Artículos científicos

First documented record of Hudsonian whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) in Paraguay

2026-09-18T17:11:44Z

First documented record of Hudsonian whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) in Paraguay Clay, Robert Paul; Davey, Selene; Caballero Gini, Andrea Natalia; Alvarado, Arturo; Lesterhuis, Arne Jent The Hudsonian whimbrel Numenius hudsonicus is a migratory shorebird that breeds in Arctic Canada and Alaska (USA) and occurs primarily in coastal habitats during the nonbreeding season in Latin America and the Caribbean. Inland records in South America are rare. Here we report the first documented record of Hudsonian whimbrel for Paraguay. A single individual was observed on a sandbank on 26 November 2025 during a boat-based survey of shorebirds along the Paraguay River in the department of Cordillera. The bird was identified based on its size, structure, plumage, and wing-tail proportions, which excluded other curlew species. This record also represents the first documented occurrence of Hudsonian whimbrel within the Paraná-Paraguay watershed and suggests that the species is a very rare inland vagrant in southern South America. Corresponding author. Correspondence to Andrea Caballero-Gini, ancgini@gmail.com.

Obtaining carotenoids and capsaicinoids (Capsicum chacoense) with a green solvent (Acrocomia aculeata almond oil)

2026-09-14T17:46:37Z

Obtaining carotenoids and capsaicinoids (Capsicum chacoense) with a green solvent (Acrocomia aculeata almond oil) Coronel Méndez, Eva Eugenia Soledad; Correa Quevedo, María Laura; Russo, Malena; Zaracho, Carlos; Caravajal, María; Caballero Soto, Silvia Beatriz; Villalba Salas, Rocío Andrea; Mereles Ceuppens, Laura Graciela Capsicum chacoense (wild red pepper) and Acrocomia aculeata almond (Paraguayan coconut) are fruits native to Paraguay which are little-used and can be sources of important bioactive compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the use of Paraguayan coconut kernel oil as a green solvent for the extraction of carotenoids and capsaicinoids from wild red pepper. Ultrasound-assisted extraction was performed (solvent ratio; 0.7 g/mL, amplitude 80%, for 17 min). The freeze-dried red pepper fruit, coconut oil, and coconut+red pepper oil were characterized by total carotenoids, total capsaicinoids, total phenolic compounds (TPCs), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), fatty acid (FA) profile, and color. It was possible to extract 46.7% of the carotenoids and 42.5% of the capsaicinoids present in the red pepper. However, only about 7% of TCP and TAC were maintained in the coconut+red pepper oil obtained. In the FA profile of red pepper oil, oleic acid and palmitic acid were observed as the main FAs. Conversely, in coconut oil, lauric acid and oleic acid were observed as the main components. In coconut+red pepper oil, the same main FAs were found, but in a lower percentage of lauric acid and higher percentage of oleic acid. Based on the results, coconut oil is a green solvent for the extraction of lipophilic secondary metabolites such as carotenoids and capsaicinoids. These can provide sensory characteristics such as color and flavor to coconut oil from Capsicum chacoense. In the oil obtained (coconut+red pepper), a significant difference in the FA profile was also seen, where the majority FA was oleic acid. Correspondence: lauramereles@qui.una.py.; Presented at the VI International Congress la ValSe-Food, Lima, Peru, 23–25 September 2024.; This article belongs to the Proceedings of VI International Congress la ValSe-Food.

Effect of disinfection and drying of wild carob pods (Neltuma sp.) on the safety of the carob flour

2026-09-14T14:05:18Z

Effect of disinfection and drying of wild carob pods (Neltuma sp.) on the safety of the carob flour Martínez Jara, Karen Patricia; Sotto, Natasha; Villalba Salas, Rocío Andrea; Caballero Soto, Silvia Beatriz; Mereles Ceuppens, Laura Graciela In the hostile and challenging environment of the Paraguayan Chaco, the wild carob pods (Neltuma spp.) are a valuable vegetable resource that provides nutrition and significant economic opportunities for the local populations by means of carob flour production. However, the microbiological quality of the carob flour is limited due to the manual gathering. The main objective of this investigation is to find an efficient disinfectant and its minimum application level to obtain microbial stability in carob flour. The microbial load (total mesophilic aerobes, moulds, and yeasts, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp.) of the flour obtained by disinfection with citric acid (1 and 3%) and sodium hypochlorite (1 and 3%) was compared. Drying tests were carried out at time intervals of 2, 4, 6, and 7 h on whole carob pods to obtain flour in a hot air circulating tray type dryer, and humidity was used as a response variable in a thermobalance (desirable humidity < 5%). A combined process of disinfection with 3% citric acid and hot air circulating tray-type drying for 7 h at 60 °C is proposed to obtain an innocuous carob flour of high microbiological quality. Correspondence: lauramereles@qui.una.py.; Presented at the VI International Congress la ValSe-Food, Lima, Peru, 23–25 September 2024.; This article belongs to the Proceedings of VI International Congress la ValSe-Food.

Conservation notes, first record of Trachemys dorbigni in Paraguay, and an illustrated bilingual key to Paraguayan testudines

2026-09-11T19:19:37Z

Conservation notes, first record of Trachemys dorbigni in Paraguay, and an illustrated bilingual key to Paraguayan testudines Smith, Paul David; Galeano, Sergio; Ríos Díaz, Sergio Daniel Ten species of native Testudinids in three families have been documented to occur in Paraguay, eight of which are of national conservation concern. Many species are known from few or largely undocumented records, and there exists confusion in the nomenclature employed historically that has contributed to persistent misunderstandings. With this in mind and in the light of new data, we critically review the latest conservation assessment and provide recommended amendments for five species. To address these issues and to assist future researchers with reaching an accurate identification, we provide the first illustrated, bilingual (English/Spanish) key to Paraguayan species. We also provide the first documented records of Black-bellied Slider Trachemys dorbigni and the family Emydidae as an autochthonous species in Paraguay, taking the number of native Paraguayan species to eleven.; Se ha documentado la presencia de diez especies nativas de Testudinidos en Paraguay, pertenecientes a tres familias, y ocho de las cuales enfrentan amenazas a su conservación a nivel nacional. Muchas especies se conocen a partir de registros escasos o prácticamente indocumentados, y existe confusión en la nomenclatura empleada históricamente, lo que ha contribuido a malentendidos persistentes. Con esto en mente y a la luz de nuevos datos, revisamos críticamente la última evaluación de conservación y ofrecemos modificaciones recomendadas para cinco especies. Para abordar estas cuestiones y ayudar a futuros investigadores a lograr una identificación precisa, presentamos la primera clave ilustrada bilingüe (inglés/español) de las especies paraguayas. También proporcionamos los primeros registros documentados de la tortuga de vientre negro (Trachemys dorbigni) y la familia Emydidae como una especie autóctona en Paraguay, elevando a once el número de especies nativas paraguayas. Corresponding author, email: faunaparaguay@gmail.com.