Andrés Borges - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Andrés Borges

Uso de composiciones que contienen menadiona y/o alguno( s) de sus derivados hidrosolubles para b... more Uso de composiciones que contienen menadiona y/o alguno( s) de sus derivados hidrosolubles para bioestimular los mecanismos naturales de defensa de las plantas, a fin de desarrollar sus propiedades antialimentarias frente a los ataques de patógenos y plagas. Estas soluciones acuosas pueden contener indistinta o conjuntamente como componentes activos Vitamina K3, derivados suyos solubles [preferentemente menadiona sodio bisulfito ó MSB] o escasamente solubles [preferentemente menadiona nicotinamida bisulfito ó MNB], con concentraciones respectivas comprendidas entre 0.0001 y 200 ppm., 0.001 y 10000 ppm., 0.001 y 10000 ppm., preferentemente Vitamina K3 entre 0.001 y 100 ppm., MSB entre 0.01 y 5000 ppm, MNB entre 0.01 y 5000 ppm. Se aplican preferentemente por pulverización de la parte aérea da la planta o por el sistema de riego, pudiéndose mezclar con varios aditivos, como fertilizantes orgánicos e inorgánicos, insecticidas, nematocidas, fungicidas, bactericidas, herbicidas.Peer revi...

Drug Discovery - Concepts to Market, 2018

Due to the worrying increase in antimicrobial resistance to conventional antibiotics, the search ... more Due to the worrying increase in antimicrobial resistance to conventional antibiotics, the search for alternatives is becoming increasingly important. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), originating from natural resources, have been recognised as a novel class of antibiotics. An advantage of peptides over antibiotics is that the resistance is more difficult to attain than for conventional antibiotics. With the increasing number of genomes sequenced and available in the public domain, one alternative methodology to obtain novel AMPs is to analyse genes and proteins from genomic databases to predict and identify amino acid sequences that share similarities and molecular features with natural bioactive antimicrobial peptides. In this chapter, we summarise some of our recent results on the production of antimicrobial peptides, particularly, how we managed to identify a family of antimicrobial peptides: cathelicidins, through bioinformatics tools, from the genomes of two lower vertebrates (a reptile and a bird) available in public databases. We hope that our preliminary investigation with these novel peptides could be useful for the design of future strategies that pursue the production of antimicrobial peptides through biotechnology.

Agronomy, 2022

Climate change has increased the severity of drought episodes by further reducing precipitation i... more Climate change has increased the severity of drought episodes by further reducing precipitation in vulnerable zones. Drought induces a substantial decrease in agricultural water, reducing crop yields. Consequently, addressing water consumption can increase farmers’ profits. This work describes lab-to-field research in Zea mays, using two biostimulants: glycine betaine (GB) and L-pyroglutamic acid (PG). The biostimulant optimal dosages were selected using a hydroponic system with 20% polyethylene glycol and nursery experiments under water-deficit irrigation. The established dosages were evaluated in field trials in which irrigation was reduced by 20%. Laboratory biostimulant optimisation showed in stressed treated seedlings (GB 0.1 mM; PG 1 mM) an increased dry weight, relative growth rate and water use efficiency, reducing seedling growth loss between 65 and 85%, respectively. Field trials using a GB-optimised dosage showed an increase in plants’ growth, grain yield and flour Ca con...

Precision Agriculture, 2022

Under toxic aluminum (Al) levels in the soil, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) suffers stress and pla... more Under toxic aluminum (Al) levels in the soil, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) suffers stress and plant growth is affected. A method for diagnosis of plants is proposed that includes the following as a strategy: to analyze total Al in the soil, employ satellite radar imagery and calculate a vegetation index. The objective of this research, conducted at the field scale, was to explore how radar backscattering coefficients from a winter wheat canopy, combined with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and geographic information system (GIS) technology, can be used as a mapping tool for the variability of Al-stressed canopies. As a result, an analysis of covariance showed significant differences, and the lowest plant height was obtained at a high level of soil Al, as well as the minimum grain weight and magnesium content. It was found that a simple model could be used to estimate plant height from the backscattering coefficient of vertical transmit-vertical receive polarization...

Proceedings of the 1st Molecules Medicinal Chemistry Symposium, Barcelona, Spain, 2017

Plants, 2021

Water is indispensable for the life of any organism on Earth. Consequently, osmotic stress due to... more Water is indispensable for the life of any organism on Earth. Consequently, osmotic stress due to salinity and drought is the greatest threat to crop productivity. Ongoing climate change includes rising temperatures and less precipitation over large areas of the planet. This is leading to increased vulnerability to the drought conditions that habitually threaten food security in many countries. Such a scenario poses a daunting challenge for scientists: the search for innovative solutions to save water and cultivate under water deficit. A search for formulations including biostimulants capable of improving tolerance to this stress is a promising specific approach. This review updates the most recent state of the art in the field.

