Study of the influence of berry-blanching on syneresis in blueberry purées

Abstract A wider range of fruit-based products, preserving high nutritional and sensory attributes, aid towards achieving a healthy diet. Pigmented fruit, specially blueberries, are a natural source of phenolic phytochemicals which could be exploited through proper technologies, limiting by-product loss and detrimental impact of processing on fruit bioactive compounds. The influence of the mild thermal pretreatment of steam blanching on the syneresis of frozen blueberry purees was studied. Syneresis kinetic parameters, colour and phenolic profile of the serum from syneresis were analyzed, highlighting the relationship between quality data and pigment localization in the berry by a correlative microscopy study. Blanching induced a marked anthocyanin diffusion from the vacuoles of pigmented epidermal cells down to the core of berries. Monomeric anthocyanin pigments (MAP) decreased in blanched (BL) berries (−17.6%), but no further decrease was observed in BL purees, while pureeing of not blanched (NB) berries caused a significant loss in MAP (−28.0%) and total phenolic compounds (TPC) (−35.8%) and an increase in percent polymeric color. As a result BL purees had higher MAP and TPC compared to NB ones. A different syneresis behaviour was evidenced between BL and NB purees and a model fitting data was proposed; the retention of syneresis serum was higher in BL puree during the first 180 min after thawing, then it was higher in NB ones till 340 min, and thereafter was similar. BL serum samples showed higher TPC (+69%), MAP (+215%), lightness (L*) and red colour component (a*) compared to NB ones. The introduction of a berry-blanching step improves physical and chemical stability of ready-to-eat frozen blueberry purees. Correlative microscopy provides a useful integrated approach to fulfil quality requirements

Contributo della micropropagazione alla valorizzazione del sorbo da legno

Nell\u2019attivit\ue0 di micropropagazione di selezioni autoctone da legno di S. torminalis e S. domestica la fase di radicazione si \ue8 rivelata critica per S. torminalis e quella d\u2019ambientamento per entrambe. Nel presente lavoro si evidenzia l\u2019influenza del genotipo e della citochinina sulla fase di radicazione di S. torminalis e si descrive l\u2019evoluzione dell\u2019apparato fogliare durante la fase di ambientamento delle colture.Sorbus spp. is particularly important for timber production as the price of its good-quality wood is extremely high and its demand is increasing on the European market. The use of in vitro propagation allows the large-scale production of interesting accessions as those selected at DIPROVE of Milan University. Whereas rooting was critic for S. torminalis accessions acclimatization appeared critical also for S. domestica. S. torminalis gave better rooting and in vivo survival when preconditioned on BA free medium. Changes in the morphological and histological features and in the development of the mesophyll layer of persistent (ex vitro) leaves as compared to both in vitro and new formed ones were observed

Construction of a synthetic infectious cDNA clone of Grapevine Algerian latent virus (GALV-Nf) and its biological activity in Nicotiana benthamiana and grapevine plants

Background: Grapevine Algerian latent virus (GALV) is a tombusvirus first isolated in 1989 from an Algerian grapevine (Vitis spp.) plant and more recently from water samples and commercial nipplefruit and statice plants. No further reports of natural GALV infections in grapevine have been published in the last two decades, and artificial inoculations of grapevine plants have not been reported. We developed and tested a synthetic GALV construct for the inoculation of Nicotiana benthamiana plants and different grapevine genotypes to investigate the ability of this virus to infect and spread systemically in different hosts. Methods: We carried out a phylogenetic analysis of all known GALV sequences and an epidemiological survey of grapevine samples to detect the virus. A GALV-Nf clone under the control of the T7 promoter was chemically synthesized based on the full-length sequence of the nipplefruit isolate GALV-Nf, the only available sequence at the time the project was conceived, and the infectious transcripts were tested in N. benthamiana plants. A GALV-Nf-based binary vector was then developed for the agroinoculation of N. benthamiana and grapevine plants. Infections were confirmed by serological and molecular analysis and the resulting ultrastructural changes were investigated in both species. Results: Sequence analysis showed that the GALV coat protein is highly conserved among diverse isolates. The first epidemiological survey of cDNAs collected from 152 grapevine plants with virus-like symptoms did not reveal the presence of GALV in any of the samples. The agroinoculation of N. benthamiana and grapevine plants with the GALV-Nf binary vector promoted efficient infections, as revealed by serological and molecular analysis. The GALV-Nf infection of grapevine plants was characterized in more detail by inoculating different cultivars, revealing distinct patterns of symptom development. Ultrastructural changes induced by GALV-Nf in N. benthamiana were similar to those induced by tombusviruses in other hosts, but the cytopathological alterations in grapevine plants were less severe. Conclusions: This is the first report describing the development of a synthetic GALV-Nf cDNA clone, its artificial transmission to grapevine plants and the resulting symptoms and cytopathological alterations

Activity of synthetic and natural compounds for phytoplasma control

A sustainable and rational procedure to evaluate the activity of synthetic and natural substances towards phytoplasma agents of important tree diseases was developed with the aim of finding new strategies of control. The method of testing is based on 1) the utilization of Catharanthus roseus; 2) the artificial infection of periwinkles with two phytoplasma strains; 3) scion dipping, selected as the most suitable method of applying the substances. A series of natural and synthetic compounds were chosen among a) new agrochemical entries, registered as plant-resistance inducers; b) secondary metabolites of fungal and plant origin; c) new and known biologically active substances never tested before for their antiphytoplasmal properties. The activity of this series of compounds on healthy and phytoplasma-infected periwinkles was evaluated on the basis of several parameters: phytotoxicity, evolution of symptoms and microscope observations. The in-volvement of the third component in the triangular interaction between phytoplasma, plant and compound is discussed

