An innovative solid liquid extraction technology: use of the naviglio extractor for the production of lemon liquor.

This document is a review on solid-liquid extractive techniques and describes an innovative solid-liquid extraction technology using the Naviglio Extractor®. Also explained is an application for the production of alcoholic extract from lemon peel. The alcoholic extract, mixed with a sugar and water solution in the right proportions is used to make a well known Italian lemon liquor commonly named "limoncello". Lemon liquor is obtained utilizing the Naviglio Extractor®; the procedure used is fast and efficient and uses about half the weight of lemon peel per volume of ethyl alcohol used for the extraction of the odorous and taste responsible compounds, compared to the commonly used extraction procedures. To test the consumer’s preference and compare the taste of the liquor obtained with that obtained by peel maceration from the same lot of lemons and obtained using the traditional recipe, a consumer test has been carried out. One hundred people, chosen from among frequent consumers of limoncello, tasted the two lemon liquors, and evaluated intensity of aroma, colour, alcohol taste and sweetness. In about 81% of the preferences, the liquor obtained using the Naviglio Extractor® was preferred. The extraction process used allows the ethanol from used up lemon peel to be totally recovered so that these can be disposed of as non toxic waste or used in agriculture or as cattle feed

Advanced diagnostics and innovative solutions for leather defects: the problem of yellowing

Content: Providing peculiar enhanced features to leather items is a factor of primary importance for the marketing of high-end articles; although the tanning production is oriented to satisfy a wide market range, it is mainly in the 'high end' and 'premium luxury' categories that the quality properties of the material are more expressed, indeed, and where the main current challenges have been focalized, in terms of technological innovation, sustainability and product quality. The light-coloured leathers belongs to the category of materials designed especially for the luxury market. For this type of articles, the uniformity of the colour and the agreeableness of the overall surface appearance are crucial requirements for the most of international fashion and luxury brands. One of the most common and undesirable defects of this type of article is the alteration of the color, with particular reference to the effects of yellowing of the surface of the material. There are several causes able to contribute to this type of defects, due to the complexity of the matrix and to the variability of traditional or innovative production processes used: from the fragility, photosensitivity and thermo-sensitivity of the finishing polymers, to the chemical instability of some finishing pigments, further than the presence of photosensitive additives, the migration of skin components or assembly components of the articles (fats, fillers, plasticizers, glues, etc.), up to the indirect contribution of environmental and thermo-climatic factors able to affect negatively the performance of the material. SSIP, which has always been involved in research and consulting activities for the leather industry with regards to defect monitoring, through this work, would offer an overview of all the main tools for advanced diagnostics (with particular reference to Scanning Electronic Microscopy and to chromatographic and spectroscopic methods) aimed to the identification of the causes of yellowing, beside to explore innovative solutions for the development of strategies for the resolution and / or minimization of the problem of yellowing. The technical solutions will include innovative tanning processes, innovative finishing methods, and leather surface treatments carried out in order to provide a sensible attenuation of surface absorption of IR (infrared) and UV (ultraviolet)-visible radiation. Take-Away: Advanced Diagnostics and innovative solutions for leather yellowin

Anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects of tomentosin: Cellular and molecular mechanisms

Tomentosin is a natural compound known for its presence in some medicinal plants of the Asteraceae family such as Inula viscosa. Recent studies have highlighted its anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Its anticancer mechanisms are unique and act at different levels ranging from cellular organization to molecular transcriptional factors and epigenetic modifications. Tomentosin’s possession of the modulatory effect on telomerase expression on tumor cell lines has captured the interest of researchers and spurred a more robust study on its anticancer effect. Since inflammation has a close link with cancer disease, this natural compound appears to be a potential cancer-fighting drug. Indeed, its recently demonstrated anti-inflammatory action can be considered as a starting point for its evaluation as an anticancer chemo-preventive agent

Grape pomace polyphenols improve insulin response to a standard meal in healthy individuals: A pilot study

Dietary polyphenols have beneficial effects on glucose/lipid metabolism in subjects at high risk to develop type 2 diabetes; however, the underlying mechanisms are not clear. We aimed to evaluate: 1) the acute effects of the consumption of a drink rich in polyphenols from red grape pomace (RGPD) on glucose/insulin and triglyceride responses to a standard meal in healthy individuals, and, 2) the relationship between plasma levels of phenolic metabolites and metabolic parameters

Rituximab Unveils Hypogammaglobulinemia and Immunodeficiency in Children with Autoimmune Cytopenia