The Open Horticulture Journal, 2009

One derivative (Param-A) of a water-soluble compound of 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone has been comm... more One derivative (Param-A) of a water-soluble compound of 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone has been commercially launched to induce resistance against Panama disease in bananas, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense. This paper reports on a long-term experiment in order to verify the improvements that Param-A can provide in unfavourable banana culture conditions, such as those of a plantation seriously affected by Panama disease and in a soil with deficient drainage and high salinity. The results demonstrated that Param-A sprays decreased disease occurrence and delayed symptom appearance significantly. Sprays of Param-A every 60 days shortened the time from plant flowering to fruit cutting, and resulted in significantly higher yields.

Plant Pathology, 2003

Pretreatment of the first true leaves of oilseed rape plants (Brassica napus cv. Bristol) with me... more Pretreatment of the first true leaves of oilseed rape plants (Brassica napus cv. Bristol) with menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) locally and systemically induced resistance, as shown by reduced lesion size and number, to infection by the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans , the causal agent of stem canker. Using a known systemic activator of salicylic aciddependent PR-1 induction, acibenzolar-S-methyl (BTH; S-methylbenzo[1,2,3]thiadiazole-7-carbothiate) as a comparison, real-time PCR expression analysis of genes encoding a pathogenesis-related protein 1 (PR-1) and an ascorbate peroxidase (APX) demonstrated a systemic enhancement of APX expression in MSB-pretreated plants, with no effect on PR-1 expression, suggesting augmented reactive oxygen species production in MSB-pretreated plants. The results demonstrate MSB to be an effective resistance activator in oilseed rape, and potentially useful for the control of stem canker.

Phytoprotection, 2003

Fusarium wilt of banana (Panama disease), caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense, is a soilbo... more Fusarium wilt of banana (Panama disease), caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense, is a soilborne systemic disease which occludes host vascular system. We report here two experiments on resistance induction with banana plants (cv. Dwarf Cavendish) carried out in glass greenhouse with different indoleacetic acid treatments, which are capable of inducing resistance to Panama disease. The results obtained in these experiments suggest that the exogenous application of indoleacetic acid to banana plants induce resistance to Panama disease and that the resistance induction is more effective when performed using low doses and frequent applications. This work seems to confirm the role played by indoleacetic acid according to Beckman’s models as, one of the major defence factors of the host plant in vascular wilt diseases.

Fruits, 2004

Response of Dwarf Cavendish banana plantlets to inoculation with races 1 and 4 of Fusarium oxyspo... more Response of Dwarf Cavendish banana plantlets to inoculation with races 1 and 4 of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense at different levels of Zn nutrition. Abstract-Introduction. The causal agent of Panama disease in banana is Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (FOC). The authors put forward a hypothesis to account for certain disturbances of the natural defence mechanisms of banana plants against Panama disease as a consequence of very low Zn levels which could alter the mechanism of tylose formation. Materials and methods. A long-term experiment was carried out with 2-month-old banana plants in a growth chamber at 23°C using three different levels of Zn nutrition. The nutrient solutions were inoculated with FOC 1 and FOC 4. Results and discussion. None of the total plants growing in a nutrient solution inoculated with FOC 1 showed infected rhizomes at the end of the experiment, but 75% of the plants growing in pots inoculated with FOC 4 had infected rhizomes. On the other hand, rhizome infection by FOC 4 was influenced by the nutrient solutions. The data showed that the number of plants with damaged rhizomes was significantly higher in the Zn-deficient treatments (100% of plants) than in the normal Zn solution (25% of plants), these internal symptoms being seen to worsen as the presence of Zn decreased in the nutrient solution. Conclusions. The results obtained seem to confirm the role played by Zn nutrition of banana plants in the appearance of Panama disease and are in accordance with our hypothesis concerning the relationships among plant Zn nutrition, plant IAA level, tylose formation and the incidence of the disease. Likewise, under our experimental conditions, race 1 of FOC is confirmed to be non-pathogenic against this banana cultivar, while race 4 is indeed pathogenic. Spain / Musa / fungal diseases / pathogens / Fusarium oxysporum / plant nutrition / zinc Réponse de plantules de bananiers Dwarf Cavendish, soumises à différents niveaux de nutrition en Zn, vis-à-vis d'une inoculation par les races 1 et 4 du Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense.

