Next-Generation Proteomics Reveals a Greater Antioxidative Response to Drought in Coffea arabica Than in Coffea canephora

Drought is a major threat to coffee, compromising the quality and quantity of its production. We have analyzed the core proteome of 18 Coffea canephora cv. Conilon Clone 153 and C. arabica cv. Icatu plants and assessed their responses to moderate (MWD) and severe (SWD) water deficits. Label-free quantitative shotgun proteomics identified 3000 proteins in both genotypes, but less than 0.8% contributed to ca. 20% of proteome biomass. Proteomic changes were dependent on the severity of drought, being stronger under SWD and with an enrolment of different proteins, functions, and pathways than under MWD. The two genotypes displayed stress-responsive proteins under SWD, but only C. arabica showed a higher abundance of proteins involved in antioxidant detoxification activities. Overall, the impact of MWD was minor in the two genotypes, contrary to previous studies. In contrast, an extensive proteomic response was found under SWD, with C. arabica having a greater potential for acclimation/resilience than C. canephora. This is likely supported by a wider antioxidative response and an ability to repair photosynthetic structures, being crucial to develop new elite genotypes that assure coffee supply under water scarcity levels.

Soil enzymatic activity under coffee cultivation with different water regimes associated to liming and intercropped brachiaria

ABSTRACT: This research evaluated the effects of coffee cultivation with two different water regimes associated or not with liming and the presence/absence of brachiaria as intercrop on the activities of the soil enzymes β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase and acid phosphatase. The study was carried out at the experimental farm of Embrapa Cerrados, using the cultivar IAC 144 (Coffea arabica L.), under a clayey dystrophic Cerrado Oxisol. Two water regimes (WR) were considered, WR1 with irrigation shifts throughout the year and WR3 with controlled water stress, for about 70 days, in the dry season. In each water regime, effects of lime application (with/without) and the presence/absence of brachiaria cultivated between the lines of coffee plants were evaluated. The activities of the enzymes β-glucosidase, arylsulfatase and acid phosphatase were evaluated during the rainy and dry seasons. Liming and intercropped brachiaria positively affected the activities of the three enzymes assessed in this study at varying degrees, depending on season and/or the WR. Our findings evidenced that intercropped brachiaria in coffee rows was the factor that most positively impacted soil enzymes activities.

Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties of Coffea Arabica/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite prepared by green synthesis

The present study focuses on an efficient eco-friendly method for reducing graphene oxide (rGO) using Coffea arabica leaf extract for bio-medical applications for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The reduction of graphene oxide (GO) using Coffea arabica leaves was verified through Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD peaks corresponding to GO at 2 =10º have dissapeared on reduction of GO to rGO and the formation of rGO was verified through a new broad peak at 2 =26º. FTIR revealed functional group changes in reducing GO to rGO. The SEM images of rGO showed a ribbed form instead of the rigid appearance of the GO flakes. The analysis revealed that the current green method is a feasible method for reducing GO to rGO and formation of the Coffea arabica/rGO nanocomposite. The composite prepared from young coffee leave exhibited higher antioxidant capacity than matured leave against scavenging 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals. Fascinatingly, the Coffea arabica/rGO nanocomposite showed an anti-inflammatory activity as well suggesting that the Coffea arabica /rGO nanocomposite is promising candidate for bio-medical applications in near future.

Incidencia de nemátodos asociados a las principales zonas productoras de café (Coffea arabica L.) en la región de Puno, Perú

El ámbito amazónico de la región Puno es una de las principales zonas productoras de café en el Perú, altamente susceptibles a nematodos fitoparásitos que pueden afectar la producción y propiciar el ingreso de otras plagas y enfermedades. Por ello se plantea como objetivos reseñar géneros de nematodos parásitos y de vida libre que se asocian al cultivo de café, identificar la especie del género Meloidogyne y evaluar incidencias poblacionales de nematodos asociados al cultivo según la altitud del lugar en las principales zonas productoras de la región, en los distritos de San Juan del Oro, San Pedro de Putina Punco y San Gabán. Se evaluaron 129 muestras de 11 campos de cultivo, entre altitudes de 800 y 1416 msnm, que fueron procesadas por el método de fluctuación centrifuga en solución de sacarosa. Se identificaron los siguientes ocho géneros de nematodos fitoparásitos: Meloidogyne spp., Helicotylenchus spp., Pratylenchus spp., Xiphinema spp., Mesocriconema spp., Dorylaimus spp., Tylenchus spp., Hemicycliophora spp., así como nematodos de vida libre, entre ellos el género Mononchus spp. Por medio de la prueba de electroforesis de isoenzima se identificó a Meloidogyne exigua. No se encontró diferencia de incidencia entre el género Meloidogyne spp. y nematodos de vida libre. Los géneros Helicotylenchus y Mesocriconema disminuyeron sus poblaciones a mayor altitud.