Postharvest Ozone Fumigation of Grapes (cv Sangiovese) Differently Affects Volatile Organic Compounds and Polyphenol Profiles of Berries and Wine

Consumers are more and more oriented towards the purchase of safer food and beverages, which is pushing the wine sector to find alternatives to the use of sulfur dioxide. Ozone (O3) is already applied in the wine industry to produce sulfur dioxide-free wines through the patented method Purovino®. The aim of this two-year study was that of evaluating whether the postharvest treatment of grapes with ozone affects volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polyphenol profile in berries, and in turn, wine composition. Grape bunches (Vitis vinifera L.) of cv Sangiovese were fumigated overnight with gaseous ozone (max 20 g·h−1 with 6% w.w−1 of ozone) in a cold room at 4°C (±0.5). After treatment, grapes were processed into wine. In grapes, ozone treatments increased total polyphenol and flavonoid content and upregulated specific genes (phenylalanine ammonia lyase, VvPAL, flavanol synthase 1, and VvFLS1) involved in polyphenol biosynthesis. Wine obtained from ozone-treated grapes had higher flavanol content than the control. Fumigation only slightly affected the different VOC classes of grapes and wine, including aroma compounds derived from the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway. Although a season-dependent effect was observed, results showed that postharvest ozone treatments applied to avoid the use of sulfur dioxide introduced limited but, in general, positive modifications to grape and wine composition. This information provides assurance to winemakers that the maintenance of wine quality and typicity will be guaranteed when using ozone treatments

Interplay between Nox2 activity and platelet activation in patients with sepsis and septic shock. a prospective study

Background. Although preclinical studies highlighted the potential role of NADPH oxidase (NOX) in sepsis, only few studies evaluated the oxidative stress in patients with sepsis and septic shock. The objective of the study is to appraise the oxidative stress status and platelet function in patients with sepsis and septic shock compared to healthy controls. Methods and Results. Patients with sepsis or septic shock admitted to the hospital Policlinico Umberto I (Sapienza University, Rome) underwent a blood sample collection within 1 hour from admission. Platelet aggregation, serum thromboxane B2 (TxB2), soluble NOX2-derived peptides (sNox2-dp), and hydrogen peroxide breakdown activity (HBA) were measured and compared to those of healthy volunteers. Overall, 33 patients were enrolled; of these, 20 (60.6%) had sepsis and 13 (39.4%) septic shock. Compared to healthy controls (n=10, age 67.8±3.2, male 50%), patients with sepsis and septic shock had higher platelet aggregation (49% (IQR 45-55), 60% (55.75-67.25), and 73% (IQR 69-80), respectively, p<0.001), higher serum TxB2 (77.5 (56.5-86.25), 122.5 (114-131.5), and 210 (195-230) pmol/L, respectively, p<0.001), higher sNox2-dp (10 (7.75-12), 19.5 (17.25-21), and 33 (29.5-39) pg/mL, respectively, p<0.001), and lower HBA (75% (67.25-81.5), 50% (45-54.75), and 27% (21.5-32.5), respectively, p<0.001). Although not statistically significant, a trend in higher levels of serum TxB2 and sNox2-dp in patients who died was observed. Conclusions. Patients with septic shock exhibit higher Nox2 activity and platelet activation than patients with sepsis. These insights joined to better knowledge of these mechanisms could guide the identification of future prognostic biomarkers and new therapeutic strategies in the scenario of septic shock

Influenza di due tipologie di lavaggio sulle caratteristiche qualitative di spinaci della IV gamma confezionati in atmosfera protettiva

washing treatments were examined. The first through water tsunami solution at a concentration of 300 ppm for 4 min, the second one with ozonated water at a concentration of 3 ppm for 4 min. Variations in the main qualitative, technological, physical as well as sensorial characteristics of fresh-cut spinach was studied after packaging in polypropylene during storage at 4°C. The data showed that both the types of sanitation that were carried out on the fresh-cut spinach allowed the colour to be maintained during storage. Moreover results suggest that sanitization with ozonated water causes an initial dejection of ethylene production in addition to a phenolic content decrease coupled with a lower antioxidant activity of fresh-cut spinach