Bioactive Compounds in Goat Milk and Cheese: The Role of Feeding System and Breed

This chapter provides an introductory overview of some bioactive compounds in goat milk, presenting a selection of key results from literature. The aim of the chapter is to review the effects of the feeding system and of the breed on goat milk and cheese fine quality in order to identify management options aimed at improving the nutraceutical characteristics of milk and dairy products. We will discuss a series of case studies focused on the assessment of the effects of feeding system and breed and their interaction on specific health-promoting bioactive compounds: (i) fatty acid (FA) profile, (ii) antioxidant compounds and (iii) oligosaccharides (OS). Experimental data will be discussed highlighting the potential role of local Mediterranean breeds for the production of functional dairy products

Comparison of cheeses from goats fed 7 forages based on a new health index.

This study proposed the General Health Index of Cheese (GHIC) as an indicator for the presence of health-promoting compounds in cheese and compared the antioxidant capacity and phenolic and fatty acid contents of cheeses from goats consuming 7 forage species. Ninety-one homogeneous Red Syrian goats were randomly assigned to 1 of 7 feeding treatments (Festuca arundinacea, Hordeum vulgare, Triticosecale, Pisum sativum, Trifolium alexandrinum, Vicia sativa, and Vicia faba minor). The housed goat groups received the scheduled forage ad libitum. Forage species affected the antioxidant capacity, the phenolic and fatty acid contents, the Health Promoting Index, and the GHIC. Trifolium alexandrinum, Triticosecale, and Hordeum vulgare showed a clear advantage in terms of beneficial fatty acids content in goat cheese. Cheese from the Triticosecale group also showed a high antioxidant capacity value even if its polyphenol content was intermediate compared with others. Trifolium alexandrinum and Triticosecale had the highest value of the new index GHIC. This comparison suggests that there are important differences in fatty acid profile and polyphenol content among cheeses from goats fed grasses and legumes commonly used in the Mediterranean area. In this first approach, GHIC index, which combines the positive components found in cheese, seems to be a useful tool to provide an indication concerning the general health value of the product

Charged particle's flux measurement from PMMA irradiated by 80 MeV/u carbon ion beam

Hadrontherapy is an emerging technique in cancer therapy that uses beams of charged particles. To meet the improved capability of hadrontherapy in matching the dose release with the cancer position, new dose monitoring techniques need to be developed and introduced into clinical use. The measurement of the fluxes of the secondary particles produced by the hadron beam is of fundamental importance in the design of any dose monitoring device and is eagerly needed to tune Monte Carlo simulations. We report the measurements done with charged secondary particles produced from the interaction of a 80 MeV/u fully stripped carbon ion beam at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, with a Poly-methyl methacrylate target. Charged secondary particles, produced at 90$\degree$ with respect to the beam axis, have been tracked with a drift chamber, while their energy and time of flight has been measured by means of a LYSO scintillator. Secondary protons have been identified exploiting the energy and time of flight information, and their emission region has been reconstructed backtracking from the drift chamber to the target. Moreover a position scan of the target indicates that the reconstructed emission region follows the movement of the expected Bragg peak position. Exploting the reconstruction of the emission region, an accuracy on the Bragg peak determination in the submillimeter range has been obtained. The measured differential production rate for protons produced with $E^{\rm Prod}_{\rm kin} >$ 83 MeV and emitted at 90$\degree$ with respect to the beam line is: $dN_{\rm P}/(dN_{\rm C}d\Omega)(E^{\rm Prod}_{\rm kin} > 83 {\rm ~MeV}, \theta=90\degree)= (2.69\pm 0.08_{\rm stat} \pm 0.12_{\rm sys})\times 10^{-4} sr^{-1}$.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figure

The chemical composition of the aerial parts of Stachys spreitzenhoferi (Lamiaceae) growing in Kythira Island (Greece), and their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative properties

The Stachys L. genus has been used in traditional medicine to treat skin inflammations, stomach disorders, and stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical profile and biological activity of the methanolic extract of Stachys spreitzenhoferi Heldr. (Lamiaceae) aerial parts, collected on the island of Kythira, South Greece. The analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization and high-resolution mass spectrometry [LC-(-)ESI/HRMSn] of the methanol extract revealed the occurrence of thirty-six compounds - flavonoids, phenylethanoid glycosides, iridoids, quinic acid derivatives, aliphatic alcohol glycosides, and oligosaccharides - highlighting the substantial presence, as main peaks, of the iridoid melittoside (2) along with flavonoid compounds such as 4'-O-methylisoscutellarein mono-acetyl-diglycoside/chrysoeriol mono-acetyl-diglycoside (24), trimethoxy- (35) and tetramethoxyflavones (36). This extract was tested for its antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive and negative pathogenic strains. The extract was not active against Gram-negative bacteria tested, but it possessed a good dose-dependent antimicrobial activity towards S. aureus (MIC: 1.0 mg/mL) and L. monocytogenes (MIC: 1.0 mg/mL) Gram-(+) strains. Furthermore, this extract has been tested for its possible antioxidant activity in vitro. In particular, it has been shown that these molecules cause a decrease in DPPH, ABTS, and H2O2 radicals. The extract of S. spreitzenhoferi exhibited anti-DPPH activity (IC50: 0.17 mg/mL), anti-H2O2 activity (IC50: 0.125 mg/mL), and promising antiradical effect with an IC50 value of 0.18 mg/mL for anti-ABTS activity. S. spreitzenhoferi extract caused a decrease in ROS (at the concentration of 200 μg/mL) and an increase in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT, and GPX in OZ-stimulated PMNs. Furthermore, it exhibited antiproliferative activity against acute myeloid leukemia (U937 cell), causing 50% of cell death at the 0.75 mg/mL

