Phenolic content and antioxidant activity of donkey milk kefir fortified with sulla honey and rosemary essential oil during refrigerated storage

The aim of this work was to evaluate the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of donkey kefirfortified with sulla honey and rosemary essential oil, during refrigerated storage. The type offlavouring strongly influenced the antioxidant activity of the kefir: rosemary essential oil kefirshowed the highest 2,20-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid values; sulla honey kefirshowed the highest ferric-reducing antioxidant power values but, at the same time, in both fortifiedkefirs, the thiol content decreased, probably because of the formation of polyphenol-protein com-plexes that would have influence the availability of bioactive components. The antioxidant activityincreased significantly during refrigerated storage, showing the highest values after 15 days. Sen-sory analysis highlighted the fact that the donkey kefir was well accepted by consumers. Addition ofsulla honey resulted in the highest acceptability, while addition of rosemary essential oil kefir wasless accepted by consumers. This knowledge provides a basis that could lead to the production offortified donkey kefir with specific nutraceutical characteristics

Antioxidant activity of different cheese-honey combinations before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different cheese-honey combinations on antioxidant activity before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, using the 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline- 6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Honey addition significantly enhanced the antioxidant activity of cheese samples (P < 0.05). The antioxidant activity of in vitro digested samples was significantly lower than the undigested ones. However, digested cheese-honey combination showed a percentage decrease of antioxidant activity lower than plain cheese. The cheese and honey types affected the percentage decrease of antioxidant activity in the digested samples, this is mainly due to the bioaccessibility of the honey polyphenols after digestion. Sensory analysis showed that all cheese-honey combinations were well accepted by the consumers, the health information on higher antioxidant capacity of dark honeys has not influenced the degree of acceptability of consumers, who preferred the cheese - clear honey combination

Minerals content in Basilicata region (southern Italy) honeys from areas with different anthropic impact

SummaryThe aim of this study was to examine the minerals content (toxic elements, macro‐elements and trace elements) of Basilicata region (southern Italy) honeys and compare the mineral profile of honeys classified as rural, industrial and urban according to anthropic characteristics of geographical origin. Overall, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Al, Zn and Mn were the most abundant elements detected in honeys, with average contents exceeding 1 ppm, whereas heavy metals content was lower than the maximum limit established for honey. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences (P < 0.05) among honeys as function of anthropic characteristics of geographical origin, with the exception for Se, Co and Ag content. Industrial honeys were characterised by the highest Zn, Cr, Sn, Cd and Pb content, urban honeys showed the highest As, Fe, Ni, Mn, Na, Mg and Ca content, whereas rural honeys showed the highest Cu, Al and Ba content (P < 0.05). The findings of this study highlighted that honeys mineral profile is closely related to different content of elements in environment, which is affected by anthropogenic activities

Metals in Honeys from Different Areas of Southern Italy

The aim of the study was to quantify the cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As) contents in ninety honey samples from nine areas of southern Italy. Results showed that As content was below the detection limit, while Cd, Pb, and Cr contents were below the recommended maximum acceptable levels. Mean Cd, Pb, and Cr contents were 0.013, 0.289 and 0.707 mg kg-1, respectively. The metal contents in honey varied greatly depending on considered area. Correlations between the metals were statistically significant (p\0.05), suggesting that polluting sources involve the simultaneous presence of metals in honey

A comparative study on phenolic profile, vitamin C content and antioxidant activity of Italian honeys of different botanical origin

The aim of our study was to identify and quantify the phenolic acids, flavonoids and vitamin C and to evaluate the antioxidant activity in ninety Italian honeys of different botanical origins (chestnut, sulla, eucalyptus, citrus and multifloral). The results showed that total phenolic and flavonoid contents varied from 11.08 to 14.26 mg GAE per 100 g honey and from 5.82 to 12.52 mg QE per 100 g honey, respectively. HPLC–UV analysis showed a similar but quantitatively different phenolic profile of the studied honeys. Vitamin C is present in all samples. Multifloral honey showed the highest amount of the detected total phenolic compounds and the highest vitamin C content. The DPPH value varied from 55.06 to 75.37%. Among the unifloral honeys, chestnut honey presented the highest levels of phenolic acids, flavonoids and vitamin C, which are closely associated with its high antioxidant activity. The results show that honey contains high amount of biologically active compounds, which play an important role in defining the nutraceutical quality of the product, and that the distribution of these compounds is influenced by the botanical origin

Antioxidant Properties, Polyphenol Content and Colorimetric Characteristics of Different Floral Origin Honeys from Different Areas of Southern Italy.

