Electrospun Nanomaterials: Applications in Food, Environmental Remediation, and Bioengineering

This research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, grant number MAT-2017-86805-R,and Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCI)—Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)/Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER), grant number RTI2018-101969-J-I00

Metabolomic analysis by UAE-GC MS and antioxidant activity of <i>Salvia hispanica </i>(L.) seeds grown under different irrigation regimes

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is an emerging crop with a high content of α-linolenic acid and metabolites of industrial and pharmaceutical interest but information on metabolome variations in response to agricultural management is scarce. We investigated the yield and metabolic profile of the seeds of two chia populations, one commercial black (B) and one long-day flowering genotype (G8), in response to two irrigation levels: replacement of 100% ET⁠0 (I) or rainfed (NI). Seed yield was higher in irrigated plots in G8 only (0.255kgm⁠−2 for I vs 0.184kgm⁠−2 for NI) while it was very low regardless of irrigation in B due to late flowering. Ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) of seeds followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis showed differences in fatty acids and the major classes of organic compounds due to both genotype and irrigation, especially in the non-polar phase where irrigated samples showed a higher content of α-linolenic and other fatty acids and a lower oleic/linoleic ratio (47.4 in NI vs. 39.6 in I). The antioxidant activity, expressed as trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), ranged from 1.317±0.027 to 2.174±0.010mmol TEAC/g of defatted chia seed after 2 and 40min respectively, and was negatively affected by irrigation. The total polyphenolic content (TPC) measured with the Folin-Ciocalteu method, also decreased with irrigation. According to our results irrigation can affect chia yield, metabolome and antioxidant behavior but some of the effects are genotype-dependent

A strategy for efficiently collecting aerosol condensate using silica fibers:application to carbonyl emissions from e-cigarettes

Analysing harmful constituents in e-cigarette aerosols typically involves adopting a methodology used for analysing tobacco smoke. Cambridge filter pads (CFP) are the basis of numerous protocols for analysing the various classes of compounds representing 93 harmful and potentially harmful constituents identified in tobacco smoke by the FDA. This paper describes a simplified method for trapping the low volatility components of e-cigarette aerosols using a single trapping procedure followed by physical extraction. The trap is a plug of amorphous silica fibres (0.75 g of 4 µm diameter) within a 10mL syringe inserted between the e-cigarette mouthpiece and the pump of the vaping machine. The method is evaluated for emissions from three generations of e-cigarette device (Kangertech CE4, EVOD and Subox Mini-C). On average the silica wool traps about 94% of the vapourised liquid mass in the three devices and higher levels of condensate is retained before reaching saturation compared with CFP. The condensate is then physically extracted from the silica wool plug using a centrifuge. Condensate is then available for use directly in multiple analytical procedures or toxicological experiments. The method is tested by comparison with published analyses of carbonyls, among the most potent toxicants and carcinogens in e-cigarette emissions. Ranges for HPLC-DAD analyses of carbonyl-DNPH derivatives in a laboratory formulation of e-liquid are formaldehyde (0.182±0.023 to 9.896±0.709 µg puff-1), acetaldehyde (0.059±0.005 to 0.791±0.073 µg puff-1) and propionaldehyde (0.008±0.0001 to 0.033±0.023 µg puff-1); other carbonyls are identified and quantified. Carbonyls concentrations are also consistent with published experiments showing marked increases in with variable power settings (10W - 50W). Compared with CFPs, e-cigarette aerosol collection by silica wool requires only one vaping session for multiple analyte groups, traps more condensate per puff, collects more condensate before saturating

Metabolomics driven analysis by UAEGC-MS and antioxidant activity of Chia (<i>Salvia hispanica </i>L.) commercial and mutant seeds

Chia is a food plant producing seeds which have seen increasing interest owing to their health benefits. This work is the first report on the metabolite profile, total polyphenols and antioxidant activity of chia seeds, determined by ultrasound-assisted extraction, coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (UAE GC-MS). Different chia sources were compared: two commercial (black and white) and three early flowering (G3, G8 and G17) mutant genotypes. Organic extracts were mainly composed of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids with alpha-linolenic being the most abundant. Polar extracts contained sucrose, methylgalactoside and glucose as main sugars. Antioxidant activity and total polyphenolic content were correlated. Chemical composition and yield potential of early flowering genotypes were different from commercial chia, and while white chia showed the highest content of omega-3 fatty acids, the high content of nutraceuticals in G17 and G8 suggests them as a potential source of raw materials for the food/feed industry

