The Amazonian shrub Myrciaria dubia (camu-camu) produces vitamin C-rich fruits of growing commercial interest. However, sustainable utilization requires assessment and protection of the genetic diversity of the available germplasm. This study aimed to develop and apply microsatellite markers to assess genetic diversity and construct a core collection of M. dubia germplasm from the Peruvian Amazon. Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed using an enrichment approach. The evaluation of 336 genotypes from 43 accessions of the germplasm bank, originating from eight river basins, was conducted using these newly developed markers. Genetic diversity parameters, including observed and expected heterozygosity, were calculated. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was performed to assess the distribution of genetic variation within and among accessions and river basins. Bayesian c...

La vitamina C es un nutriente esencial para el hombre y una de sus fuentes naturales son los frutos de Myrciaria dubia. Pero esta planta muestra amplia variación en contenido de vitamina C. Para ayudar a esclarecer las bases bioquímicas de esta variación, nos planteamos como objetivos determinar si las enzimas L-Galactosa deshidrogenasa (L-GalDH) y L-Gulono-1,4-lactona deshidrogenasa (L-GuLDH) están presentes en las hojas y frutos (pulpa y cáscara) del camu-camu y comparar la actividad catalítica de ambas enzimas en la pulpa de frutos cosechados de plantas que producen alto y bajo contenido de vitamina C. Las hojas y frutos fueron obtenidos de seis plantas (tres que producen bajo y tres que producen alto contenido de vitamina C) de la colección de germoplasma del INIA. La vitamina C fue extraída y cuantificada mediante HPLC. Posteriormente, de ambos grupos de plantas, se purific�...

The Amazonian shrub Myrciaria dubia (camu-camu) produces vitamin C-rich fruits of growing commercial interest. However, sustainable utilization requires assessment and protection of the genetic diversity of the available germplasm. This study aimed to develop and apply microsatellite markers to assess genetic diversity and construct a core collection of M. dubia germplasm from the Peruvian Amazon. Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed using an enrichment approach. The evaluation of 336 genotypes from 43 accessions of the germplasm bank, originating from eight river basins, was conducted using these newly developed markers. Genetic diversity parameters, including observed and expected heterozygosity, were calculated. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was performed to assess the distribution of genetic variation within and among accessions and river basins. Bayesian c...

Las microalgas son microorganismos fotosintéticos con gran potencial para abastecer las demandas energéticas mundiales. Sin embargo, los limitados conocimientos que se tienen de estos organismos, en particular a nivel molecular de los procesos metabólicos, han limitado su uso con estos propósitos. En esta investigación se ha realizado el análisis in silico de la subunidad alfa de la acetil-Coenzima A carboxilasa heteromérica (αACCasa), una enzima clave en la biosíntesis de lípidos de las microalgas Chlorella sp. y Scenedesmus sp. Asimismo, se ha medido la expresión de este gen en ambas especies cultivadas en medios deficientes de nitrógeno. Los resultados indican que la αACCasa muestra conservación estructural y funcional en ambas especies de microalgas y su mayor similitud genética con otras especies de microalgas. Asimismo, se ha mostrado que el nivel de expresión del g...

La región Loreto presenta la mayor extensión geográfica del Perú y posee una megadiversidad de especies de flora y fauna que da soporte al desarrollo de actividades socioeconómicas y culturales. En este estudio actualizamos el conocimiento de la base de datos genéticos de vertebrados existentes en Loreto. Utilizamos el buscador de secuencias genéticas implementado en el paquete rentrez del programa R, organizamos y comparamos la cantidad de secuencias en diferentes niveles taxonómicos de cada orden de vertebrados, genes más empleados y verificamos la existencia de secuencias genéticas para especies de interés comercial. Los resultados indican la existencia de 1 960 secuencias genéticas depositadas en GenBank, de los cuales 38,52% pertenecen a la Clase Peces; 29,33% son anfibios; 21,98% aves; 8,92% mamíferos y 1,22% reptiles. Estimamos que solo el 19,44% de especies de verteb...

The Loreto region has the greatest geographical extension of Peru and has a mega diversity of flora and fauna that supports the development of socio-economic and cultural activities. In this study we evaluate the knowledge of the genetic database of vertebrates in Loreto. We use the gene sequence search implemented in the R rentrez package, we organize and compare the quantity of sequences in different taxonomic levels of each order of vertebrates, most used genes and existence of genetic sequences for species of commercial interest and for conservation. Our results indicate the existence of 1 960 genetic sequences deposited in the GenBank, of which 38,52% belong to the Fish; 29,33% are amphibians; 21,98% birds; 8,92% mammals and 1,22% reptiles. Our results estimates that only 19,44% of vertebrate species in Loreto have genetic data. The genes most used for these analyzes varied in abund...

