Qualitative Analysis of Traditional Italian Dishes : FTIR Approach

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Enabling Context Aware Tuning of Low Power Sensors for Smart Agriculture

This paper describes an application for the context aware tuning of the data rate of a battery powered LoRaWAN multi-sensor node equipped with sensors measuring soil features like water content, temperature, conductivity, moisture and water table depth. The application aims at saving as much power as possible, granting at the same time the detection and accurate profiling of events localized in time and space (e.g., due to sudden heavy rain). The tuning rules are based on the interplay between the context heterogeneous actors (sensor data, forecasts, current season, irrigation requests) mediated by a Linked Data distribution platform interconnected to multiple private and public networks. An interoperable application is provided, whose components can be easily extended and reused

Design of Cereal Products Naturally Enriched in Folate from Barley Pearling By-Products

Folate is a fundamental vitamin for human health in prevention of many diseases; however, unfortunately its deficiency is widespread, so a greater availability of folate rich foods is desirable. The aim of this study was to design new cereal products naturally enriched in folate using barley flour from pearling as ingredient. Folate content of unfortified and fortified commercial grain-based products was considered to identify the best ingredients for new formulation and for folate content comparisons. Nineteen Italian barley cultivars were evaluated for their folate content and Natura was chosen for its highest folate levels = 69.3 μg/100 g f.w. Application of pearling gave a by-product flour with a high folate level: 221.7 ± 7.0 μg/100 g; this flour was employed to design pasta and biscuits naturally enriched in folate: 87.1 μg/100 g and 70.1 ± 3.7 μg/100 g f.w., respectively. Folate content of new products is higher than commercial samples: 39.2 μg/100 g in refined pasta, 60.4 μg/100 g in wholemeal pasta, 62.1 μg/100 g in fortified biscuits and 10.4 μg/100 g in unfortified ones. Enriched pasta had higher folate retention (68.5%) after cooking compared to the fortified one (27.8%). This research shows promising results concerning the pearling technique to design new cereal products naturally enriched in folates

Vitamins and Minerals in Four Traditional Garlic Ecotypes (Allium sativum L.) from Italy: An Example of Territorial Biodiversity

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is one of the most important food products in the world and an ancient and widespread medicinal herb. It is rich in minerals and vitamins, which are both essential nutrients for human health. This study was carried out on four traditional landraces of garlic: Rosso di Sulmona, Rosso di Proceno, Bianco Piacentino, and Rosso di Castelliri, all cultivated with the same agricultural practices in two different areas of the Lazio region. The aim was to study the effects of both production soil and genetic characteristics on the concentrations of certain micronutrients in these garlic bulbs. The content of minerals and trace elements (Ca, K, P, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn) was determined via ICP plasma after liquid washing. Water-soluble vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, thiamine, B6, vitamin C) were evaluated using an HPLC and UV detector. Among the minerals identified, potassium was most represented, with a value ranging between 645 and 1057 mg/100 g d.w., whose content is influenced by the interaction between cultivars and cultivation area, suggesting that pedoclimatic and genetic characteristics determine this content. Among vitamins, vitamin C was found to be most represented, with an amount that varied from 9.7 to 15.6 mg/100 g f.w. and did not depend on the cultivar or the geographical area. Among the B vitamins, the most abundant was vitamin B6, the maximum content of which was found in the Rosso di Castelliri cultivar grown in Viterbo (2.04 mg/100 g f.w.). Its concentration is influenced by the cultivar and the soil and their interaction. The results obtained showed good levels of essential micronutrients and highlighted that for some of them, the effect of soil typology is expressed in the presence of specific characteristics linked to the genotype

Overview of emerging issues of big data technologies, and real-life cases. Summary report

This document is an extract of the Deliverable D2.2 Lists of ethical, legal, societal and economic issues of big data technologies, released and published on 31 August 201

From Plant Compounds to Botanicals and Back: A Current Snapshot

This work aims at giving an updated picture of the strict interaction between main plant biologically active compounds and botanicals. The main features of the emerging class of dietary supplements, the botanicals, are highlighted. Focus is also on the definition of actual possibilities of study approach and research strategies. Examples of innovative directions are given: assessment of interaction of bioactive compounds, chemometrics and the new goal of biorefineries. Current models of existing databases, such as plant metabolic pathways, food composition, bioactive compounds, dietary supplements, and dietary markers, are described as usable tools for health research. The need for categorization of botanicals as well as for the implementation of specific and dedicated databases emerged, based on both analytical data and collected data taken from literature throughout a harmonized and standardized approach for the evaluation of an adequate dietary intake

Carbohydrates Components of Some Italian Local Landraces: Garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Garlic is one of the most widespread and ancient medicinal plants. Its health benefits are due to its chemical components, and among these is carbohydrate, whose characteristics have been so far little investigated. The aim of this study is to typify the various components of carbohydrate (starch, individual sugars, fructans, and total dietary fibre) in four commonly consumed “Italian local landraces”: Bianco Piacentino, Rosso di Castelliri, Rosso di Sulmona, Rosso di Proceno, which are grown in two different geographical areas—Viterbo and Alvito—under the same agronomic conditions. This study will also evaluate how genotype and the cultivation area can affect the profile of the carbohydrate components of these landrace strains. Regarding unavailable carbohydrates, all of the varieties showed appreciable contents of fructans, the most representative component, which ranged from 45.8 to 54.4 g/100 g d.w. In contrast, total dietary fibre values varied from 9.1 to 13.1 g/100 g d.w. in Rosso di Castelliri and Bianco Piacentino, respectively, which are both grown in Viterbo. As for starch, only some traces were found, while the amount of total sugars ranged between 2.12 and 3.27 g/100 g d.w., with higher levels of sucrose. Our findings could provide important information that may be adopted to enhance and promote the quality of some local Italian garlic landraces through highlighting the influence that the cultivar and the environmental conditions can have on carbohydrates components