Explorative investigation of the anti-glycative effect of a rapeseed by-product extract

Formation of Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs) in biological systems are increased during hyperglycaemia due to higher levels of circulating glucose, as well as carbonyl reactive species. AGEs are causative factors of common chronic diseases. Since synthetic AGE-inhibitors exert unwanted side effects and polyphenols act as potent antiglycative agents, vegetables (fruits, seeds and related by-products) are good candidates for searching natural inhibitors. The aim of this research is to explore the suitability of a polyphenol-rich rapeseed cake extract (RCext) to decrease the formation of AGEs in an in vitro model. Total Phenolic Content, antioxidant, anti-glycative activity, specific inhibition of AGEs (pentosidine and argypyrimidine), and methylglyoxal trapping capacity of the RCext were evaluated. The metabolomic profile of the extract was also analysed through GC-MS. Different phenols, amino acids, carbohydrates, organic acids and fatty acids are identified in the RCE by GC-MS. Results confirm the high concentration of polyphenols correlated with the antioxidant capacity and anti-glycative activity in a dose dependent manner. Rapeseed cake extract (3.7 mg mL−1) significantly reduced the formation of free fluorescent AGEs and pentosidine up to 34.85%. The anti-glycative activity of the extract is likely to be due to the high concentration of sinapinic acid in its metabolic profile, and the mechanism of action is mediated by methylglyoxal trapping. Results show a promising potential for using rapeseed cake extract as a food supplement to ameliorate the formation of AGEs. Rapeseed cake extract should therefore be considered a potential candidate for the prevention of glycation-associated complications of age-related pathologie

Do Eco-Innovation Projects Target Environmental Fragile Areas? The Case Study of Some Italian Southern Regions through a Spatial Approach

A fundamental objective for the effectiveness and, above all, for the efficiency of the dynamics of environmental sustainability is related to the correct directing of project actions towards those areas that need them most. This contribution intends to verify whether the spatial distribution of eco-innovation projects in some regions of Southern Italy affects areas characterized by greater environmental fragility. The proposed approach highlights a centrality of the spatial perspective, thus underlining how important and necessary it is for political actors to evaluate the goodness of projects not in absolute terms but in relation to their relationship with the territory in which they are implemented. To this end, the methodology used envisages two actions, a cartographic comparison between the distribution of environmental projects and that of environmental fragility and an analytical evaluation of the spatial autocorrelation between contiguous areas to detect any geographical determinisms. The results show a “positive” independence regarding the presence of ecoinnovation even in the absence of environmental fragility but not vice vers

Metabolomics and chemometrics of seven aromatic plants:carob, eucalyptus, laurel, mint, myrtle, rosemary and strawberry tree

Introduction: Arbutus unedo L. (strawberry tree), Ceratonia siliqua L. (carob), Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. (eucalyptus), Laurus nobilis L. (laurel), Mentha aquatica L. (water mint), Myrtus communis L. (common myrtle), and Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary) are aromatic plants from the Mediterranean region whose parts and preparations are used for their nutritional properties and health benefits. Objectives: To evaluate and compare the metabolites profile, total phenol content (TPC), and antioxidant activity of plant leaves for their future use. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used for metabolomics. Data comparison was performed by chemometrics. Methodology: Polar and apolar extracts were analysed using untargeted GC–MS metabolomics followed by chemometrics (principal component analysis, heatmap correlation and dendrogram) to identify, quantify and compare the major organic compounds in the plants. Additionally, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used for the laurel polar extract to identify d-gluco-l-glycero-3-octulose whose presence was unclear from the GC–MS data. TPC and antioxidant assays were performed using classical methods (Folin–Ciocalteu, 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)) and correlated to the phytochemical profiles. Results: Forty-three metabolites were identified including amino acids, organic acids, carbohydrates, phenols, polyols, fatty acids, and alkanes. Eight metabolites (d-fructose, d-glucose, d-mannose, gallic acid, quinic acid, myo-inositol, palmitic and stearic acids) were in common between all species. d-Gluco-l-glycero-3-octulose (37.29 ± 1.19%), d-pinitol (31.33 ± 5.12%), and arbutin (1.30 ± 0.44%,) were characteristic compounds of laurel, carob, and strawberry tree, respectively. Carob showed the highest values of TPC and antioxidant activity. Conclusion: GC–MS metabolomics and chemometrics analyses are fast and useful methods to determine and compare the metabolomics profiling of aromatic plants of food and industrial interest.</p