Ninety honey samples of five different floral origins (chestnut, eucalyptus, citrus, multifloral and sulla) from nine areas of southern Italy, were screened to evaluate the polyphenol content by spectrphotometric methods, the antioxidant activity by ABTS (2,2’-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) diamonium salt, FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assays, and the colorimetric characteristics by spectrophotometric and CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) L*a*b* methods. Moreover, the correlations between the analysed parameters were studied. Overall, the results showed that all the honey samples presented high total phenolic and flavonoid contents (12.23 mg gallic acid equivalent/100g honey and 8.16 mg quercetin equivalent/100g honey, respectively), and a high antioxidant activity (59.17%, 66.50% and 349.11 μM Fe (II) for ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays, respectively), but those results differ widely according to the honey types, suggesting that honey composition has been influenced by its floral and geographical origin. In particular, the darkest honeys, such as chestnut honey (L* = 59.94; 1.26 AU), showed the highest polyphenol content and the highest antioxidant activity. Honeys from the areas with major anthropogenic activities and high population density presented the highest antioxidant activity. Correlations between the analysed parameters were statistically significant (P < 0.05), suggesting that the polyphenol content is correlated with the antioxidant activity and colour of honey

Effect of species on the distribution and oxidative stability of milk added of lead and cadmium

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of species on added lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) content in cow, buffalo, and goat milk and their distribution in fat, casein, and whey fractions. In addition, the oxidative stability of the milk was evaluated. Most of the Pb and Cd were recovered in the skimmed milk (96.74 and 94.21%, respectively). The distribution of Cd and Pb in casein and whey fractions, obtained by enzymatic coagulation, highlighted that they were mainly associated with casein (on average 94.77 and 90.54% of Pb and Cd, respectively). The species significantly affected the distribution of Cd and Pb in the casein and fat fractions (p &lt; 0.01). In particular, Cd and Pb levels in fat fraction were the highest in the buffalo milk, whereas casein fraction was the highest in bovine milk. Furthermore, the presence of metals negatively influenced the oxidative stability of the milk and the species influenced its response. The results showed that in the presence of Cd and Pb, bovine milk increased the content of Malondialdehyde (MDA), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and dithyrosines compared to other species. In addition, there was a significant decrease in the thiol content, highlighting a reduction in the antioxidant capacity of the contaminated milk

Fatty acids composition, cholesterol and vitamin E contents of Longissimus dorsi and Semitendinosus muscles of Suino Nero Lucano pigs slaughtered at two different weights

The nutritional quality of the lipid fraction of two muscles (Longissimus dorsi and Semitendinous) from Italian autochthonous genotype Suino Nero Lucano pigs slaughtered at two different weights was evaluated. Meat of Suino Nero Lucano pig showed a relatively low content of cholesterol and a higher proportion of unsaturated (UFA) than saturated fatty acids (SFA). Total cholesterol content was influenced by muscle, being higher in Longissimus dorsi (LD) than in Semitendinous (ST) muscle. No significant effects related to slaughter weight or muscle were found regarding vitamin Econtent. Slaughter weight strongly influenced n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) contents that decreased with increasing weight, and consequently, PUFA/SFA ratio. Muscle markedly influenced the contents of SFA, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and PUFA, and the dietetic properties of the meat. ST muscle, compared with the LD muscle, showed higher PUFA/SFA and PUFA n-6/PUFA n-3 ratios, and lower atherogenic and thrombogenic indices

Immune System Remodelling by Prenatal Betamethasone : Effects on β-Cells and Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a multifactorial disease of unknown aetiology. Studies focusing on environment-related prenatal changes, which might have an influence on the development of T1D, are still missing. Drugs, such as betamethasone, are used during this critical period without exploring possible effects later in life. Betamethasone can interact with the development and function of the two main players in T1D, the immune system and the pancreatic β-cells. Short-term or persistent changes in any of these two players may influence the initiation of the autoimmune reaction against β-cells. In this review, we focus on the ability of betamethasone to induce alterations in the immune system, impairing the recognition of autoantigens. At the same time, betamethasone affects β-cell gene expression and apoptosis rate, reducing the danger signals that will attract unwanted attention from the immune system. These effects may synergise to hinder the autoimmune attack. In this review, we compile scattered evidence to provide a better understanding of the basic relationship between betamethasone and T1D, laying the foundation for future studies on human cohorts that will help to fully grasp the role of betamethasone in the development of T1D

performance of two different types of cathodes in microbial fuel cells for power generation from renewable sources

Abstract Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) technology represents a new approach to the sustainable electric power production, thanks to the advantages of its green features. The performance and the cost efficiency of a MFC are affected by several factors, such as the reactor architecture, the microbial microflora and the "costs per power" ratio of the electrodes. For example, cathodes powered by platinum as catalyzer are really efficient, but also expensive. In this study, two materials for cathode were examined: i) an economical biochar-based material (BC), ii) an activated carbon (AC) cathode with a nickel mesh current collector and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder to limit oxygen diffusion to the anodic compartment. The performances were evaluated in terms of power density and current density