The molecular mechanism of the cholesterol-lowering effect of dill and kale: The influence of the food matrix components

open4noNome progetto: BASEFOOD (Sustainable exploitation of bioactive components from the Black Sea Area traditional foods)Foods are complex matrices containing many different compounds, all of which contribute to the overall effect of the food itself, although they have different mechanisms of action. While evaluating the effect of bioactive compounds, it is important to consider that the use of a single compound can hide the effects of the other molecules that can act synergistically or antagonistically in the same food. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of food matrix components by comparing two edible plants (dill and kale) with cholesterol-lowering potential and similar contents of their most representative bioactive, quercetin. The molecular effects of the extracts were evaluated in HepG2 cells by measuring the expression of sterol-regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) and low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) at the mRNA and protein level. The results reported here show that both extracts reduced the cellular cholesterol level with a similar trend and magnitude. It is conceivable that the slightly different results are due to the diverse composition of minor bioactive compounds, indicating that only by considering food as a whole is it possible to understand the complex relationship between food, nutrition, and health in a foodomics vision.openDanesi, Francesca; Govoni, Marco; D'Antuono, Luigi Filippo; Bordoni, AlessandraDanesi, Francesca; Govoni, Marco; D'Antuono, Luigi Filippo; Bordoni, Alessandr

Caratterizzazione della dinamica produttiva di pascoli naturali italiani

This work studies herbage production and its seasonal distribution in indigenous pastures, and analyses the relationship between the environmental factors (soil, clima, vegetation) and the productivity of these resources. The investigations have been carried on during the period 1983-90 by the joint activity of 10 different University Istitutions in 23 different environments distributed along the Italian peninsula and the main islands. For each environment, pasture production has been measured with the Corrall and Fenlon method, analysing the more important vegetational and ecological conditions; altogether the total yearly production and the seasonal pattern of herbage production have been detected on 104 pastures. The total herbage yield is not significantly influenced by the latitudinal gradient, and the overall regional (alps, central Appenine, south Apennine and islands) production is about 2.3 t ha-1 year-1 The wide range (0.5-6.3 t ha-1 year-1) of herbage production, on small or medium scale, seems to be due to evident changeof environmental or management factors. Five types of seasonal distribution of herbage growth are evidenced with multivariate analysis methods, based on the growing season and the amplitude of the growth. With mean temperature above 12°C and total rainfall below 800 mm, herbage distribution shows a standstill during summer period and an evident regrowth in autumn. On the contrary, for the 4 other distribution types, the winter standstill become important, and the types are distinct by summer growth amplitude and by the growing season lenght. With cluster analysis method, for each type of herbage distribution, have been pointed out under-types characterized by interannual herbage production variation. Among the environmental factors, vegetation characheristics, expressed as Pasture Value following Daget and Poissonet seems to be strictly correlated with total production. The comparative poor role played by the soil and climatic factor, may be due to the strong past and present antropic influence, related with management and utilization techniques. Il presente lavoro ha come scopo l'approfondimento delle conoscenze sulla produzione e sulla distribuzione stagionale della crescita dell'erba dei pascoli naturali, nonché l'analisi delle interazioni tra i fattori ambientali, pedo-climatici e vegetazionali, e la risposta produttiva di queste risorse. La ricerca è stata condotta nel periodo 1983-90 da 10 diverse Istituzioni Universitarie, in 23 ambienti differenti, distribuiti lungo tutta la penisola e le isole maggiori. Per ogni ambiente, con il metodo di rilievo di Corrall e Fenlon, è stata saggiata la risposta produttiva di pascoli rappresentativi delle principali situazioni vegetazionali e di giacitura; complessivamente sono state rilevate la produzione totale annua e la curva di produttività media pluriennale di 104 pascoli. Riguardo la produzione annua complessiva si è osservato che essa non presenta variazioni significative lungo il gradiente latitudinale, collocandosi tra le diverse regioni (alpina, centro appenninica, suq, appenninica e insulare) attorno a 2.3 t ha-1 anno-1. La fitomassa raccolta è soggetta invece a variazioni sensibili (0.5-6.3 t ha-1 anno-1) riconducibili a fattori ambientali e gestionali che si esprimono su piccola e media scala. Con metodi di analisi multivariata si sono individuate 5 tipologie distributive della crescita dell'erba, in rapporto alla stagione vegetativa e alle variazioni dell'intensità di crescita nel corso della stagione stessa. Con temperature medie e precipitazioni annue rispettivamente maggiori di 12°C e minori di 800 mm, risulta evidente la stasi vegetativa nel trimestre estivo e la ripresa vegetativa autunnale. Nel caso opposto la stasi è invernale e le 4 tipologie afferenti a questo modello, sono distinguibili dall'entità della crescita nei mesi estivi e dalla durata della stagione vegetativa. Per ogni tipologia produttiva, sono state evidenziate, tramite l'analisi cluster, sotto-tipologie distinte per la variabilità produttiva interannuale. Tra i fattori ambientali, la vegetazione, espressa attraverso l'indice del valore pastorale di Daget e Poissonet, presenta una buona capacità predittiva nei confronti del livello produttivo dei pascoli. Il contributo comparativamente modesto offerto dai fattori pedoclimatici sembra attribuibile alla forte influenza antropica, pregressa e attuale, attraverso le cure colturali e l'utilizzazione

Sensory evaluation of carrot germplasm

Although the relevance of quality traits is often stressed, sensory analysis has been seldom applied to germplasm evaluation. In this work, 20 carrot samples (8 commercial cultivars and hybrids and 12 germplasm accessions) were subject to sensory evaluation. A group of 69 not specifically trained assessors rated external and overall gustative acceptance on a 10 cm linear scale and, contextually, their perception of 3 visual traits (external colour, cross sectional internal colour and shape) and 5 gustative traits (crispness, hardness, fibrousness, sweetness and aroma). The accessions significantly differed for all traits. The main determinants of gustative acceptance were sweetness and crispness, the latter with a relevant indirect effect via its correlation to sweetness. A positive relation with sweetness was also the main indirect determinant of the association of aroma with gustative acceptance. All the three visual traits had a positive relation to external acceptance, with a prevailing direct effect. Principal component analysis indicated a factor related to external traits as explaining the highest variance proportion, followed by a factor related to sweetness, aroma and internal acceptance and, finally, a factor related to textural traits. The germplasm accessions can be classified as a function of their position in the PC space. Overall, the panellists seemed to be rather conservative, expressing lower acceptance for types strongly deviating from usual colour and shape, although some long conical rooted accessions were positively visually rated

Variation of sesquiterpene lactones and phenolics in chicory and endive germplasm

Fresh edible parts of 32 endive (var. crispum and latifolium) and 64 chicory accessions (Head radicchio, Sugarloaf, Leafy radicchio, and Witloof types) were analyzed for their sesquiterpene lactone (SL) and phenolic concentrations, and HPLC profile. Six SL and 20 phenolic compounds, belonging to hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, were quantified. Total SL were in the range of 128\u20132045 and 383\u20132497 mg kg 121 d.m. for endive and chicory, respectively, whereas total phenolics ranged from 2207 to 15,235 and from 1356 to 77,907 mg kg 121 d.m. in the two species. An ample variability and significant differences were detected between endive and chicory and among variety and type, within species. On average, the highest SL concentration was verified in Sugarloaf chicory, whereas red Head radicchio chicories showed the highest phenolic concentration. The two species were clearly separated on the basis of discriminant analysis, with Witloof chicory showing some similar features to endive