Evaluation of the effect of berry extracts on carboxymethyllysine and lysine in ultra-high temperature treated milk

Both the Maillard reaction (MR) and thermal treatment influence the nutritional value of milk. In this paper, the capability of polyphenolic berry extract (PBE) to inhibit MR in an ultra-high temperature (UHT) treated milk was investigated. Total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of blueberry (BE) and raspberry extracts (RE) were also tested. A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was developed to monitor the MR product N ε-(carboxymethyl)-L-lysine (CML) and L-lysine (LYS). PBE was added to milk at 0.05 and 0.1% w/v prior to UHT processing. Data revealed that formation of CML was significantly reduced (23.4 ± 5.1 %) by addition of 0.1% w/v BE. The final concentrations of LYS measured following the addition of PBE prior to thermal treatment were statistically similar to the control milk which was not subjected to thermal processing. Additionally, the metabolic profile of milk samples was investigated by GC-MS and visualised using ‘FancyTiles’

Naples and tourism: conflicts of a dream realised? Analysis of a fast-changing urban landscape

Urban landscape and tourism, a complementary binomial or a dual antithesis? The question is becoming more and more interesting, and it is a cause of concern among local administrators. To this end, we aim to investigate the dynamics of a specific case, the city of Naples (Italy), where the fast, increasing touristification of the historic city center - a phenomenon for which the expression "overtourism" is increasingly used – is now showing the other side of the coin. Through an interpretivist-constructivist epistemological approach based on the analysis of the context, the critical issues relating to an uncontrolled management of urban space are first brought to light and then some strategies and public policies that could prove effective in containing the phenomenon are proposed. Finally, the results found for the specific case of Naples are described in inductive terms to be replicable in similar contexts

Canonical and Noncanonical Autophagy as Potential Targets for COVID-19

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic necessitates a review of the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular infection by coronaviruses, in order to identify potential therapeutic targets against the associated new disease (COVID-19). Previous studies on its counterparts prove a complex and concomitant interaction between coronaviruses and autophagy. The precise manipulation of this pathway allows these viruses to exploit the autophagy molecular machinery while avoiding its protective apoptotic drift and cellular innate immune responses. In turn, the maneuverability margins of such hijacking appear to be so narrow that the modulation of the autophagy, regardless of whether using inducers or inhibitors (many of which are FDA-approved for the treatment of other diseases), is usually detrimental to viral replication, including SARS-CoV-2. Recent discoveries indicate that these interactions stretch into the still poorly explored noncanonical autophagy pathway, which might play a substantial role in coronavirus replication. Still, some potential therapeutic targets within this pathway, such as RAB9 and its interacting proteins, look promising considering current knowledge. Thus, the combinatory treatment of COVID-19 with drugs affecting both canonical and noncanonical autophagy pathways may be a turning point in the fight against this and other viral infections, which may also imply beneficial prospects of long-term protectionThis research was funded by the FEDER/Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation – State Agency of Research, grant number RTI2018-101969-J-I00CSIC and Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (BIO2016-75549-R AEI/FEDER, UE; PIE Ref. 202020E079; PIE CSIC Ref. 202020E043),European Commission, H2020-SC1-2019 (Improved Vaccination Strategies for Older Adults, ISOLDA_Ref. 848166)and U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) (2P01AI060699, 0258-3413/HHSN266200700010C and GM131919). M.B.-P. received a contract from NIH