Fruits, 2001

Introduction. To compare the mineral nutrition of organically and normally grown banana plants, o... more Introduction. To compare the mineral nutrition of organically and normally grown banana plants, observations were made on growth and yield of organic banana plants, at the Canary Islands. The data were then discussed opposite the results previously reported for conventional plantations. Materials and methods. Growth parameters (plant height, leaf emission rate, pseudostem circumference) and yield parameters (bunch weight, number of hands, finger grade, etc.) were measured during ten months on an organically grown banana plantation of Dwarf Cavendish cv. Leaf N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn contents were also assessed. Results and discussion. Leaf emission rates showed higher values in late spring and early summer (0.099-0.109 leaf. d-1), while pseudostem circumference grew more in late spring (0.238 cm. d-1) than in summer. In August, pseudostem circumference decreased dramatically, probably because the plants with a larger circumference had flowered before that month and could not be measured. Bunches gave good yields for the zone (43.59 kg on average) and had a high mean number of hands (12.79). Number of fingers of the second upper hand (25.63), their grade (37.63 cm), length (23.50 cm) and weight (165.19 g) ranged from normal to high. Month of harvesting influenced yield and quality of the fruits. Leaf content of N, P, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn fell within the normal range related to the conventionally grown banana plants. Potassium foliar content showed low levels but not deficiencies, whereas Ca leaf concentrations were high but not excessive. No relationship was found among leaf nutrient levels and growth, yield and fruit quality parameters. Canary Islands / Musa / organic agriculture / plant nutrition / growth / yields / mineral content Croissance, rendement et teneur minérale des feuilles de bananiers de culture biologique, aux Canaries. Résumé-Introduction. Pour comparer la nutrition minérale de bananiers issus de cultures biologique ou industrielle, des observations sur la croissance et le rendement de plants menés en culture biologique ont été faites pendant dix mois aux îles Canaries. Les données ont été ensuite discutées vis-à-vis de résultats précédemment publiés pour les plantations conventionnelles. Matériel et méthodes. Sur une plantation de bananiers Cavendish menée en culture biologique au sud de Ténérife, des paramètres de croissance (hauteur de la plante, rythme d'émission foliaire, circonférence de la pseudotige) et des paramètres de rendement (poids du régime, nombre de mains, calibre des doigts, etc.) ont été mesurés pendant dix mois. La teneur foliaire en N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn et Zn a été également évaluée. Résultats et discussion. L'émission foliaire a été plus élevée en fin de printemps et en début d'été (0,099-0,109 feuille. jour-1), alors que la circonférence de la pseudotige augmentait davantage en fin de printemps (0,238 cm. jour-1) qu'en été. En août, la circonférence de la pseudotige a beaucoup diminué, sans doute parce que les plants les plus larges avaient déjà fleuri et ne pouvaient donc pas être mesurés. Les régimes ont eu un bon rendement moyen (43,59 kg) pour la zone et un nombre de mains élevé (12,79 en moyenne). Le nombre de doigts (25,63) de la deuxième main, leur calibre (37,63 cm), leur longueur (23,50 cm) et leur poids (165,19 g) se sont situés dans des limites normales ou les ont dépassées. Le mois de récolte a influencé le rendement et la qualité des fruits. La teneur foliaire en N, P, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn et Zn a été comparable à celle des bananiers cultivés en plantations conventionnelles. La teneur foliaire en K a été faible sans provoquer de déficiences, tandis que les concentrations en Ca ont été élevées sans être excessives. Aucune relation n'est apparue entre les niveaux de nutrition foliaire et les paramètres de croissance, rendement et qualité du fruit. Canaries (îles) / Musa / agriculture biologique / nutrition des plantes / croissance / rendement / teneur en éléments minéraux Organically grown banana plants in Canary Islands

Environmental and Experimental Botany, 2015

For the majority of crops salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses, since about 20%... more For the majority of crops salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses, since about 20% of the irrigated agricultural land being adversely affected by it. Menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB), a water-soluble vitamin K 3 o menadione derivative, has been previously reported as a plant defense activator against several pathogens in a number of species. We have further explored the MSB effects on salt tolerance. In this study, Arabidopsis thaliana wild ecotype Col-0 plants were exposed to prolonged salt (50 mM) stress. Salt treatment resulted in severe growth inhibition. This detrimental effect was lower in terms of relative growth rate (RGR) in plants from seeds soaking in 20 mM of MSB. In these plants, the drop in RGR was nearly 30% lower than untreated plants after 7 days in salt. Furthermore, we found that the salt stress imposed was not enough to disturb photosystem II or induce the expression of several detoxification genes. These functional impairments are characteristic of ionic injuries due to high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). At the end of the second week of the experiment salt-treated plants recover RGR levels close to those of the control. Under our experimental conditions plants seem to be challenged by an osmotic stress with a minimum ionic imbalance. Those from MSB-treated seeds were primed to induce an earlier proline accumulation. Although no significant expression of ROS detoxification genes was found, several transcription factors involved in ROS signalling were detected after salt addition. In this context, MSB treatment was able to prime these transcription factors resulting in an early adaptation of plants in response to salt stress.

