Does the Introduction of Ultrasound in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Extraction Process Improve the Income of the Olive Millers? The First Technology for the Simultaneous Increment of Yield and Quality of the Product

Olive oil is an important product of the European agro-alimentary sector. The current olive oil extraction process can be further improved in order to overcome the weaknesses of the actual system in terms of non-continuity, reduction of oil in waste, sustainability, and improvement of quality both in the healthy and sensory perspective. Many innovative approaches have been developed to improve the olive oil extraction process. However, not all the proposed innovations have the opportunity to effectively reach a technological level of readiness close to “ready for the market.” An innovator should simultaneously evaluate the aptitude of its invention to turn into a widely used commercial product both under the technological and the marketing perspectives. Under the technological point of view, an innovation should be effective, so, adequate to accomplish a purpose, and efficient, so, able to perform or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort. Under the marketing point of view, an innovation should be able to develop products that accurately and timely respond to customer needs, offering a valuable experience to the customer, exceeding his expectations. The innovative EVOO process based on ultrasound extraction has several advantages useful to improve olive miller income: higher yield extraction, higher polyphenols, and lower bitter and pungent taste than traditional EVOO samples

Waste by-products from Olea europaea as a potential application in Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome

The use of agri-food by-products represents an important resource in the nutraceutical field in a circular economy perspective oriented to the valorization of our territory products: among these, the olive tree (Olea europaea, Coratina cultivar in particular), is an excellent nutraceutical even though it derives from food waste. In this study we present a polyphenolic complex - derived from the mechanical filtration process of wastewater resulting from olive oil production - called MOMAST®. Based on the results obtained from the chemical composition analysis, we hypothesized a possible application of the phytocomplex as a food supplement in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) [1] [2]. After testing three different types of extracts (MOMAST Plus30, PW25, and HY100) on some IBS-related targets, we verified their antioxidant action and effects on spontaneous and induced intestinal contractility of ileum and colon [3, 4]. From the scientific evidence found, MOMAST® compounds have proved to be excellent candidates to become food supplements in the treatment of IBS [5]: in particular, Plus30 also showed an interesting action against some microorganisms due to its high concentration of polyphenols and oleuropein. References [1] L. Recinella, A. Chiavaroli, G. Orlando, L. Menghini, C. Ferrante, L. Di Cesare Mannelli, C. Ghelardini, L. Brunetti, S. Leone, Molecules, 2019, 24, 3002. [2] T. Tian, Z. Wang, J. Zhang, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017, 2017, 4535194. [3] J.K. Triantafillidis, A. Triantafyllidi, C. Vagianos, A. Papalois, Annals of Gastroenterology, 2016, 29, 268. [4] M. Micucci, M. Malaguti, T.G. Toschi, G. Di Lecce, R. Aldini, A. Angeletti, A. Chiarini, R. Budriesi, S. Hrelia, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2015, 2015, 318125. [5] M.J. Oliveras-López, G. Berna, E.M. Carneiro, H.L.G. De La Serrana, F. Martin, M.C. López, The Journal of Nutrition, 2008, 138, 1074

Gastronomic cultural EVOOlution of the virgin olive oil consumption model at the restaurant

Gastronomic experience can be a factor of motivation to improve the quality of extra virgin olive oil served at the restaurant. The "new" consumer is a very complex and demanding figure, who seeks in the consumption of food products not only a means to satisfy food needs, but experiences, emotions, feelings, service, nature, culture, etc. The quality requirements do not only concern the chemical-physical and organoleptic components of the product, but also the hedonostic ones, ie those related to the health aspects, the quality of the territory of origin, the typicality, the respect of the environment by the production processes used, respect for animal welfare, the ethical content of the product, etc. He is demanding in terms of information on the features of the product and requires greater guarantees on its characteristics and/or on the production processes used. All this seems to highlight the presence of potential unsatisfied needs around which it is possible to build paths of development of the offer able to satisfy them, especially at the restaurant, where cultural, emotional and multi-sensory satisfaction of food can be easily “discovered”. This is the right time to change the marketing of extra virgin olive oil at the restaurant, because extra virgin olive oil is an element that embodies the different aspects of the expected and perceptible quality of a food: taste, sensory, knowledge, sacredness, syncretism, health, history, naturalness and authenticity. Tasting a high quality oil, discovering the complexity of the aromas released by the contact with the warm dishes and the gustatory and kinesthetic perceptions that harmoniously interact by balancing the sensory profile of the other ingredients, is comparable to the emotion of a blind man when recovers his sight. From that moment, as the blind man will not be able to tolerate returning to the oblivion of darkness, the guests that tasted a high quality extra virgin olive oil can not tolerate returning to the banality of a fat that anoints without seasoning

