Fondazione Edmund Mach

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    12424 research outputs found

    Propolis hydroalcoholic extracts: biochemical characterization and antifungal efficacy

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    The present study investigated the antifungal potential of hydroalcoholic extracts of propolis against the causal agent of grey mould, Botrytis cinerea, by in vitro and in vivo assays. Five different propolis from different Italian regions were subjected to hydroalcoholic extraction using different ethanol concentrations and extraction methods. The preliminary bio-assay showed significant inhibitory effects on B. cinerea mycelial growth of propolis extracts obtained using 90% ethanol and subjected to sonication. The calculation of EC50 values, based on the demonstrated efficacy of non-volatile and volatile metabolites of propolis extracts, was useful to understand the main fraction involved in the antifungal activity of the samples and to perform the in vivo assay on grape and blueberry fruits. Three of the propolis extracts showed a high amount of genistein. Conversely, the other two propolis showed a fair amount of apigenin, caffeic acid, chrysin, ferulic acid, kaempferol, luteolin, p-coumaric acid and quercetin. From the volatile analysis of propolis, the main compounds detected were α-cadinol, α-eudesmol, calamenene, cadinol, benzyl acetate, benzyl benzoate and benzyl alcohol. The results suggest that propolis extracts have potential as an effective postharvest antifungal treatment, with varying degrees of efficacy depending on the extraction method and the type of propolis metabolite

    Data Treatment for LC-MS Untargeted Analysis

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    Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) untargeted experiments require complex bioinformatic strategies to extract information from the experimental data. Here we discuss the "data preprocessing," the set of procedures performed on the raw data to produce a data matrix which will be the starting point for the subsequent statistical analysis. Data preprocessing is a crucial step on the path to knowledge extraction, which should be carefully controlled and optimized in order to maximize the output of any untargeted metabolomics investigation

    Citizen science platforms can effectively support early detection of invasive alien species according to species traits

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    Early detection and rapid response are essential to deal effectively with new introductions of invasive alien species (IAS). Citizen science platforms for opportunistic recording of species are increasingly popular, and there is potential to harvest their data for early detection of IAS, but this has not been tested. We evaluated the potential of data from existing citizen science platforms for early detection of IAS by obtaining 687 first records of species from 30 European countries where there was both an official first record (i.e. published in scientific literature or by a government agency) and a record in a citizen science platform. We tested how the difference between the two (time lag) was related to species traits, popularity in citizen science platforms, public and research attention and regulatory status. We found that for 50% of the time lag records, citizen science platforms reported IAS earlier than or in the same year as the official databases. Although we cannot determine causality (the first official record could have been from a citizen science platform, or contemporaneous with it), this demonstrates that citizen science platforms are effective for IAS early detection. Time lags were largely affected by species traits. Compared with official records, vertebrates were more likely to have earlier records on citizen science platforms, than plants or invertebrates. Greater popularity of the IAS in citizen science platforms and its observation in neighbouring countries resulted in earlier citizen science reporting. In contrast, inclusion in the EU priority list resulted in earlier official recording, reflecting the efficacy of targeted surveillance programmes. However, time lags were not affected by the overall activity of citizen platforms per country. Synthesis and applications. Multi-species citizen science platforms for reporting nature sightings are a valuable source of information on early detection of IAS even though they are not specifically designed for this purpose. We recommend that IAS surveillance programmes should be better connected with citizen science platforms, including greater acknowledgement of the role of citizen scientists and better data flow from smaller citizen science initiatives into global databases, to support efficient early detectio

    Profiling and visualization of organic acids in grape plants by desorption electrospray ionization imaging

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    Organic acids play a crucial role in determining the quality of grapes and their derived products, such as wine and juice. Despite their critical role in grapevine physiology and fruit quality, limited research has investigated the distribution of these acids within grape plants. This study employed desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) imaging to rapidly profile and image key organic acids across various grape tissues. By analyzing the ratios of tartaric and malic acids in different tissues, we leveraged DESI's semi-quantitative capabilities. The results not only align with previous quantitative findings but also reveal distinct spatial distributions of these acids. Malic acid was predominantly localized in the cortex and epidermis, while tartaric acid was concentrated in the pith region of stems, stem junctions, and near veins in leaf blades. These patterns suggest tissue-specific biosynthetic activities and provide spatial evidence for multiple active pathways in tartaric acid synthesis within grape plants. Overall, this study advances our understanding of organic acid metabolism in grapes and highlights DESI as a powerful and high throughput tool for obtaining semi-quantitative chemical data with high spatial resolution in plant scienc

    Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) polymorphisms in Cupressus sempervirens (CNR-IBBR-C-SEMPERVIRENS)

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    The dataset derives from the first large-scale analysis using nuclear molecular markers to assess the genetic diversity and structure of Cupressus sempervirens L. Genetic and fossil data were combined to infer the possible role of human activity and evolutionary history in shaping the diversity of cypress populations. Thirty populations with six polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers were analyzed. Dramatic reductions in heterozygosity and allelic richness were observed from east to west across the species range. Structure analysis assigned individuals to two main groups separating the central Mediterranean and eastern populations. The two main groups could be further divided into five subgroups, which showed the following geographical distributions: Turkey with the Greek islands Rhodes and Samos, Greece (Crete), Southern Italy, Northern Italy, and Tunisia with Central Italy. This pattern of genetic structure is also supported by SAMOVA and Barrier analyses. Palaeobotanical data indicated that Cupressus was present in Italy in the Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene. Furthermore, the survey showed that Italian cypress populations experienced bottlenecks resulting in reduced genetic diversity, allelic richness, and higher genetic differentiation. Recent colonization or introduction may also have influenced levels of diversity detected in the Italian populations, as most individuals in this range today have multilocus genotypes also present in the eastern range of the species. The data reveal a new interpretation of the history of cypress distribution characterized by ancient eastern populations (Turkey and Greek islands) and a mosaic of recently introduced trees and remnants of ancient, depauperate populations in the central Mediterranean rang

    No traces of emerging and priority organic pollutants in the muscles of Procambarus clarkii suggest the feasibility of its regulated and sustainable control from uncontaminated environments

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    A monitoring of organic contaminants in the muscles of the Procambarus clarkii and environmental samples of water and sediment was conducted in three Sicilian wetlands (Italy). The substances investigated in the bio- logical samples were per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phthalic acid esters (PAEs), pesticides, anti- biotics, and microcystins (MCs), all of which were below the detection limit. Given that the Louisiana red swamp crayfish is considered a bioaccumulator, the results of this study indicate that these environments are not significantly contaminated by the selected pollutants. Furthermore, the study suggests the potential uses of the edible portions of this alien species. Despite P. clarkii cannot be marketed in several countries, including Italy, it is possible that the animal biomass obtained in the frame of the monitoring, control and eradication activities carried out by local authorities, could be exploited for various purposes, such as food, feed and biotechnology. This would reduce the costs associated with disposal and make these activities more sustainable in the long term, thereby contributing to the preservation of ecosystems that are currently threatened by this invasive species

    Exploring the potential of black soldier fly live larvae as a sustainable protein source for laying hens: a comprehensive study on egg quality

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    Live insect larvae were recently proposed for use in laying hens in intensive chicken farming as an innovative form of environmental enrichment. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of laying hen age and feeding with live Black Soldier Fly larvae (BSFL) on egg quality attributes, i.e., chemical composition, fatty acid (FA) profile, and metabolic profile using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. To this aim, 108 Lohman Brown hens were housed in 27 cages (9 replicates per treatment, 4 birds per pen) and monitored between 16 and 34 weeks of age. The hens were split into three experimental groups: a control group fed a commercial diet, and two experimental groups fed the same commercial diet plus 15% or 30% of live BSFL, as fed basis on the expected daily feed intake (DFI). The experimental treatments did not affect the egg and eggshell quality attributes. The supplementation with live BSFL did not influence the chemical composition in terms of macronutrients or the main NMR profiles of egg yolk and albumen. The FA profile of the egg yolk significantly changed as the eggs from hens fed BSFL presented higher rates of SFA and PUFA (P<0.05), lower rate of MUFA (P<0.001), and higher rates of C18:2n 6 (P<0.05) and C18:3 n3 compared to the control eggs (P<0.001). There were no significant differences in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 PUFA. The age of the hens strongly affected egg quality traits (P<0.001), mainly the egg weight, shell weight, shell thickness, eggshell-breaking strength, and eggshell redness (a*) and yellowness (b*), besides the metabolic profile of both egg yolk and albumen. Considering the interaction diet * age of hens, only a few significant effects occurred on egg quality attributes and FA profile. In conclusion, a supplementation with live BSFL up to 30% of DFI may be safely used in laying hen feeding without impairing egg qualit

