Postharvest dehydration and defoliation

Background and Aims: Sfursat is an Italian wine produced with partially dehydrated Nebbiolo grapes in the Valtellina region which is located at high altitude. The research aims to understand the influence of fruit exposure on the rate of water loss by harvested fruit and the influence of exposure and dehydration on the content of phenolic substances and anthocyanins in the wine. Methods and Results: Clusters of Nebbiolo grapes from control vines (ND) and from vines that were defoliated at fruitset (DFS) or post-veraison (DPV) were harvested at a sugar concentration of about 230 g/L (there was no significant difference among the treatments), and dehydrated at 10, 20 or 30°C and at 60% relative humidity (RH), and air flow. Fruit were sampled at 10 and 20% weight loss (WL). Leaf removal had little effect on the physical characteristics of bunches and on the anthocyanins content and profile of harvested Nebbiolo grapes but affected dehydration. At 10 and 20°C, DFS fruit lost mass more slowly than DPV and ND fruit. In ND fruit, 20% WL reduced anthocyanins from 554 mg/kg fresh mass (FM) at harvest to 458, 432 and 396 mg/kg FM at 10, 20 and 30°C, respectively. In DFS and DPV berries, anthocyanins increased during dehydration at 10°C. At harvest, ND berries had a lower content of total stilbenes than those from defoliated vines. Dehydration (10°C, 20% WL) increased stilbene concentration in ND and DPV fruit. Dehydration at 10°C induced a rise in the flavonol concentration in fruit from defoliated vines. Catechin concentration was 106.5 mg/kg DM (dry mass), the highest value in ND berries at harvest. Wine was produced only from grapes dehydrated at 10°C. Wine from DFS fruit had a higher content of phenolic substances (2704.8 mg/L) and anthocyanins (104 mg/L) than that from DPV (2454.9 and 96.2 mg/L, respectively) and ND (2301.9 and 100.5 mg/L, respectively) fruit. Conclusions: Postharvest dehydration was slower where vines had been defoliated and resulted in changes in the ratios among groups of phenolic substances as well as among single phenolic components. Significance of the Study: In Nebbiolo grapes for Sfurzat wine production, defoliation at fruit set enables fruit to reach phenolic maturity at a lower sugar concentration allowing dehydration to increase sugar concentration without producing excessively alcoholic wines

Real-time Continuous IoT-TT Spectrum as a Predictor of Plant Health and Fruit Quality in 'Soreli' Kiwifruit

The kiwifruit, for which Italy is the second largest producer in the world, is derived from a fruit vine that requires a significant amount of water for proper growth and the production of high-quality fruit. This study aims to investigate the ideal irrigation strategy to ensure an adequate water supply for robust root development, vibrant foliage, and successful fruit production. To achieve this goal, three experimental plots of Soreli kiwifruit vineyards were subjected to different water regimes: full irrigation (100%) and two plots with 80% and 60% irrigation. Each irrigation group was equipped with an Internet of Things (IoT) TT Spectrum, which measured reflected spectrometer data in 12 bands. Additionally, a soil sensor was used to determine moisture content. Fruit quality analysis, including weight loss, soluble solid content, flesh color and firmness, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, polyphenols and flavonoids, was conducted to correlate productivity with water availability. By analyzing the IoT-TT Spectrum data for each kiwifruit plant, crucial indicators for assessing physiological status, health, and growth were examined. Maintaining a balance between leaf nitrogen content and photosynthetic capacity, with low AI and higher NDVI and CVI values, was used to determine the optimal irrigation level for each of the three plots. Furthermore, qualitative data obtained from fruits revealed that overwatering or underwatering kiwifruit plants affects yield production and fruit quality. Fruits subjected to full irrigation exhibited lower sugar levels compared to those under deficit irrigation. This study demonstrates that excessive or limited irrigation regimes negatively impact plant health and on the fruit quality

Ethanol From Olive Paste During Malaxation, Exploratory Experiments

Research paper in scientific journa

Ruolo dei sulforafani nel mediare il rilascio di esosomi da parte dei fibroblasti.

Secondo l'Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità (OMS), le malattie cardiovascolari (CVD) sono la principale causa di morte a livello mondiale, con una netta maggioranza dei decessi dovuta all’infarto del miocardio o all’ictus cerebrale. Un corretto stile di vita ed una dieta corretta giocano un ruolo importante nella prevenzione e nel miglioramento delle malattie riguardanti il sistema cardiovascolare. I composti nutraceutici sono composti nutrizionali naturali che si sono dimostrati efficaci nella prevenzione e nel trattamento di determinate malattie; di questi, molti sono stati associati alla protezione dalle malattie cardiovascolari. In questa tesi, mi concentrerò su un composto nutraceutico appartenente agli organosolfati: il sulforafano (SFN), derivante dai vegetali della famiglia delle crucifere e delle brassicacee, particolarmente abbondante nel cavolo nero, verdura tipica della regione Toscana. Nello specifico mi focalizzerò sugli effetti del composto nutraceutico SFN sulla quantità di esosomi secreti, i quali sono importanti mediatori della comunicazione cellula-cellula, comunicazione che viene alterata in situazioni patologiche come ad esempio successivamente ad un infarto; e sull’effetto del SFN sulla concentrazione di maspina (una proteina veicolata dagli esosomi nello scambio di informazioni tra cellule cardiache, classificata come oncosoppressore) all’interno degli esosomi stessi. Il tutto utilizzando fibroblasti, una linea cellulare abbondante nel tessuto cardiaco. In questo modo sarà possibile valutare l’ipotesi sul ruolo del composto nutraceutico SFN nella protezione dalle malattie cardiovascolari e nella rigenerazione cardiaca tramite l’alterazione della secrezione di esosomi e/o della maspina contenuta negli stessi