BACKGROUND: Rituximab (RTX; anti-CD20 mAb) is a treatment option in children with refractory immune thrombocytopenia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AHA), and Evans syndrome (ES). Prevalence and clinical course of RTX-induced hypogammaglobulinemia in these patients are poorly known. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for persistent hypogammaglobulinemia (PH) after RTX use. METHODS: Clinical and immunologic data from children treated with RTX for immune thrombocytopenia, AHA, and ES were collected from 16 Italian centers and 1 UK center at pre-RTX time point (0), +6 months, and yearly, up to 4 years post-RTX. Patients with previously diagnosed malignancy or primary immune deficiency (PID) were excluded. RESULTS: We analyzed 53 children treated with RTX for immune thrombocytopenia (n = 36), AHA (n = 13), and ES (n = 4). Median follow-up was 30 months (range, 12-48). Thirty-two percent of patients (17 of 53) experienced PH, defined as IgG levels less than 2 SD for age at last follow-up (>12 months after RTX). Significantly delayed B-cell recovery was observed in children experiencing PH (hazard ratio, 0.55; P < .05), and 6 of 17 (35%) patients had unresolved B-cell lymphopenia at last follow-up. PH was associated with IgA and IgM deficiency, younger age at RTX use (51 vs 116 months; P < .01), a diagnosis of AHA/ES, and better response to RTX. Nine patients with PH (9 of 17 [53%]) were eventually diagnosed with a PID. CONCLUSIONS: Post-RTX PH is a frequent condition in children with autoimmune cytopenia; a sizable proportion of patients with post-RTX PH were eventually diagnosed with a PID. In-depth investigation for PID is therefore recommended in these patients

Clinical, immunological, and molecular features of typical and atypical severe combined immunodeficiency: Report of the italian primary immunodeficiency network

Severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCIDs) are a group of inborn errors of the immune system, usually associated with severe or life-threatening infections. Due to the variability of clinical phenotypes, the diagnostic complexity and the heterogeneity of the genetic basis, they are often difficult to recognize, leading to a significant diagnostic delay (DD). Aim of this study is to define presenting signs and natural history of SCID in a large cohort of patients, prior to hematopoietic stem cell or gene therapies. To this purpose, we conducted a 30-year retro-prospective multicenter study within the Italian Primary Immunodeficiency Network. One hundred eleven patients, diagnosed as typical or atypical SCID according to the European Society for Immune Deficiencies criteria, were included. Patients were subsequently classified based on the genetic alteration, pathogenic mechanism and immunological classification. A positive relationship between the age at onset and the DD was found. SCID patients with later onset were identified only in the last decade of observation. Syndromic SCIDs represented 28% of the cohort. Eight percent of the subjects were diagnosed in Intensive Care Units. Fifty-three percent had an atypical phenotype and most of them exhibited a discordant genotype-immunophenotype. Pre-treatment mortality was higher in atypical and syndromic patients. Our study broadens the knowledge of clinical and laboratory manifestations and genotype/phenotype correlation in patients with SCID and may facilitate the diagnosis of both typical and atypical forms of the disease in countries where newborn screening programs have not yet been implemented

Studio sul meccanismo di formazione delle efflorescenze grasse mediante gascromatografia HRGC

In questo lavoro è stata analizzata l'efflorescenza grassa che spesso viene rinvenuta sulle pelli rifinite. Questo fenomeno porta alla comparsa di macchie bianche che non è facile eliminare. E' stato evidenziato che questo fenomeno è dovuto ad un affioramento della componente grassa dovuto ad una miscelazione non omogenea dei prodotti aggiunti alle pelli nella fase della rifinitura

Analysis of volatile organic compounds in leather

Gas-chromatog./mass spectrometry combined with the purge and trap technique was used to det. the compn. of volatile emissions from various leather samples. The purge and trap technique consists on placing the leather sample in a hermetically closed vial at room temp. using inert gas flow to strip off and transport the volatile substances to an absorbent trap, to conc. the sample. The transfer of concd. sample to the gas-chromatog. column is accomplished by thermal desorption. Identification of alcs., aldehydes, ketones, hydrocarbons, benzene derivs., etc., was carried out by mass spectrometry. For an upholstery leather sample with strong odor, volatile compds. detected include terpenes, i.e., limonene, pinene, etc. The method is convenient and easy to implement for routine assessment of leather products to meet environmental stds. for indoor air related to furniture, upholstery, automobile interiors, as well as leather garments