    Effect of indigenous non-saccharomyces yeasts on lipid compositions of Maraština wine

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    This study is the first to investigate the impact of indigenous non-Saccharomyces yeasts, including Hypopichia pseudoburtonii, Metschnikowia sinensis/shanxiensis, Metschnikowia chrysoperlae, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Lachancea thermotolerans, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Hanseniaspora guilliermondii, Hanseniaspora pseudoguilliermondii, Pichia kluyveri, and Starmerella apicola on the lipid composition of sterile Maraština grape juice and wines using the UHPLC-MS/MS method. Yeasts were tested in monoculture and sequential fermentations alongside commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Indigenous non-Saccharomyces yeasts showed the potential to improve fermentation performance and enable the development of new wine styles through the biosynthesis of an unsaturated fatty acid pathway, which was identified as the most significant pathway. In monoculture fermentations, L. thermotolerans, H. uvarum, H. guilliermondii, H. pseudoguilliermondii, and P. kluyveri significantly reduced lignoceric acid, potentially influencing wine aroma through the formation of esters and higher alcohols. Hyp. pseudoburtonii, M. chrysoperlae, M. pulcherrima, P. kluyveri, and S. apicola increased the demand for lipids, such as stearic acid, which may help preserve membrane permeability by integrating into the membrane in response to ethanol shock. The most significant impact on free fatty esters was observed in fermentations with H. pseudoguilliermondii. Furthermore, L. thermotolerans in sequential fermentations significantly reduced arachidic, stearic, and palmitic acid. P. kluyveri reduced the content of erucic and linoleic aci

    Quantifying West Nile virus circulation in the avian host population in Northern Italy

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    West Nile virus (WNV) is one of the most threatening mosquito-borne pathogens in Italy where hundreds of human cases were recorded during the last decade. Here, we estimated the WNV incidence in the avian population in the Emilia-Romagna region through a modelling framework which enabled us to eventually assess the fraction of birds that present anti-WNV antibodies at the end of each epidemiological season. We fitted an SIR model to ornithological data, consisting of 18,989 specimens belonging to Corvidae species collected between 2013 and 2022: every year from May to November birds are captured or shot and tested for WNV genome presence. We found that the incidence peaks between mid-July and late August, infected corvids seem on average 17% more likely to be captured with respect to susceptible ones and seroprevalence was estimated to be larger than other years at the end of 2018, consistent with the anomalous number of recorded human infections. Thanks to our modelling study we quantified WNV infection dynamics in the corvid community, which is still poorly investigated despite its importance for the virus circulation. To the best of our knowledge, this is among the first studies providing quantitative information on infection and immunity in the bird population, yielding new important insights on WNV transmission dynamic

    Classification of farming systems by NMR widely targeted metabolomics: a cauliflower case study

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    Organic and conventional farming systems follow a set of specific rules and consumers usually pay an extra price for organic products, since they are associated with a higher quality. Nuclear magnetic resonance allows the analysis of the metabolome in a fast, non-destructive, and automatic way, with high coverage of chemical families and accurate quantification. Cauliflower corymbs obtained from two farming systems in two consecutive years were analyzed by 1H NMR and cultivation systems were correctly classified by this approach. Eleven and 3 metabolites showed significantly higher concentrations in organic corymbs in the first and second year, respectively, indicating the impact of cultivation year in the search for markers in organic produce. These included amino acids (alanine), purines (xanthine), organic acids, and N-containing compounds (choline), demonstrating their higher nutritional qualit

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    Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Fondazione Edmund Mach is based in Italy
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