In vitro antioxidant and ex vivo protective activities of green and roasted coffee.

The antioxidant properties of green and roasted coffee, in relation to species (Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta) and degree of roasting (light, medium, dark), were investigated. These properties were evaluated by determining the reducing substances (RS) of coffee and its antioxidant activity (AA) in vitro (model system beta-carotene-linoleic acid) and ex vivo as protective activity (PA) against rat liver cell microsome lipid peroxidation measured as TBA-reacting substances. RS of C. robustasamples were found to be significantly higher when compared to those of C. arabica samples (p < 0.001). AA for green coffee samples were slightly higher than for the corresponding roasted samples while PA was significantly lower in green coffee compared to that of all roasted samples (p < 0.001). Extraction with three different organic solvents (ethyl acetate, ethyl ether, and dichloromethane) showed that the most protective compounds are extracted from acidified dark roasted coffee solutions with ethyl acetate. The analysis of acidic extract by gel filtration chromatography (GFC) gave five fractions. Higher molecular mass fractions were found to possess antioxidant activity while the lower molecular mass fractions showed protective activity. The small amounts of these acidic, low molecular mass protective fractions isolated indicate that they contain very strong protective agents

In vitro antioxidant and ex vivo protective activities of green and roasted coffee

The antioxidant properties of green and roasted coffee, in relation to species (Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta) and degree of roasting (light, medium, dark), were investigated. These properties were evaluated by determining the reducing substances (RS) of coffee and its antioxidant activity (AA) in vitro (model system beta-carotene-linoleic acid) and ex vivo as protective activity (PA) against rat liver cell microsome lipid peroxidation measured as TBA-reacting substances. RS of C. robustasamples were found to be significantly higher when compared to those of C. arabica samples (p < 0.001). AA for green coffee samples were slightly higher than for the corresponding roasted samples while PA was significantly lower in green coffee compared to that of all roasted samples (p < 0.001). Extraction with three different organic solvents (ethyl acetate, ethyl ether, and dichloromethane) showed that the most protective compounds are extracted from acidified dark roasted coffee solutions with ethyl acetate. The analysis of acidic extract by gel filtration chromatography (GFC) gave five fractions. Higher molecular mass fractions were found to possess antioxidant activity while the lower molecular mass fractions showed protective activity. The small amounts of these acidic, low molecular mass protective fractions isolated indicate that they contain very strong protective agents

Alta Valsessera preistorica

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Sindrome di Mayer- Rokitansky: Aspetti genetici, clinici, radiologici e prospettiveterapeutiche

La sindrome di Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) è una rara anomalia congenita dell'apparato genitale femminile che consiste nell'agenesia dell'utero e della vagina, ha una incidenza stimata di 1:4500, ed in genere si presenta con carattere sporadico. Le ovaie e tube di fallopio morfologicamente normali, cosi come lo sviluppo dei caratteri sessuali secondari ed il cariotipo. Un’interazione di fattori genetici ed ambientali è l’ipotesi eziopatogenetica più plausibile. La trasmissione sembra essere autosomica dominante con penetranza incompleta ed espressività variabile. Sono stati individuati diversi geni tra cui TCF2 e LHX1. La RMN è particolarmente adatta per la sua multiplanarietà e l’attitudine allo studio dei tessuti molli ed è più specifica ed accurata nella valutazione dell’aplasia uterina rispetto all’ecografia. Il trattamento delle pazienti con sindrome MRKH prevede la ricostruzione del canale vaginale che, in casi selezionati, si può eseguire anche con metodiche non invasive “Franck's dilator method”, tecnica Williams e Mc Indoe. Tra le prospettive terapeutiche anche il trapianto di mucosa vaginale umana autologa “in vitro”, mediante vaginoplastica

L'approccio metodologico per lo studio di siti preistorici in alta quota: l'utilizzo di modelli predittivi GIS nelle Valli di Lanzo e in Alta Val Sessera (Piemonte, Italia) [A methodological approach for the study of high altitude prehistoric sites : the use of GIS predictive models in the Valli di Lanzo and in the Alta Val Sessera areas (Italy, Piedmont)]

No abstract availabl