Due to the high variability in vitamin C production in Myrciaria dubia "camu camu", biotechnological procedures are necessary for mass clonal propagation of promising genotypes of this species. The aim was to establish an efficient method for in vitro callus induction from explants of M. dubia. Leaf and knot sex plants were obtained from branches grown in the laboratory and from fruit pulp collected in the field. These were desinfected and sown on Murashige-Skoog (1962) medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin(Kin). The cultures were maintained at 25±2°C in darkness for 2 weeks and subsequently with a photoperiod of 16 hours in light and 8 hours in dark for 6 weeks. Treatment with 2 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.1 mg/L BAP allowed major callus formation in the three types of explants. Calluswere generated from the first week (knots), fourt...

Due to the high variability in vitamin C production in Myrciaria dubia "camu camu", biotechnological procedures are necessary for mass clonal propagation of promising genotypes of this species. The aim was to establish an efficient method for in vitro callus induction from explants of M. dubia. Leaf and knot sex plants were obtained from branches grown in the laboratory and from fruit pulp collected in the field. These were desinfected and sown on Murashige-Skoog (1962) medium supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin(Kin). The cultures were maintained at 25±2°C in darkness for 2 weeks and subsequently with a photoperiod of 16 hours in light and 8 hours in dark for 6 weeks. Treatment with 2 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.1 mg/L BAP allowed major callus formation in the three types of explants. Calluswere generated from the first week (knots), fourt...

Introduction: Myrciaria dubia “camu-camu” is an economically important Amazonian fruit shrub known for its exceptionally high vitamin C content. Despite its commercial value, comprehensive phenotypic characterization of available genetic resources remains limited, hindering breeding programs and conservation strategies. This study aimed to characterize the phenotypic diversity of wild accessions maintained in a 36-year-old ex situ germplasm bank, one of the most comprehensive M. dubia collections globally, to provide baseline data for genetic improvement and conservation. Methods: We evaluated 43 wild accessions systematically collected from eight major hydrographic basins in the Loreto region using a stratified sampling approach to capture maximum ecological diversity and maintained in an ex situ germplasm bank established in 1988 at the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation in ...

Introduction: The ex situ conservation and characterization of native Theobroma cacao L. genetic resources are critical for sustainable cacao production and breeding programs in the face of climate change and escalating disease pressures. This study aimed to establish and characterize a novel germplasm bank from the Loreto region of the Peruvian Amazon, a key center of cacao diversity. Methods: We collected 140 native cacao accessions across 15 river basins in eight provinces of the Loreto region. Accessions were propagated using optimized grafting techniques with IMC 67 rootstock. Phenotypic evaluation was conducted on 402 plants using 36 standardized descriptors (25 quantitative and 11 qualitative). Data analysis included multivariate analysis using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) and Shannon-Weaver diversity indices to assess morphological diversity patterns. Resu...

Background: Myrciaria dubia “camu-camu” a fruit-bearing shrub native to the Amazon, is known for its high vitamin C content. However, variations in vitamin C biosynthesis and accumulation among different cultivars present challenges for commercial production. This study aimed to establish an efficient in vitro regeneration protocol for the Vitahuayo cultivar through callus induction and somatic embryogenesis. Methods: Stem and leaf explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 24-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (24-D) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) to induce callus formation. Somatic embryos were induced using Woody Plant Medium (WPM) supplemented with 2,4-D, thidiazuron (TDZ), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and kinetin (KIN). Result: The best results for callogenesis were obtained with 1 mg/L of 24-D and 0.5 mg/L BAP. Somatic embryo...

A plausible strategy to mitigate socioeconomic problems in the Peruvian Amazon is through the sustainable exploitation of biodiversity resources, such as native microalgae. Several studies worldwide affirm that these microorganisms are excellent sources of higher value products for human nutrition and possess health-promoting biochemicals, but these attributes are unknown for the native microalgae of Peru. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to evaluate the nutritional and human health-promoting potential of compounds biosynthesized by native microalgae from the Peruvian Amazon. Ten native microalgae strains of the groups cyanobacteria and chlorophyta were cultured in BG-11 medium and their biomass harvested and dried. Standardized methods were then used to determine proximate composition, fatty acids and amino acids composition, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content....