Effect of destoned olive cake on the aromatic profile of cows’ milk and dairy products: comparison of two techniques for the headspace aroma profile analysis

The aim of this study, carried out within the NOVOROD project (PSR Campania 2007-2013 Misura 124 HC), was to evaluate the aromatic profile of milk and dairy products of dairy cows supplemented with destoned olive cake (DOC). Two techniques for the headspace aroma profile analysis: the thermal desorption by gas chromatography with a mass selective (GC/MS) detector and the electronic nose were compared. The trial was performed into a dairy cow farm. Ten dairy cows were allotted into two homogenous groups: control and experimental. Animals received the same diet, while in the experimental group the concentrate supplementation (15% dry matter) was replaced with DOC. After two weeks of adaptation, animals were fed with the experimental diet for other 15 days. During the experimental period, the milk was collected and cumulatively processed in Caciotta cheese (a soft cheese, 25 days ripened) and in Semicotto cheese (hard cheese, 3 months ripened) for 13 times for each group. Milk and cheese volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were extracted and concentrated with dynamic headspace method and determined by GC/MS. Statistical analysis of data, expressed in arbitrary units (a.u.=peak area × 10–6) and allotted in compound classes, was carried out by ANOVA. All data collected of VOCs were processed with principal component analysis (PCA). Milk and cheese samples were comparatively analysed with the electronic nose, fitted with a tenmetal oxide sensors electronic device. PCA has been used for the evaluation of the pattern data. Our results show that the use of DOC, as an unconventional feed for livestock, has no effect on the aromatic profile of both milk and dairy products. In fact, no significant differences were found in both milk and dairy products between the two groups using the GC/MS method. Also the discriminating analysis carried out by electronic nose did not show significant differences between the two groups. The two compared techniques seem to lead to the same result

Study of the time and space distribution of beta+ emitters from 80 MeV/u carbon ion beam irradiation on PMMA

Proton and carbon ion therapy is an emerging technique used for the treatment of solid cancers. The monitoring of the dose delivered during such treatments and the on-line knowledge of the Bragg peak position is still a matter of research. A possible technique exploits the collinear 511\ \kilo\electronvolt photons produced by positrons annihilation from $\beta^+$ emitters created by the beam. This paper reports rate measurements of the 511\ \kilo\electronvolt photons emitted after the interactions of a 80\ \mega\electronvolt / u fully stripped carbon ion beam at the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS) of INFN, with a Poly-methyl methacrylate target. The time evolution of the $\beta^+$ rate was parametrized and the dominance of $^{11}C$ emitters over the other species ($^{13}N$, $^{15}O$, $^{14}O$) was observed, measuring the fraction of carbon ions activating $\beta^+$ emitters $A_0=(10.3\pm0.7)\cdot10^{-3}$. The average depth in the PMMA of the positron annihilation from $\beta^+$ emitters was also measured, D_{\beta^+}=5.3\pm1.1\ \milli\meter, to be compared to the expected Bragg peak depth D_{Bragg}=11.0\pm 0.5\ \milli\meter obtained from simulations

Air microbial contamination in dental clinics: comparison between active and passive methods

The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the microbial air contamination values obtained by active sampling (colony-forming units per cubic metre, CFU/m3) and by passive sampling (Index of microbial air contamination, IMA) and to calculate the corresponding equations. Air sampling was performed in ten dental clinics (DC), before (T0), during (T1) and after (T2) the clinical activity, for five consecutive days, once a month for a period of three months, for a total of 450 air samplings. The correlation was evaluated using the Spearman test, and a p value below 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A statistically significant correlation was found considering both the results obtained from the total observations and from the single sampling times, T0, T1 and T2. Different correlation patterns were observed stratifying by DC. Both methods were able to evaluate the microbial air quality and highlight critical situations; therefore, both can be used with this aim. However, in particular during the activity, passive sampling resulted more sensitive, and for its simplicity, economy and standardization by IMA, as suggested by several authors, can be suggested for routine monitoring

Precise measurement of prompt photon emission for carbon ion therapy

Proton and carbon ion therapy is an emerging technique used for the treatment of solid cancers. The monitoring of the dose delivered during such treatments is still a matter of research. A possible technique exploits the information provided by single photon emission from nuclear decays induced by the irradiation. This paper reports the measurements of the spectrum and rate of such photons produced from the interaction of a 80 MeV/u fully stripped carbon ion beam at the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud of INFN, Catania, with a Poly-methyl methacrylate target. The differential production rate for photons with energy E > 2 MeV and emitted at 90 degree is found to be $dN_{\gamma}/(dN_C d\Omega)=(2.92\pm 0.19)\times 10^{-2}$sr$^{-1}$

Abnormalities of pubertal development and gonadal function in Noonan syndrome

BackgroundNoonan syndrome (NS) is a genetic multisystem disorder characterised by variable clinical manifestations including dysmorphic facial features, short stature, congenital heart disease, renal anomalies, lymphatic malformations, chest deformities, cryptorchidism in males.MethodsIn this narrative review, we summarized the available data on puberty and gonadal function in NS subjects and the role of the RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway in fertility. In addition, we have reported our personal experience on pubertal development and vertical transmission in NS.ConclusionsAccording to the literature and to our experience, NS patients seem to have a delay in puberty onset compared to the physiological timing reported in healthy children. Males with NS seem to be at risk of gonadal dysfunction secondary not only to cryptorchidism but also to other underlying developmental factors including the MAP/MAPK pathway and genetics. Long-term data on a large cohort of males and females with NS are needed to better understand the impact of delayed puberty on adult height, metabolic profile and well-being. The role of genetic counselling and fertility related-issues is crucial