Inhibition of neddylation represses lipopolysaccharide-induced proinflammatory cytokine production in macrophage cells

Background: Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) up-regulate proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages, partly through a NF-κB-dependent process. Results: Blocking neddylation, which helps regulate NF-κB, represses LPS-induced up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: Neddylation plays a role in the up-regulation of NF-κB-regulated proinflammatory cytokines produced by macrophages in response to LPS. Significance: Inhibition of neddylation represents a novel and effective method for the prevention of LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokines

Construction of a synthetic infectious cDNA clone of Grapevine Algerian latent virus (GALV-Nf) and its biological activity in Nicotiana benthamiana and grapevine plants.

This is the first report describing the development of a synthetic GALV-Nf cDNA clone, its artificialtransmission to grapevine plants and the resulting symptoms and cytopathological alteration

Maize 16-kD γ-zein forms very unusual disulfide-bonded polymers in the endoplasmic reticulum : implications for prolamin evolution

In the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), prolamin storage proteins of cereal seeds form very large, ordered heteropolymers termed protein bodies (PBs), which are insoluble unless treated with alcohol or reducing agents. In maize PBs, 16-kD \u3b3-zein locates at the interface between a core of alcohol-soluble \u3b1-zeins and the outermost layer mainly composed of the reduced-soluble 27-kD \u3b3-zein. 16-kD \u3b3-zein originates from 27-kD \u3b3-zein upon whole-genome duplication and is mainly characterized by deletions in the N-terminal domain that eliminate most Pro-rich repeats and part of the Cys residues involved in inter-chain bonds. 27-kD \u3b3-zein also forms insoluble PBs when expressed in transgenic vegetative tissues. We show that in Arabidopsis leaves, 16-kD \u3b3-zein assembles into disulfide-linked polymers that fail to efficiently become insoluble. Instead of forming PBs, these polymers accumulate as very unusual threads that markedly enlarge the ER lumen, resembling amyloid-like fibers. Domain-swapping between the two \u3b3-zeins indicates that the N-terminal region of 16-kD \u3b3-zein has a dominant effect in preventing full insolubilization. Therefore, a newly evolved prolamin has lost the ability to form homotypic PBs, and has acquired a new function in the assembly of natural, heteropolymeric PBs

Effect of the Purinergic Inhibitor Oxidized ATP in a Model of Islet Allograft Rejection

The lymphocytic ionotropic purinergic P2X receptors (P2X1R-P2X7R, or P2XRs) sense ATP released during cell damage-activation, thus regulating T-cell activation. We aim to define the role of P2XRs during islet allograft rejection and to establish a novel anti-P2XRs strategy to achieve long-term islet allograft function. Our data demonstrate that P2X1R and P2X7R are induced in islet allograft-infiltrating cells, that only P2X7R is increasingly expressed during alloimmune response, and that P2X1R is augmented in both allogeneic and syngeneic transplantation. In vivo short-term P2X7R targeting (using periodate-oxidized ATP [oATP]) delays islet allograft rejection, reduces the frequency of Th1/Th17 cells, and induces hyporesponsiveness toward donor antigens. oATP-treated mice displayed preserved islet grafts with reduced Th1 transcripts. P2X7R targeting and rapamycin synergized in inducing long-term islet function in 80% of transplanted mice and resulted in reshaping of the recipient immune system. In vitro P2X7R targeting using oATP reduced T-cell activation and diminished Th1/Th17 cytokine production. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from long-term islet-transplanted patients showed an increased percentage of P2X7R+CD4+ T cells compared with controls. The beneficial effects of oATP treatment revealed a role for the purinergic system in islet allograft rejection, and the targeting of P2X7R is a novel strategy to induce long-term islet allograft function

Effect of the Purinergic Inhibitor Oxidized ATP in a Model of Islet Allograft Rejection

The lymphocytic ionotropic purinergic P2X receptors (P2X1R-P2X7R, or P2XRs) sense ATP released during cell damage-activation, thus regulating T-cell activation. We aim to define the role of P2XRs during islet allograft rejection and to establish a novel anti-P2XRs strategy to achieve long-term islet allograft function. Our data demonstrate that P2X1R and P2X7R are induced in islet allograft-infiltrating cells, that only P2X7R is increasingly expressed during alloimmune response, and that P2X1R is augmented in both allogeneic and syngeneic transplantation. In vivo short-term P2X7R targeting (using periodate-oxidized ATP [oATP]) delays islet allograft rejection, reduces the frequency of Th1/Th17 cells, and induces hyporesponsiveness toward donor antigens. oATP-treated mice displayed preserved islet grafts with reduced Th1 transcripts. P2X7R targeting and rapamycin synergized in inducing long-term islet function in 80% of transplanted mice and resulted in reshaping of the recipient immune system. In vitro P2X7R targeting using oATP reduced T-cell activation and diminished Th1/Th17 cytokine production. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from long-term islet-transplanted patients showed an increased percentage of P2X7R+CD4+ T cells compared with controls. The beneficial effects of oATP treatment revealed a role for the purinergic system in islet allograft rejection, and the targeting of P2X7R is a novel strategy to induce long-term islet allograft function