that purpose, the flour was characterized regarding its macro and micronutrients, anti-nutritional factors, pH, water activity, and color. This flour showed contents of carbohydrate of 22.31%; protein of 9.65%; dietary fiber of 32.80%; lipids of 14.95%, 63.56% of which are unsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid; and ash of 9.10%, with higher concentrations for potassium, calcium and magnesium. Therefore, V. quercifolia flour had good nutritional characteristics and might be used as supplementary food.

Supplementation of Garcinia mangostana Linn and Vasconcellea pubescens A.DC extract reduced exercise-induced oxidative stress in rats

The objective of this study was to see how supplementation with Garcinia mangostana extract (GME) and Vasconcellea pubescens extract (VPE) affected exercise performance and oxidative stress in intensely exercised rats. Twenty-five male rats were used in the study. Rats were divided into five groups: normal, stress oxidative control, combination GME:VPE (50:50), combination GME:VPE (75:25), and combination GME:VPE (25:75) groups. The antioxidant activity of a single extract from the literature was used to make the percentage comparison between extracts. The chronic exercise was done by swimming at 10 m/day for two weeks. Rats in the acute exercise groups were treated by swimming on the pail containing water. Blood samples were collected from the orbital sinus to determine hematological parameters. Liver tissue samples for the analysis of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GPx) markers. Data analysis was performed statistically using One Way ANOVA. The combination of GME and VPE was shown to be effective in reducing oxidative stress and increasing MDA and GPx enzyme activity. The administration of both extracts also showed changes in the hematological profile.