Plant Metabolites and Regulation Under Environmental Stress

Abstract Vitamins, since their discovery, have triggered researchers' interest mainly because... more Abstract Vitamins, since their discovery, have triggered researchers' interest mainly because of their role in human health. They are essential in cell redox reactions and also as enzyme cofactors both in animal and plant kingdoms. Over the recent years their metabolic biosynthetic pathways have been elucidated showing the important role of plant organelles and also their regulation by environmental signals such as light or salinity. In this chapter, we aim to explore the connections between vitamins and plant stress response. Biotic and abiotic stresses are likely to increase in the near future because of anthropogenic contributions and climate change, exacerbating the detrimental effects on plant development and yields. Among different strategies, including breeding by conventional or transgenic approaches, treating plants with natural or synthetic chemicals could enhance their tolerance to various stresses with less impact on their physiology and growth than nontreated plants. The mode of action of these compounds are in most cases unclear; however, the evidence regarding common tolerance activation sites and signaling pathways that appear related to enhanced tolerance against different stresses strongly supports their potential. In this regard, this chapter presents the results of studies of the effect of vitamins and vitamin-derived compounds reported to date on the laboratory model plant Arabidopsis thaliana L. and several other crop species against biotic and abiotic stresses.

13 páginas.-- Titular: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC).-- Solicitud de pat... more 13 páginas.-- Titular: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC).-- Solicitud de patente con nº: P201031482.Esta invención está relacionada con el uso de composiciones que cuando son aplicadas a los cítricos son capaces de controlar a los psílidos Trioza erytreae y Diaphorina citri, vectores de las bacterias del género Candidatus Liberibacter causantes de la enfermedad conocida como Huanglongbing (HLB), considerada como la mas destructiva que afecta actualmente a los cultivos de cítricos a nivel mundial.Peer reviewe

[EN] The present invention relates to the use of non-proline cyclic amino acids of general formul... more [EN] The present invention relates to the use of non-proline cyclic amino acids of general formula (I), wherein n, X, Y and Z have the meaning indicated in the description, to increase the tolerance of plants to conditions of osmotic stress, resulting from a lack of water in the environment. Non-proline amino acids used in the invention are of natural origin and are much more effective than other known amino acids used for the same purpose. This invention can therefore be considered very useful for preventing economic losses caused by a reduction in yield in agricultural crops.[ES] Uso de aminoácidos cíclicos no prolínicos para aumentar tolerancia de plantas a condiciones de estrés osmótico. La presente invención propone al uso de aminoácidos cíclicos no prolínicos de fórmula general (I), donde n, X, Y y Z tienen el significado descrito en la descripción, para aumentar la tolerancia de plantas a condiciones de estrés osmótico, que tienen su origen en la falta de disponibilidad de agua del medio. Los aminoácidos no prolínicos que se usan en la invención son de origen natural y presentan una efectividad muy superior a la de otros aminoácidos ya conocidos y utilizados con el mismo fin, por lo que se considera que esta invención puede ser de gran utilidad para evitar las pérdidas económicas provocadas por descenso de productividad en cultivos agrícolas.Peer reviewedConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España), Universidad de La LagunaE Solicitud de patente europe

Trabajo presentado en la XX Semana Cientifica "Antonio Gonzalez" celebrada en La Laguna... more Trabajo presentado en la XX Semana Cientifica "Antonio Gonzalez" celebrada en La Laguna, Tenerife (Espana) del 4 al 7 de octubre de 2016.

Pest Management Science, 2021

BACKGROUNDBotrytis cinerea, the causal agent of gray mold has a great economic impact on several ... more BACKGROUNDBotrytis cinerea, the causal agent of gray mold has a great economic impact on several important crops. This necrotrophic fungus causes disease symptoms during vegetative growth and also into postharvest stages. The current method to combat this disease is fungicide application, with high economic costs and environmentally unsustainable impacts. Moreover, there is an increasing general public health concern about these strategies of crop protection. We studied the protection of tomato plants against B. cinerea by previous root treatment with menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB), a known plant defense activator.RESULTSRoot treatment 48 h before inoculation with MSB 0.6 mmol L−1 reduced leaf lesion diameter by 30% and notably cell deaths, compared to control plants 72 h after inoculation. We studied the expression level of several pathogenesis‐related (PR) genes from different defense transduction pathways, and found that MSB primes higher PR1 expression against B. cinerea. Howe...