Emerging technology to develop novel red winemaking practices: An overview

Nowadays, making modifications to traditional practices and/or adopting novel processing technologies is of great interest in order to fulfill consumers expectations towards food products characterized by convenience, variety, adequate shelf-life and caloric content, healthy properties, reasonable cost, and environmental sustainability. In this perspective, the role of emerging technologies in winemaking is addressed towards reduced production time, optimized resources and spaces, extraction of high nutraceutic components through mechanical effects, high energy efficiency, extended shelf-life, lowering SO2 addition and its final concentration. This paper is the outcome of an extensive and comprehensive literature review describing, by an integrated approach, the main characteristics and applications of three emerging technologies (US, MW, and PEF) alternative to the traditional winemaking processes. Their advantages related to the safety aspects of wine, such as the ability to improve nutraceutic and sensorial features are also described. Industrial relevance The food industry is currently interested in a variety of novel production and emerging technologies that may result in economical and quality products. This review shows as numerous researches have strongly demonstrated the great benefits of new emerging technologies, such as PEF, US, and MW, into the oenological industry, either increasing compounds extraction during maceration of the must or accelerating stabilization stage in the wine. Emerging technologies could offer better products to consumers with added value in terms of nutritional or sensorial characteristics, and guarantee higher profit for the industry, even reducing process time and use of natural resources, such as energy, water, and chemicals

Development, Optimization, and Comparison of Different Sample Pre-Treatments for Simultaneous Determination of Vitamin E and Vitamin K in Vegetables

The absence of vitamin E from the diet can lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer, cataracts, and premature aging. Vitamin K deficiency can lead to bleeding disorders. These fat-soluble vitamins are important nutritional factors that can be determined in different methods in vegetables. In this work, the simultaneous determination of α-tocopherol, α-tocopheryl acetate, phylloquinone, and menaquinone-4 by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) has been optimized using both direct injection and solid phase microextraction (SPME). Three different sample pre-treatment approaches based on: (A) solid–liquid–liquid–liquid extraction (SLE–LLE), (B) SLE, and (C) SPME were then applied to extract the target analytes from vegetables samples using menaquinone as internal standard. All the procedures allowed the determination of the target analytes in onion, carrot, celery, and curly kale samples. Similar results were obtained with the three different approaches, even if the one based on SPME offers the best performance, together with a reduced use of solvent, time consumption, and experimental complexity, which makes it the preferable option for industrial applications

A Mini-Review on Thalidomide: Chemistry, Mechanisms of Action, Therapeutic Potential and Anti-Angiogenic Properties in Multiple Myeloma

Thalidomide is a drug with interesting therapeutic properties but also with severe side effects which require a careful and monitored use. Potential immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic and sedative properties make thalidomide a good candidate for the treatment of several diseases such as multiple myeloma. Through an increase in the degradation of TNF alpha-mRNA, thalidomide reduces the production of TNF alpha by monocytes and macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide or by T lymphocytes induced by mitogenic stimuli. The decreased level of TNF alpha alters the mechanisms of intracellular transduction by preventing the activation of NF-kB and by decreasing the synthesis of proteins, in particular IL-6, involved in cell proliferation, inflammation, angiogenesis and protection from apoptosis. Furthermore, thalidomide affects VEGF levels by down-regulating its expression. Nowadays, new safer and less toxic drugs, analogs of thalidomide, are emerging as beneficial for a more targeted treatment of multiple myeloma and several other diseases such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, erythema nodosum leprosum, graft-versus-host disease

Determination of Commercial Animal and Vegetable Milks’ Lipid Profile and Its Correlation with Cell Viability and Antioxidant Activity on Human Intestinal Caco-2 Cells

none9openantonella aresta; Stefania De Santis; Alessia Carocci; Alexia Barbarossa; Andrea Ragusa; Nicoletta De Vietro; Maria Lisa Clodoveo; Filomena Corbo; Carlo ZAMBONINAresta, Antonella; De Santis, Stefania; Carocci, Alessia; Barbarossa, Alexia; Ragusa, Andrea; De Vietro, Nicoletta; Lisa Clodoveo, Maria; Corbo, Filomena; Zambonin, Carl

Olive Tree in Circular Economy as a Source of Secondary Metabolites Active for Human and Animal Health Beyond Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Abstract Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) contains many bioactive compounds with multiple biological activities that make it one of the most important functional foods. Both the constituents of the lipid fraction and that of the unsaponifiable fraction show a clear action in reducing oxidative stress by acting on various body components, at concentrations established by the European Food Safety Authority’s claims. In addition to the main product obtained by the mechanical pressing of the fruit, i.e., the EVOO, the residual by-products of the process also contain significant amounts of antioxidant molecules, thus potentially making the Olea europea L. an excellent example of the circular economy. In fact, the olive mill wastewaters, the leaves, the pomace, and the pits discharged from the EVOO production process are partially recycled in the nutraceutical and cosmeceutical fields also because of their antioxidant effect. This work presents an overview of the biological activities of these by-products, as shown by in vitro and in vivo assays, and also from clinical trials, as well as their main formulations currently available on the market

Bovine and soybean milk bioactive compounds: Effects on inflammatory response of human intestinal Caco-2 cells

In this study the effects of commercial bovine and soybean milks and their bioactive compounds, namely genistein, daidzein and equol, on the inflammatory responses induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment of human intestinal Caco-2 cells were examined, in terms of nitric oxide (NO) release and inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS) expression. Both milks and their bioactive compounds significantly inhibited, dose-dependently, the expression of iNOS mRNA and protein, resulting in a decreased NO production. The NF-κB activation in LPS-stimulated intestinal cells was also examined. In all cases we observed that cell pre-treatment before LPS activation inhibited the IkB phosphorylation. Accordingly, quantification of bioactive compounds by solid phase microextraction coupled with liquid chromatography has shown that they were absorbed, metabolized and released by Caco-2 cells in culture media. In conclusion, we demonstrated that milks and compounds tested are able to reduce LPS-induced inflammatory responses from intestinal cells, interfering with NF-kB dependent molecular mechanisms

Cyto/Biocompatibility of Dopamine Combined with the Antioxidant Grape Seed-Derived Polyphenol Compounds in Solid Lipid Nanoparticles

none10The loss of nigrostriatal neurons containing dopamine (DA) together with the “mitochondrial dysfunction” in midbrain represent the two main causes related to the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Hence, the aim of this investigation is to co-administer the missing DA and the antioxidant grape seed-derived proanthocyanidins (grape seed extract, GSE) in order to increase the levels of the neurotransmitter (which is unable to cross the Blood Brain Barrier) and reducing the oxidative stress (OS) related to PD, respectively. Methods: For this purpose, we chose Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLN), because they have been already proven to increase DA uptake in the brain. DA-SLN adsorbing GSE (GSE/DA-SLN) were formulated and subjected to physico-chemical characterization, and their cytocompatibility and protection against OS were examined. Results: GSE was found on SLN surface and release studies evidenced the efficiency of GSE in preventing DA autoxidation. Furthermore, SLN showed high mucoadhesive strength and were found not cytotoxic to both primary Olfactory Ensheathing and neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells by MTT test. Co-administration of GSE/DA-SLN and the OS-inducing neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (100 μM) resulted in an increase of SH-SY5Y cell viability. Conclusions: Hence, SLN formulations containing DA and GSE may constitute interesting candidates for non-invasive nose-to-brain delivery.openAdriana Trapani, Lorenzo Guerra, Filomena Corbo, Stefano Castellani, Enrico Sanna, Loredana Capobianco, Anna Grazia Monteduro, Daniela Erminia Manno, Delia Mandracchia, Sante Di Gioia and Massimo ConeseTrapani, Adriana; Guerra, Lorenzo; Corbo, Filomena; Castellani, Stefano; Sanna, Enrico; Capobianco, Loredana; Monteduro, ANNA GRAZIA; Manno, Daniela Erminia; Mandracchia, Delia; Di Gioia and Massimo Conese, Sant